A lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z, alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000, has been dropped, according to a legal filing filed on Friday in New York.
The attorney representing the unidentified plaintiff, Jane Doe, voluntarily withdrew the complaint, according to court records.
The filing was made by lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing scores of people in sexual assault claims against Mr. Combs.
According to the documents, the plaintiff “hereby gives notice that the… action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice”.
Because the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, it cannot be refiled in its current form.
Jay-Z, whose official name is Shawn Carter, formed Roc Nation, which issued a statement signed by him referring to the discharge as a “victory.”.
“The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he wrote.
“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims.”
“The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed,” said the rapper, who is married to singer Beyoncé.
He continued, “The courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”
Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, emphasized in a separate statement that the case “never should have been brought.”.
“By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can—he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid 1 red penny, he triumphed, and he cleared his name,” he said in a statement to the BBC.
Jane Doe initially filed the suit against Mr. Combs in October before adding Jay-Z’s name in December. She alleged that both men assaulted her in 2000 after an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty.
Jay-Z angrily refuted the charges, stating that his lawyers had received “blackmail” in an attempt to extract a settlement. He claimed the attempt had the “opposite effect” of motivating him to openly contest the claims.
In December, Jane Doe gave an interview that called her veracity into question. She admitted that “not all of the facts are clear” and that she had made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake when identifying.”
Last month, Jay-Z formally petitioned the court to dismiss the complaint, noting contradictions in the accuser’s statement. The request was allowed by United States District Judge Analisa Torres, leading to the lawsuit’s dismissal.
While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal action in this matter, Mr. Combs continues to litigate over three dozen civil suits
In response to Friday’s dismissal of the suit, Mr. Combs’ legal team issued a statement declaring his innocence.
“For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them,” the statement says.
It added, “This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”
Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September 2024 on federal criminal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking.
He’s been denied bail three times and will remain in custody until his trial on 5 May 2025.
