The unnamed woman admitted to making “some mistakes” when recalling the night she claims she was raped by rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs, but said she stands by her allegations.
A woman who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 at an awards show after-party has acknowledged certain inconsistencies in her story, while her lawyer said he will continue to vet her claims.
The unnamed woman described Combs’ limo driver offering her a ride to an after-party in 2000, NBC News reported on Friday. She claimed she spoke with musicians Benji Madden and his brother at the party, and her father picked her up after the alleged assault.
However, a representative of the Maddens confirmed to NBC that they were on tour in the Midwest during the VMAs, while her father said he doesn’t remember the drive home of more than five hours. The woman’s friend who reportedly drove her to the awards has since died, NBC reported.
The woman had first sued Combs, alleging she was raped at an after-party, and then amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, also was at the party and participated in the sexual assault.
Jay-Z said in a statement that the article proves Tony Buzbee, a personal injury lawyer in Houston, filed a false complaint against him for money and fame.
“This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press,” he said. “True Justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon.”
Buzbee told AP in an email that if someone raises a new issue which didn’t previously exist, his legal team’s job is to continue collecting facts and evidence.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, asked the court to dismiss the case, saying in a statement, “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press.”
The woman admitted to making “some mistakes” when recalling that night, but said she stands by her allegations.
Combs’ attorney, Teny R. Geragos, said in a statement emailed to AP this weekend: “Yesterday (Friday 13), a lawyer admitted that over 50 people falsely claimed to be victims. Today, for the second time this week, a Buzbee plaintiff has been exposed. This is the beginning of the end of this shameful money grab.”
The litigation is part of a wave of sexual assault lawsuits levied against Combs as the hip-hop mogul remains in custody in New York awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Jay-Z, a 24-time Grammy award winning rapper, producer and music mogul, anonymously sued Buzbee last month, alleging he was attempting to blackmail the rapper by threatening to make the rape allegation public if he did not agree to a legal settlement. Jay-Z said Buzbee sent a letter to his lawyer appearing to seek a settlement, which had the “opposite effect” on him.
Buzbee previously said the notion that he was trying to blackmail Jay-Z is “stupid and laughable” and his letter simply sought confidential mediation in the litigation.
