Note: This article contains references to alleged sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing.
A woman who sued Sean “Diddy” Combs in October claiming that, in 2000, she was drugged and raped by the disgraced rapper and another “male celebrity” when she was 13 years old, has refiled her lawsuit to name Shawn Carter, AKA Jay-Z, as the second individual who allegedly sexually assaulted her, according to documents viewed by Pitchfork and as first reported by NBC News. Jane Doe is suing both artists for compensatory damages for physical injuries and emotional distress, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and more.
Filed in New York federal court, the lawsuit claims that Jane Doe, when she was 13 years old, was dropped off by a friend at New York’s Radio City Music Hall to try to attend the MTV Video Music Awards around September 7, 2000. In an attempt to get into an afterparty, the plaintiff approached limousine drivers and struck a conversation with one who claimed he worked for Diddy. According to the lawsuit, the driver allegedly told her that Diddy “liked younger girls and said she ‘fit what Diddy was looking for.’” Doe claims the driver brought her to a large white house filled with celebrities where two men asked her to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), but did not give her a copy of the document.
After allegedly accepting one drink from waitstaff and feeling woozy, Doe claims she found an empty bedroom to “lie down for a moment” in private. “Soon after, Combs entered the room, along with defendant Carter and a female celebrity,” reads the lawsuit. Doe claims that Diddy “threw” her towards a wall and, after she got up, then “threw” her onto a bed. In the refiled lawsuit, she alleges that Jay-Z removed her clothes, held her down, and raped her while the others watched. Then, she alleges, Diddy raped her while the two celebrities watched. When Diddy allegedly attempted to force her to perform oral sex, she claims she hit him in the neck, grabbed her clothes, and left the bedroom “holding her dress in front of her like a towel” and “[running] around the residence until she found the front door.” The lawsuit states that, once outside, she got dressed, walked until she found a gas station, and called her father to ask for help.
“The pleading speaks for itself. This is a very serious matter that will be litigated in court,” Jane Doe’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement to Pitchfork.
Roc Nation, the management company founded by Jay-Z, posted a lengthy statement on X casting doubt on the claims and alleging that Buzbee sent his lawyer a blackmail attempt. “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?” it reads. “My heart and support goes out to the true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.”
On behalf of Diddy, the music mogul’s lawyers also denied these new claims in the refiled documents, telling Pitchfork, “This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs. As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
Diddy’s lawyers previously spoke out against the numerous lawsuits that the Buzbee Law Firm, which represents Doe, also filed: “The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”
Diddy is currently incarcerated on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty, and he is due to stand trial on May 5, 2025. Diddy is also facing numerous lawsuits for alleged abuse. He has broadly denied allegations of wrongdoing.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
