Jay-Z Felt He Had a ‘Gun to His Head’ After Rape Lawsuit Was Filed on Night of Daughter Blue Ivy’s Lion King Premiere

Jay-Z is continuing to speak out following the dismissal of the lawsuit against himself and Sean “Diddy” Combs over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl.

In a declaration filed in Los Angeles on Monday, Feb. 10, the rapper, 55, stated that he believes attorney Tony Buzbee — who represented the Jane Doe who alleged that she was raped by Combs, also 55, and Jay-Z at a MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000 — purposefully inflicted emotional distress on him by filing the lawsuit.

The declaration added that Buzbee intentionally filed the complaint on the eve of his daughter Blue Ivy’s Mufasa: The Lion King movie premiere “to put me in the position of having to choose between supporting my daughter or hiding to avoid the negative press.”

He and wife Beyoncé share Blue Ivy, 13, and twins Rumi and Sir, 7.

Additionally, Jay-Z alleges that he lost $20 million in contracts due to the false allegations in Buzbee’s lawsuit and that he has been going through deep “mental anguish” since it was filed in October 2024.

“I felt that Mr. Buzbee was placing a gun to my head that I either bow to his demands or endure personal and financial ruin,” the rapper, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, wrote in the declaration.

Jay-Z first filed suit against Buzbee in L.A. several months ago, accusing him of civil extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In the lawsuit, originally filed on Oct. 20, 2024, an unnamed woman alleged that she was raped by Combs and Jay-Z while a still-unnamed female celebrity watched during a party in a N.Y.C. residence after the 2000 VMAs. She added Jay-Z’s name to the suit two months later.

The suit was voluntary dismissed on Friday, Feb. 14, by Buzbee and fellow attorney Antigone Curis, who wrote in court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE that the Jane Doe who accused the two rappers of sexual assault “hereby gives notice that the above-captioned Action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice.” The suit cannot be refiled.

Jay-Z issued a statement on Roc Nation’s X account soon after, calling the dismissal “a victory.” In his response, the rapper also said that these allegations caused “trauma” for his wife and three children.

“Today is a victory,” he wrote. “The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone,” his statement read. “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, also issued a statement, saying: “The false case against JAY-Z, that never should have been brought, has been dismissed with prejudice.”

“By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can — he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid 1 red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name,” Spiro added.

The suit was dismissed after several alleged inconsistencies in the Jane Doe’s allegations, per NBC News, including the fact that she said her father picked her up after the alleged sexual assault, but he did not recall that.

She also claimed she had spoken to Benji Madden at the afterparty, though he denied being in New York at the time.

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Although the case against Jay-Z has been dismissed, Combs still faces more than 40 civil lawsuits.

He has been in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking since September 2024. His trial begins in May 2025.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.