A lawsuit accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been dismissed, as per court documents filed in New York on Friday, BBC reported. The plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, voluntarily withdrew the case, according to legal records.
Jane Doe’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, who is representing multiple plaintiffs in sexual misconduct cases against Combs, submitted the filing. The court document indicates that the lawsuit is dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled in its current form.
‘Victory’
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, responded to the lawsuit’s dismissal with a statement released through his entertainment company, Roc Nation. “The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he wrote, according to BBC. “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.”
The rapper, who is married to Beyoncé, also spoke about how the lawsuit affected his personal life. “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed,” he said, as reported by BBC. He also emphasized the importance of legal safeguards for those facing false accusations. “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.”
Attorney defends Jay-Z’s reputation
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, also issued a statement, emphasizing that the lawsuit should not have been filed at all. “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,” Spiro told the BBC.
Credibility
Jane Doe initially filed the lawsuit against Combs in October and later revised it in December to include Jay-Z. She claimed that both men assaulted her following an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.
Jay-Z consistently denied the allegations, asserting that his attorney had been the target of an attempted “blackmail” scheme aimed at pressuring him into a settlement. Instead, he stated that the attempt only strengthened his resolve to fight the accusations publicly.
In December, Jane Doe gave an interview in which she admitted that “not all the facts are clear” and acknowledged, “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”
Last month, Jay-Z formally requested the court to dismiss the case, citing inconsistencies in the accuser’s statements. United States District Judge Analisa Torres granted his request, officially closing the case.
Diddy’s legal battles
While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal issues in this case, Sean “Diddy” Combs remains entangled in multiple legal battles, with more than three dozen civil lawsuits currently against him.
After the lawsuit’s dismissal, Combs’ legal team issued a statement reaffirming his innocence. “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,” the statement read.
The statement further asserted, “This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”
According to BBC, Combs has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September 2024, facing federal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking. He has been denied bail three times and remains detained until his trial, which is set for May 5.
