Jay-Z and Garth Brooks put rape accusers on defense in ‘very risky’ move: legal expert

Rape allegations made against Jay-Z by an anonymous accuser prompted the music mogul to publicly declare that he would not be silenced.

Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, was named in a Sean “Diddy” Combs’ On Sunday, he asked for the complaint to be dismissed the next day. The rapper was accused of raping a minor with Diddy at an MTV VMAs after-party in 2000, according to documents.

In a scathing response shared online, the “Holy Grail” singer called the lawsuit an “attempted blackmail” by the accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee. Likewise, this year, Garth Brooks put his accuser on notice for blackmail after being accused of raping his former makeup artist in 2019.

Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Fox News Digital that while the decision to report an accuser can be “very risky,” it’s also helpful to speak out.

Jay-Z Files to Dismiss Rape Lawsuit Against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Demands End to ‘Extortion Saga’

“Often when a defense attorney or publicist is extremely aggressive and shames the victim, it encourages other victims and witnesses to come forward,” Rahmani said. “So it may have the opposite effect. Maybe it scares some people into coming forward. Maybe it helps control the narratives and the role of public relations and traditional and social media. There may be some benefits, but it can definitely backfire and potentially encourage other victims who are on the sidelines…it’s often difficult to be the first victim.

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On Monday, Jay-Z appeared at the premiere of “Mufasa: The Lion King” in Los Angeles alongside his wife, Beyoncé, their 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, and his mother-in-law, Tina Knowles. . The “Formation” singer plays the role of Nala in the Disney film, while Blue plays Kiara.

The lawsuit, originally filed in October, was refiled Sunday in new York by an anonymous accuser claiming Jay-Z “raped” her while Diddy and “Celebrity B” watched. Initially, the lawsuit said Diddy raped the minor while “Celebrity A” and “Celebrity B” watched. Jay-Z was named as “Celebrity A” in the new lawsuit.

Jay-Z denied the allegations in a public post shared online via his Roc Nation banner, stating that Buzbee’s attempt to coerce him into settling only prompted Jay-Z to “expose you for fraud that you are in a VERY public way. So no, I will not give you A RED PENNY!!”

Buzbee responded to Jay-Z in a statement shared on X, saying his client never asked for money.

“Regarding the Jay Z affair and his efforts to silence my clients: Mr. Carter had previously denied being the one who sued me and my company,” he wrote. “He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. What he fails to say in his recent statement is that my office sent his lawyer a formal notice on behalf of an alleged victim and that this victim did not never demanded a cent from him.

“Instead, she only requested confidential mediation. Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but has also attempted to intimidate and bully me. harassing as well as this complainant. Her conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I am very proud of her determination.

Brand expert Eric Schiffer felt that the “Empire State of Mind” musician’s approach to responding to the lawsuit resonated with how Jay-Z evolved as a person from his environment.

Read it: Jay-Z sends scathing memo amid Diddy allegations

“If Jay-Z is innocent, as he says, this is the absolute way to go, which is aggressive, pragmatic power with a tough, fierce lawyer who firmly believes in his own view of his clients’ cases,” , Schiffer said “Jay-Z’s approach in the way he released his statement, presented discreetly – as he wrote it on his computer – contributes to authenticity, including connecting his background, his story, his vision of how he will not be manipulated, this was no different than when he was younger on the street and didn’t let himself be pushed around.

“We’ll have to see what the facts show, but this approach will help him preserve what might have been a widely held assumption that he is guilty.”

Watch on Fox Nation: What did Diddy do?

Schiffer told some fans that Jay-Z’s statement denying the rape allegations reinforces and “doubles down” on the music mogul’s brand as “a guy who stood up in the street, sold drugs and ran with tough people and became this entrepreneur.” the mindset of what has become one of the best rappers of all time and a great business mind. »

Garth Brooks was accused of rape her former makeup artist, “Jane Roe,” in 2019 during a work trip, according to court documents filed last week and obtained by Fox News Digital. She also accused Brooks of talking openly about sex in front of her, exposing his genitals, sharing sexual fantasies with her, sending her explicit messages and physically groping her breasts.

“We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,” Jane Roe’s attorneys said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “Today’s complaint demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, in Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries, but also in the world of country music.”

The “Friends in Low Places” singer filed a countersuit in an attempt to block her suit and has denied the allegations. In his countersuit, where he accused the woman of attempted extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy by false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Brooks also named his accuser.

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“Over the past two months, I have been harassed endlessly with threats, lies and tragic stories about what my future would be like if I didn’t write a multi-million dollar check,” he said. he said in a statement provided to Fox. Digital News. “It felt like someone was holding a loaded gun in my face.”

Tre Lovell, a Los Angeles civil attorney and entertainment lawyer with the Lovell Firm, told Fox News Digital that it was necessary for Brooks and Jay-Z to retaliate against their accusers.

“It is not risky to fight back in public, but it is absolutely necessary,” Lovell said. “Their brand and image are just as important as defending the merits of the case, and the only way to restore their public image is to take their case directly to the public.”

Lovell added: “Making a very strong statement or taking legal action are all measures to protect their image, showing people that they have been wronged and intend to fight back. This involves not only defending the lawsuits against them, but also filing their own lawsuits for damages they suffered from allegedly being falsely accused.

Original article source: Jay-Z and Garth Brooks put rape accusers on defense in ‘very risky’ move: legal expert