Jay-Z claims lawsuit accusing him of raping child at awards night is part of extortion scheme

NEW YORK — Jay-Z says a rape allegation against him is part of an extortion attempt.

A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging she was raped at an awards show in 2000 when she was 13, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also present at the party and participated in it. sexual assault.

The 24-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer and music mogul called the allegations “idiotic” and “heinous in nature” in a statement released by Roc Nation, one of his companies.

He also revealed that he anonymously sued the woman’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, last month, alleging he was trying to blackmail the rapper by threatening to go public with the rape allegation if he didn’t accept not a legal settlement. He said Buzbee sent a letter to his lawyer appearing to seek a settlement, but the letter had the “opposite effect” on him.

“This made me want to expose you VERY publicly for the fraud that you are,” Jay-Z’s statement read. “So no, I won’t give you A RED PENNY!!”

The litigation is part of a wave of sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs as the hip-hop mogul remains in custody in New York awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

The unnamed woman says she was hanging out at Radio City Music Hall during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards and managed to convince a limo driver to take her to a celebrity party at a private residence after the event .

She said that while she was in the limousine, she was asked to sign a nondisclosure document. Once at the party, according to the lawsuit, she had a drink that made her “dizzy and dizzy” and went to a bedroom to lie down.

She said Combs and Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, then burst into the room with another unnamed celebrity and raped her. The woman said she eventually managed to escape the room, flee the house and call a nearby gas station.

Buzbee, a Houston personal injury lawyer, said the idea that he was trying to blackmail Jay-Z was “stupid and laughable” and that his letter was simply seeking confidential mediation in the dispute.

“What he fails to say in his recent statement is that my office sent his lawyer a basic demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never asked him for a cent,” he said in an emailed statement. “Since I sent the letter on his behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has also attempted to intimidate and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I am very proud of his determination.

Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, filed court papers Monday asking a judge to require his accuser, who is identified only as Jane Doe, to reveal her identity if she wants to move forward with the lawsuit. Spiro said the woman provided no evidence to justify her anonymity and that her “vague assertions of potential harm fell far short of the strict requirements” of the law.

Spiro requested an urgent hearing on this matter.

“Mr Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him – in a sensationalist and publicity manner – of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades,” Spiro wrote “He was never accused of, let alone involved in, sexual misconduct.”

Buzbee announced at a press conference in October that he was representing some 120 people – men and women – with allegations of sexual misconduct against Combs.

His company, which set up a 1-800 number for accusers, began filing a wave of lawsuits against the hip-hop mogul a few weeks later.

Jay-Z, in his statement, challenged Buzbee to file criminal charges and said his “heart and support goes out to the real victims in the world.”

He also lamented that he and his wife Beyoncé will likely have to address the claims with their three children and “explain the cruelty and greed of people.”

“I mourn another loss of innocence,” Jay-Z wrote.

Combs’ lawyers, in a statement, also dismissed Buzbee’s lawsuits as “blatant publicity stunts, designed to extort payments from celebrities who fear lies will be spread about them, just as lies have been rumored about Mr. Combs.”

Combs was denied bail a third time last month. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years and will face trial in May.

Jay-Z and Combs are part of a generation of hip-hop titans who rose to prominence in the 2000s, becoming numerous entrepreneurs and two of the richest rappers in the world. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated Jay-Z’s net worth at $2.5 billion.

The artists have collaborated over the years, with Jay-Z appearing on Combs’ debut album, “No Way Out,” and Combs appearing on Jay-Z’s second album, “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.”

Although the two have been frequently photographed together at events, they have also been competitors. Diddy launched his Bad Boy Records around the same time Jay-Z launched his Roc-A-Fella label.

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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this story.