Editing Jay-Z (section)

===2024 civil lawsuits===

In December 2024, Jay-Z, along with [[Sean Combs|Sean "Diddy" Combs]], was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl at an [[MTV Video Music Awards]] after-party in 2000. Jay-Z denied the allegations and described it as a blackmail attempt.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jay-z-accused-civil-lawsuit-raping-13-year-old-girl-2000-sean-diddy-co-rcna183376 |title=Jay-Z accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs |date=December 8, 2024 |last=Melas |first=Chloe |publisher=[[NBC News]] |access-date=December 8, 2024}}</ref> Jay-Z responded to the plaintiff's lawyer [[Tony Buzbee]] on social media that "No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Akim |title='I will not give you one red penny': Jay-Z releases statement amid allegations of rape with Diddy |url=https://www.wifr.com/2024/12/09/jay-z-releases-statement-following-lawsuit-that-accused-him-raping-13-year-old-girl-with-diddy/ |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=[[WIFR]] |date=9 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Combs's legal team described [[Sean Combs sexual misconduct allegations|this allegation]] as another in a long line of lies about Combs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sheerin |first1=Jude |title=Jay-Z accused with Diddy in lawsuit of raping girl, 13, in 2000 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd75dy0ggz3o |website=bbc.com |date=December 9, 2024 |publisher=BBC |access-date=9 December 2024}}</ref> On December 9, Jay-Z filed both a motion requesting that the accuser identify themselves and a lawsuit against the accuser's attorney.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/12/09/jay-z-lawsuit-rape-accusation-response-anonymous/76863374007/|title=Jay-Z demands rape accuser reveal identity, confirms he anonymously sued her lawyer|first=Brendan|last=Morrow|publisher=USA Today|date=December 9, 2024|accessdate=December 9, 2024}}</ref>

