Jay-Z is breaking his silence on the now-dismissed sexual assault lawsuit filed towards him in 2024.
In an interview with GQ, the 56-year-old rapper mirrored on the lawsuit, filed by a lady who accused Jay-Z, whose authorized identify is Shawn Carter, and Sean “Diddy” Combs of drugging and raping her at a celebration hosted by Combs following the MTV Music Awards in 2000.
Carter and Combs each denied the allegations and the case was dropped in February 2025 after the girl’s legal professionals introduced the voluntary dismissal didn’t embrace any causes or clarification for the withdrawal. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, which implies the plaintiff can not refile the identical grievance in court docket.
“It was laborious. Actually laborious. I used to be heartbroken,” the Empire State of Thoughts rapper stated whereas talking with GQ.
“I used to be actually heartbroken by every thing that occurred.”
He stated that he by no means thought-about taking a settlement with such critical claims towards him.
Carter stated that the lawsuit “took lots out” of him and described a sense of “uncontrollable anger” over the allegations towards him.
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“We’re in an area now the place it’s nearly like consequence will not be thought of sufficient. As a result of every thing is so instantaneous, you understand what I’m saying?” he stated.
“I used to be indignant. I haven’t been that indignant in a very long time. You don’t put that on somebody — that’s a factor that you simply higher be tremendous positive. It was like that. You needed to be tremendous positive earlier than you set these sorts of issues on an individual. Particularly an individual like me.”
The Younger Endlessly rapper stated he was assured that the case can be resolved.
“I took that basically laborious. I knew that we had been going to stroll by that as a result of, to start with, it’s not true. And the reality, on the finish of the day, nonetheless reigns supreme,” he stated, including, “We performed sufficient protection. 2026 is all offence.”
Carter stated that the lawsuit helped me “see how individuals felt about me, particularly those that had been near me.”
“Folks can say that [they’ll always be there for you], but it surely’s very uncommon that you simply’re going to must train it,” he continued. “And within the darkest second for me, I received to see these types of issues.”
The daddy of three additionally spoke about the truth that the lawsuit was filed sooner or later earlier than he and his spouse joined their daughter Blue Ivy on the Los Angeles premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King.
He stated that he had thought-about skipping the occasion as a result of it was Blue Ivy’s “second” however determined to attend as a result of his household is a “tight unit.”
Jay-Z, from left, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter arrive on the premiere of ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, on the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
After the lawsuit was dismissed, Carter filed a defamation lawsuit towards legal professionals Tony Buzbee, David Fortney and the nameless girl, who accused him of sexual assault.
The rapper’s lawsuit, filed in Alabama, states that the preliminary allegations towards him had been “false and malicious claims” and had been “strategically and tactically calculated and timed to inflict most ache and struggling on Mr. Carter.”
His authorized workforce accuses Jane Doe and her legal professionals of extortion and being “soullessly motivated by greed.”
His lawsuit, seen by the New York Instances, claims that Doe “voluntarily admitted on to” his representatives that no assault occurred, and accuses Buzbee of coercing her into pursuing the allegations “to acquire a payday.”
International Information has not independently verified the reporting by the New York Instances.
Within the submitting, Carter’s authorized workforce notes that he “doesn’t want to expose his malicious and wrongful accuser’s identification in his grievance and seeks to take care of her anonymity as ‘Doe.’”
Carter’s swimsuit additionally accuses Doe and her legal professionals of malicious prosecution, abuse of course of and civil conspiracy.
In an announcement to Selection final March, Buzbee responded to Carter’s defamation lawsuit, saying, “This Alabama submitting asserts the identical claims as one other case. Jay Z’s workforce pieced collectively and filed in Los Angeles. Just like the case in LA, this new case in Alabama additionally has no authorized benefit.”
The defamation lawsuit is ongoing as of March 2026.
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