Billionaire musician and entrepreneur Jay-Z has denied allegations of participating in the assault of a 13-year-old girl alongside his longtime friend and collaborator Sean “Diddy” Combs. The allegations were made by a woman who named Jay-Z as a defendant in a civil case, claiming that the pair drugged and raped her over 20 years ago.
An unnamed woman from Alabama added Shawn Carter, known as Jay-Z, to a federal lawsuit initially filed in New York. She alleges that in 2000, at the age of 13, she was invited to a Video Music Awards afterparty by an associate of Combs. The lawsuit, originally filed in October, claims she was given a drugged drink and repeatedly raped by Combs and another male celebrity, now identified as Carter, while an unnamed female celebrity watched until she managed to escape.
The lawsuit also states that Carter was sent a letter requesting mediation to resolve the claims when the case was first filed. However, it alleges that he then orchestrated “a conspiracy of harassment, bullying, and intimidation” to silence the plaintiff, prompting her to name him publicly.
In a statement issued Sunday, Carter denied the allegations, calling the lawyer who filed the case a “deplorable human” and expressing his support for true victims. Combs has consistently denied all sexual assault allegations against him.