American rapper Jay-Z has finally responded to serious allegations involving him and Sean “Diddy” Combs, following accusations of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
The 55-year-old music mogul took to social media to release a forceful statement denying the claims. He condemned the allegations, addressing them as entirely false and harmful, through the Roc Nation X account.
An updated complaint in an ongoing civil lawsuit against Combs now includes Jay-Z as a defendant. The filing alleges that the two rappers assaulted the young girl at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000.
Jay-Z was added to the lawsuit, which was originally filed by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee in October as one of several anonymous complaints. Some of the claims did not survive, with plaintiffs opting to keep their identities concealed. However, the judge in the case ruled that the then-13-year-old victim had shown enough reason to proceed with the lawsuit while maintaining her anonymity.
In his statement, Jay-Z wasted no time attacking Buzbee’s credibility, labeling him as a fraud and accusing him of using the case for personal gain. The rapper described the rape allegations as an attempt to extort him and called the claims “absurd.”
The Roc Nation founder’s letter began with a direct accusation: “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, known as a demand letter, from a so-called ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee.”
He continued by stating that Buzbee’s motivation was clear: the lawyer believed that the nature of the accusations would pressure him into settling the case. “What he didn’t count on,” Jay-Z said, “was that these baseless allegations would have the opposite effect. They only made me more determined to expose him for the fraud that he is.”
The rapper made it clear he had no intention of paying even a single penny. “No sir, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!” he asserted, dismissing the allegations as “heinous” and urging the lawyer to pursue criminal charges rather than civil ones. “Anyone capable of such a crime against a minor deserves to face justice, don’t you think?”
Jay-Z went on to criticize Buzbee’s reputation, claiming the attorney had a history of using such tactics. He expressed disbelief over the lawyer’s actions, stating, “I don’t know how you’ve become such a disgraceful individual, Mr. Buzbee, but I’ve seen your kind before, and I’m ready to deal with it.”
The rapper, who described Buzbee’s behavior as lacking honor, even mocked the lawyer’s claim of being a marine, asserting that real marines possess valor, something he believed Buzbee lacked.
Concluding his fiery statement, Jay-Z wrote, “I look forward to showing you just how different I am.”
The full statement can be read below.
