Jay-Z, the prominent rapper and businessman known as Shawn Carter, is facing allegations in a lawsuit filed Sunday, accusing him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
The woman, referred to as “Jane Doe,” alleged that the incident occurred after she was taken to an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards.
The federal lawsuit was initially lodged in October in the Southern District of New York, with Combs as the sole defendant. It was refiled Sunday to add Carter as a defendant.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who initiated the lawsuit, did not provide any comments.
Carter responded to the allegations on Sunday evening, labeling them “idiotic” and accusing Buzbee of behaving unprofessionally.
“These claims are so appalling that I urge you to file a criminal complaint instead of a civil one. Anyone committing such a crime against a minor deserves incarceration, don’t you agree?” Carter stated to NBC News. “True justice would be served if these alleged victims had their cases pursued criminally.”
A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not comment on whether they are investigating the case after being shown NBC News’ report regarding the lawsuit.
Buzbee has previously lodged several lawsuits against Combs, all featuring anonymous complainants alleging assault and rape. This is the first instance where he has included another well-known defendant.
Legal representatives for Combs described the lawsuits as “shameless publicity stunts aimed at extracting money from celebrities afraid of falsehoods being circulated about them, just as lies have been disseminated about Mr. Combs.”
“Mr. Combs maintains complete confidence in the facts and in the judicial system. The truth will emerge in court: Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—regardless of age or gender,” the statement read.
In September, federal prosecutors in New York charged Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking, and other crimes. He currently remains incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail for the third time last month. His trial is set for May 5.
Prosecutors indicated during a recent court session that they might pursue additional charges against Combs through a superseding indictment.
Prior to the refiled lawsuit on Sunday, “Carter received a letter from Plaintiff’s counsel seeking mediation to resolve this issue,” Buzbee noted in the lawsuit. In response to that letter, which NBC News reviewed, Carter filed a lawsuit against the accuser’s attorneys, Buzbee stated.
“You have seriously misjudged thinking all ‘celebrities’ are alike,” Carter remarked in his Sunday statement. “I have a different background. I’m a young man who escaped from the projects in Brooklyn. Such games aren’t played among us. We have strong codes and honor. We safeguard children.”
The lawsuit claims that in 2000, when Doe was 13, both Combs and Carter sexually assaulted her during a house party in New York after the MTV Video Music