An Alabama woman who said she was raped by rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 withdrew her civil lawsuit against both men on Friday, according to court filings.
The unidentified woman in December added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, to a lawsuit she had filed against Combs in Manhattan federal court, alleging that she was attacked by the singers in 2000 after Combs’ limo driver offered her a ride to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
The court document submitted by the woman’s attorneys announcing the voluntary dismissal did not include any reasons or explanation for the withdrawal.
Jay-Z, who vehemently denied the claims and tried to get extracted from the lawsuit, called the woman’s decision to withdraw her claim “a victory” and said the “fictional tale” she and her lawyers created was “laughable.”
“The frivolous, fictious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he said in a statement posted on social media. “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere.”
Combs remains jailed in New York awaiting a criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He also faces a wave of sexual assault lawsuits, many of which were filed by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who says his firm represents over 150 people, both men and women, who allege sexual abuse and exploitation by Combs.
Lawyers for Combs said dismissal of the lawsuit without a settlement confirmed that other lawsuits he is facing are built on falsehoods.
“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,” they said in a statement, adding that Combs “has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”
When asked for a response, Buzbee responded “no comment” in an email Friday night.
Buzbee’s firm, which has set up a 1-800 number for accusers, has filed a wave of lawsuits against the hip-hop mogul. Buzbee’s lawsuits allege that many of the people he represents were abused at parties in New York, California and Florida where individuals were given drinks that were laced with drugs.
Statements from both rappers derisively referred to Buzbee and his firm as the “1-800-lawyer.” Jay-Z accused him of “hiding behind Jane Doe” for financial gain.
“When they quickly realize that the money grab is going fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions,” he wrote. “The system has failed.”
Jay-Z and Combs are part of a generation of hip-hop titans who rose to prominence in the 2000s, emerging as wide-ranging entrepreneurs and two of the world’s wealthiest rappers.
The artists have collaborated over the years, with Jay-Z being featured on Combs’ debut album, “No Way Out,” and Combs appearing on Jay-Z’s sophomore album, “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.”
Diddy launched his Bad Boy Records around the same time Jay-Z launched his Roc-A-Fella record label. The pair has been frequently photographed together at events.
Jay-Z has won 25 Grammys while Diddy has collected three trophies. His Roc Nation company served as co-executive producer of the recent Super Bowl halftime show.
Source: AP
--Agencies
