The woman who publicly accused Jay-Z of sexual assault has recanted her accusations.
“Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr. Carter,” the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, wrote in a declaration filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, September 24, and obtained by Rolling Stone. “Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever.”
She continued, “There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter. I understand my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully undone.”
Jane Doe named Jay-Z, 56, and Sean “Diddy” Combs in a December 2024 civil lawsuit, accusing the rappers of raping her when she was 13 years old. The Roc Nation founder and Diddy, 56, both vehemently denied the accusations. (Diddy is currently incarcerated after he was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in a separate legal battle.)
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people,” Jay-Z wrote, in part, via an Instagram statement at the time, referring to Beyoncé and their three kids. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
Later that month, Jay-Z filed to dismiss Doe’s lawsuit and sued his alleged accuser and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, for abuse of process, malicious prosecution, civil conspiracy and defamation. (Buzbee alleged at the time that the defamation suit had “no legal merit.”)
In her new declaration, Rolling Stone reported that Doe also provided notice that Jay-Z had voluntarily dismissed her from his ongoing litigation. She alleged that she wasn’t promised compensation for her rebuttal.
“Our client maintains that she was a victim of sexual assault, but she was entirely mistaken in her allegations identifying Mr. Carter, and those allegations were false,” Doe’s new lawyer, James Blair Newman Jr., told the outlet in a statement. “Mr. Carter did not rape her, sexually assault her, engage in any inappropriate conduct towards her, and she has never met him. She sincerely and unconditionally apologizes to Mr. Carter and his family.”
Jay-Z, who has not publicly responded to Doe’s new motion, has previously been candid about navigating the legal battle.
“That whole [lawsuit thing], that s*** took a lot out of me. I was angry, “ he told GQ in a March profile. “I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger. You don’t put that on someone — that’s a thing that you better be super sure.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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