The legal battle between rapper Jay-Z and attorney Tony Buzbee intensified on Sunday, as both sides traded public statements and accusations following the filing of a civil lawsuit alleging that Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs raped a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000. The case, which surfaced over the weekend, adds another high-profile dimension to the multiple claims pending against Combs, who is currently awaiting trial on separate charges of racketeering, prostitution, and sex trafficking.
On Sunday, Jay-Z responded forcefully on social media after being named as a defendant in the lawsuit. "My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a 'lawyer' named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle," read Jay-Z's statement. "No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!"
Buzbee, who represents the alleged victim in the case, promptly replied to Jay-Z's remarks. "What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him," Buzbee said, as reported by TMZ. "Instead, she only sought a confidential mediation."
Buzbee continued, "Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I'm very proud of her resolve."
The acrimony comes as the allegations against Combs-and now Jay-Z-have drawn significant public attention. According to NBC News, the lawsuit alleges that both men sexually assaulted a then-13-year-old girl in 2000 at an afterparty linked to the MTV VMAs. Initially filed in October naming only Combs, the complaint was amended Sunday to include Jay-Z as a defendant.
"These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?" Jay-Z wrote in his statement, adding that "These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case."
In response to accusations that Jay-Z had himself taken legal action against Buzbee under a pseudonym, Buzbee remarked, "Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He even filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym."
Diddy's attorneys, confronted with a deluge of civil suits, have also weighed in, stating to Us Weekly, "This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them."
Jay-Z's statement expressed particular concern for his family, mentioning wife Beyoncé and their children. "My wife and I will have to sit our children down," he wrote, acknowledging the personal toll of the allegations. "I mourn yet another loss of innocence."
Buzbee, who is representing over 100 victims, including minors, in various civil cases against Combs, previously hinted that powerful people would be named. This latest disclosure involving Jay-Z signals that public figures previously considered out of reach may now face intense legal scrutiny.
As both sides gear up for what promises to be a protracted and combative legal fight, Buzbee concluded, "As far as the allegations in the complaint filed, we will let the filing speak for itself and will litigate the facts in court, not in the media."
If you or someone you know is affected by issues raised in this story, please call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
