Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs have been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting and raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000. Initially filed in October in New York with Sean 'Diddy' Combs as the defendant, the lawsuit was refiled on Sunday, adding Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, as a co-defendant, according to NBC News.
Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of rape
The accuser, identified as Jane Doe, alleges that the assault took place after she was invited to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty. The lawsuit states that she was asked to sign a document, which she believed to be a non-disclosure agreement, as a condition for entering the event.
The lawsuit claims that after being dropped off at the award show without a ticket, the accuser tried to find a way in by speaking with several limousine drivers. One driver, claiming to work for Diddy, invited her to an afterparty. Upon returning, she was taken to a white house where she signed what she thought was a nondisclosure agreement.
Rapper Jay-Z issues statement
In his statement, Jay-Z alleged that Tony Buzbee attempted to blackmail him. He wrote, "These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?"
"My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit," it added.
Jay-Z is married to Beyoncé, and together they have three children: 12-year-old Blue Ivy Carter and seven-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir.
Meanwhile, American rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been facing multiple lawsuits in recent months, with accusations ranging from rape to sex trafficking and racketeering.