A lawsuit filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z, alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000, has been dismissed, according to a legal filing submitted on Friday in New York.
Court records indicate that the attorney representing the anonymous plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, voluntarily withdrew the case. The filing, submitted by lawyer Tony Buzbee, confirms that the lawsuit has been dismissed “with prejudice”, meaning it cannot be refiled in its current form.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, issued a statement signed by the rapper, referring to the dismissal as a “victory”.
“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he wrote. “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.”
He further stated: “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed. 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, also emphasised in a separate statement that the case “never should have been brought”.
“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 stated.
Jane Doe initially filed the lawsuit against Mr Combs in October before adding Jay-Z’s name in December. She alleged that both men assaulted her in 2000 after an MTV event. Jay-Z vehemently denied the allegations, claiming that his attorney had received “blackmail” attempts to force a settlement. He asserted that this had the “opposite effect”, motivating him to challenge the accusations publicly.
In December, Jane Doe gave an interview that cast doubt on her credibility. She admitted that “not all the facts are clear” and acknowledged, “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”
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Last month, Jay-Z formally requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit, citing inconsistencies in the accuser’s account. United States District Judge Analisa Torres approved the request, leading to the lawsuit’s dismissal.
While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal action in this case, Mr Combs remains entangled in ongoing legal battles, with over three dozen civil suits filed against him.
In response to Friday’s dismissal, Mr Combs’ legal team issued a statement declaring 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.
It added: “This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”
Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September 2024 on federal criminal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking.
He has been denied bail three times and will remain in custody until his trial, scheduled for 5 May 2025.
