Jay Z Breaks Silence on Dismissed Assault Case Involving Diddy That Aimed to Embarrass Blue Ivy and Beyoncé

Jay Z alleges that the Jane Doe sexual assault lawsuit timing was intended to disrupt daughter Blue Ivy’s Mufasa: The Lion King premiere.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Feb 19, 2025 | 04:33 PM IST | 32.4K

CC: Getty Images

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of rape and sexual assault.

Jay Z has claimed that the recently dismissed sexual assault lawsuit against him and Sean Diddy Combs cost him around 20 million USD and was strategically timed to hurt his reputation before his and Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy's premiere for Mufasa: The Lion King.

The suit, which was initially brought against the Renegade rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, and Sean 'Diddy' Combs, alleged that they raped a minor in 2000 after the MTV Video Music Awards. But the case was dismissed with prejudice on February 14 after being voluntarily dropped.

Despite this development, the legal rift between Carter and Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who represented Jane Doe, continues. According to Deadline, Carter's February 10 filing states, "Immediately after Mr. Buzbee went public with his false accusations, my company Roc Nation also lost other contracts in the sports and entertainment space that would have generated revenues of approximately $20 million per year."

Carter defended that the accusations took a strong toll on his business endeavors and personal life. Although the rapper's company, Roc Nation, and its deal with the NFL stood intact, other business contracts purportedly fell through as a result of the publicized nature of the lawsuit.

He also spoke about the timing of the allegations, which emerged only a day prior to when he went to the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King with his wife Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy. He claimed that Buzbee filed the suit on the night of the premiere to make him decide between standing by his daughter or staying out of the spotlight. Reports indicated that Disney had reservations about his presence at the event because of the allegations.

Their legal battle rages on further as Carter has sued Buzbee for defamation and extortion, alleging the lawyer never adequately investigated Jane Doe's accusations before publicly identifying him. His lawyers contended that Buzbee's actions constituted an attempt at coercion, forcing the Apesh*t rapper to settle, averting a public scandal.

Though the lawsuit dismissal seemed to exonerate Jay Z's reputation, a February 25 hearing is still planned in Los Angeles. His lawyers are still fighting against what they term unfounded allegations and damage to his reputation. In the meantime, Sean Diddy Combs' trial is scheduled for May.