A lawsuit accusing rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been challenged by Jay-Z’s legal team, who have filed a motion to dismiss the case due to inconsistencies within the plaintiff’s allegations.
The lawsuit, filed by an Alabama woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe, claims the musicians drugged and assaulted her at a post-MTV Video Music Awards house party. The plaintiff’s claim that she interacted with one celebrity at the party is contradicted by that celebrity’s representative, who confirmed he was on tour at the time. Furthermore, her father stated to NBC News that he has no memory of the five-hour drive to pick her up after the alleged assault, as described by his daughter.
While acknowledging “some mistakes” in her account, the plaintiff maintains her claim. Rape support providers have noted that memory discrepancies are common among victims of sexual assault, especially in cases involving alleged drugging.
This litigation is one of more than 30 civil cases filed against Mr. Combs, many involving similar allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s. Mr. Combs, currently in custody awaiting trial on separate federal sex trafficking charges in New York (where he has been denied bail three times), denies all accusations.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, has formally requested the court to dismiss the case. In a statement to the BBC, Mr. Spiro stated: “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.” Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, issued a separate statement to the BBC characterizing the lawsuit, filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, as a “pursuit of money and fame.” He stated, “This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press. True Justice is coming. We fight for victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon.”
An attorney for Mr. Combs similarly criticized the lawsuit, stating, “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.” Mr. Buzbee responded that his firm is continuing to investigate his client’s claims.
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The lawsuit details the plaintiff’s account of receiving a drink from a waitress that made her feel ill, leading her to lie down in a room. She alleges that Mr. Combs and Mr. Carter then entered the room with another female celebrity (“Celebrity B”), and that Mr. Carter held her down while both men allegedly raped her while “Celebrity B” watched. However, photographs from that evening show Jay-Z and Mr. Combs at a different location than the one described in the lawsuit; the whereabouts of both men for the entire evening are not fully accounted for in the provided information.
The plaintiff also claims to have spoken to musicians Benji and Joel Madden at the party, although a representative for the Maddens confirmed they were on tour in the Midwest at the time. The plaintiff’s father also stated to NBC that he has no memory of driving to pick up his daughter after the alleged assault.
Despite these inconsistencies, the plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Buzbee, stated to NBC that his client stands by her account and is willing to take a polygraph test, saying, “Our client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory…Because we have interrogated her intensely, she has even agreed to submit to a polygraph. I’ve never had a client suggest that before.” The plaintiff, now 38 and a mother of two, stated in an interview, “You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward.” The statement also included a partial quote from Erinn Robinson, director of media relations for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), regarding the common experience of trauma affecting memory.
Source: bbc
