The civil lawsuit filed against Jay-Z in December has been dismissed after the rapper had been embroiled in allegations of assault alongside disgraced star Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The lawsuit, which alleged that Jay-Z and Diddy assaulted a 13-year-old girl at an after party following the 2000 MTV VMA’s, has now been thrown out in a victory for the father of three.
The judge granted their dismissal request on a technicality, with Jay-Z’s lawyers stating that he could not be prosecuted under the Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act because it came into effect after the alleged attack.
He released a statement on Friday following the news, calling the allegations “laughable” and sharing how the ordeal impacted his family.
“Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere,” he said via X. “The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone.”
He added: “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed. This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions. The system has failed.”
Jay-Z is suing Tony Buzbee, the victim’s attorney and so-called “1-800 lawyer”, for defamation and extortion.
The “Empire State of Mind” rapper added, “The court must protect victims, OF COURSE, while with the same ethical responsibility, the courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, issued a statement in the wake of the case’s dismissal, insisting that his client had “triumphed” over the allegations.
© Getty Images“The false case against JAY-Z, that never should have been brought, has been dismissed with prejudice,” he said.
“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 one red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name.”
The lawsuit brought forward by a woman referred to as Jane Doe originally named Diddy as the defendant, and amended the claim in December to name Jay-Z in the case too.
© John Angelillo/UPI/ShutterstockDiddy’s own attorney released a statement on the dismissal, doubling down on his claim of innocence.
“Today’s complete dismissal without a settlement by the 1-800 attorney is yet another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts,” the lawyer stated.
“For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them.”
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TheThey added: “We will continue to fight these baseless claims and hold those responsible. This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”
The allegations against Jay-Z surfaced just days before the Mufasa: The Lion King premiere which he attended with his wife Beyoncé, his mother-in-law Tina Knowles, and his daughter, Blue Ivy, who starred in the film alongside her mother.
The family have presented a united front since and were present for Beyoncé’s historical Grammys win in February.
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