According to the plaintiff's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, the plaintiff did not demand any money; only confidential mediation. Buzbee filed an amended complaint to the court, where he alleged that Jay-Z conducted a "conspiracy of harassment, bullying and intimidation against Plaintiff's lawyers" to prevent the Plaintiff from publicly naming him.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-10 |title=What we know about the lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping a teen with Sean 'Diddy' Combs |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jay-z-rape-allegation-diddy-sean-combs-lawsuit-what-know-rcna183547 |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Days later on December 13, the accuser admitted that there are inconsistencies in her allegation. Among them, she claimed her father drove five hours to pick her up after the alleged incident, but he says he has no recollection of doing that. She claims that another celebrity had been a witness but he stated that he had not been in New York then. Images from the night show that Carter and Combs had verifiably been in separate locations that night. She claimed the band members of [[Good Charlotte]] witnessed the event, but they had actually been on tour in the Midwest at the time, not at the [[2000 MTV Video Music Awards|2000 MTV VMAs]], after which the accuser claims the alleged incident took place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jay-z-rape-accuser-comes-forward-nbc-news-acknowledges-inconsistencies-rcna183435|title=Jay-Z rape accuser comes forward to NBC News, acknowledges inconsistencies in her allegations|work=[[NBC]]|date=December 13, 2024|last1=Melas|first1=Chloe|last2=Griffith|first2=Janelle|last3=Amorebieta|first3=Maite}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/12/14/nx-s1-5228657/diddy-lawsuit-jay-z-2000-vmas-13|title=Woman who accuses Jay-Z of raping her at 13 shares new details about alleged assault|work=[[NPR]]|date=December 14, 2024|last=Kim|first=Juliana}}</ref> On December 18, Carter filed a motion to remove himself as a defendant in the lawsuit against Combs based on what the accuser claimed in the televised interview.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/jayz-rape-allegation-sean-combs-diddy-38083413b5d565cc8e0fcfeed4a69779|title=Jay-Z's lawyers challenge rapper's inclusion in rape lawsuit after accuser's TV interview|first=Larry|last=Neumeister|work=[[Associated Press News]]|date=December 18, 2024|accessdate=December 19, 2024}}</ref> The same day, however, Buzbee filed a lawsuit against Carter's company [[Roc Nation]], law firm [[Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan|Quinn Emanuel]]—which employs Carter's attorneys—and others, claiming that these parties were attempting to sway his clients into suing him and his firm, the Buzbee Law Firm.<ref name=buzbeesuespersonally>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/18/entertainment/jay-z-roc-nation-tony-buzbee/index.html|first=Elizabeth|last=Wagemeister|title=Tony Buzbee sues Jay-Z's Roc Nation for allegedly soliciting his clients to file 'frivolous' lawsuits against his firm |website=[[CNN]]|date=December 18, 2024|accessdate=December 19, 2024}}</ref> According to Buzbee, Roc Nation paid off some of his former clients to file bogus lawsuits, while Quinn Emanuel orchestrated the scheme.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/court/2024/12/18/509134/attorney-tony-buzbee-says-jay-zs-company-paid-former-clients-to-file-bogus-lawsuits-against-him/|title=Attorney Tony Buzbee says Jay-Z's company paid former clients to file bogus lawsuits against him|first=Lucio|last=Vasquez|website=Houston Public Media|date=18 December 2024|accessdate=18 December 2024}}</ref><ref name=buzbeesuespersonally /> Buzbee stated that he had, among other things, audio tapes proving his allegation against Roc Nation and Quinn Emanuel, and would provide the tapes as evidence.<ref name=buzbeesuespersonally /> On December 26, the judge dismissed Carter's plea to have the plaintiff identify herself, allowing her to remain anonymous.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Helmore |first1=Edward |title=Judge denies Jay-Z's efforts to dismiss case accusing him of raping girl, 13 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/dec/27/jay-z-rape-case |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Hugh|last=Dougherty|title=Jay-Z Brutally Slapped Down By Judge in Teen Rape Case |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/jay-z-and-lawyer-alex-spiro-brutally-slapped-down-by-judge-in-diddy-linked-teen-rape-case/ |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |language=en |date=27 December 2024}}</ref> In February 2025 Jay-Z dropped his request to have Tony Buzbee sanctioned by the court.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=Jay-Z makes 'surprise' move in Sean Combs rape lawsuit |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/jay-z-sean-diddy-combs-lawsuit-latest-tony-buzzbee-b2693420.html |website=independent.co.uk |date=February 6, 2025 |publisher=The Independent |access-date=6 February 2025}}</ref>

On February 10, 2025, Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against Tony Buzbee, stating he lost $20 million in contracts due to the allegations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/jay-z-felt-he-had-gun-to-head-after-rape-lawsuit-was-filed-night-of-daughter-blue-ivy-lion-king-premiere-11680651#comments|title=Jay-Z Felt He Had a 'Gun to His Head' After Rape Lawsuit Was Filed on Night of Daughter Blue Ivy's Lion King Premiere |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=February 18, 2025}}</ref>

On February 14, 2025, the lawsuit against Jay-Z was officially dropped by Tony Buzbee and the accuser. A filing in federal court in Manhattan stated that the anonymous plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice, not allowing for a future refiling. Shortly thereafter, Jay-Z described the outcome as "a victory."<ref>{{cite web |title=Jay-Z and Sean Combs rape lawsuit dropped by accuser |url=https://news.sky.com/story/jay-z-and-sean-combs-rape-lawsuit-dropped-by-accuser-13309632 |publisher=[[Sky News]] |access-date=February 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Julia |title=Jay-Z Accuser Drops Rape Lawsuit Against Him and Sean Combs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/arts/jay-z-lawsuit-dismissed.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 14, 2025 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref> The suit was dismissed without settlement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/lawsuit-withdrawal-jay-z-sean-combs/63803097 |title=Woman withdraws civil lawsuit against Jay-Z, Sean 'Diddy' Combs alleging she was raped at age 13 |website=[[WBAL-TV]] |date=February 14, 2025}}</ref>