Accuser Withdraws Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

NEW YORK—A woman, who chose to remain anonymous and accused Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her in 2000 when she was just 13, has voluntarily dismissed her civil lawsuit against the rappers as of Friday.

A legal filing in federal court in Manhattan indicated that the plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, has dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning she is barred from re-filing it in the future.

Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the woman, opted not to provide any comments.

Combs is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn, awaiting a planned criminal trial on charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking, set for May 5.

He is also facing numerous other civil lawsuits from various individuals, including several represented by Buzbee’s firm, who have accused him of sexual assault and other forms of misconduct.

Combs has entered a plea of not guilty in the criminal matter and has consistently asserted his innocence regarding all allegations.

The lawsuit from Doe was unique in naming Carter as a defendant, against whom he has firmly denied all allegations.

“Today represents a victory,” Carter stated in a message shared online by his entertainment company Roc Nation. “The frivolous, fictitious, and utterly appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit lacked merit and was destined to fail.”

Carter added that the suit inflicted trauma on his wife Beyoncé and their children.

In a collective statement, lawyers for Combs asserted that their client has never engaged in sexual assault or trafficking of any kind.

“We will persist in contesting these unfounded claims and pursue those responsible,” the attorneys declared. “This is merely the first instance of many that will not withstand legal scrutiny.”

Doe alleged that Carter and Combs raped her at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards.

She claimed that the alleged event resulted in depression, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder and causing her to become “largely withdrawn from society.”

By Jonathan Stempel