Former Jay-Z accuser withdraws allegations, calls them false
The woman who had accused rapper Jay-Z of rape in 2000 recanted her claims, stating they were false and apologizing to the artist.
A filing submitted on Thursday by lawyers for Shawn Carter, known as Jay-Z, indicates that the woman who previously alleged he raped her when she was 13 has withdrawn her accusations. The document states the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, now asserts that she never met Carter and that no inappropriate conduct occurred. She also retracted earlier statements that both Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs had assaulted her in the presence of another celebrity, whose identity was redacted.
The recantation is part of Carter's ongoing malicious prosecution lawsuit against former attorney Tony Buzbee, filed in February 2025 in New York. Carter's counsel said the woman is being removed from the suit. Buzbee, Doe and representatives for Carter and Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Doe originally came forward in December 2024 in a civil suit filed by Buzbee, alleging that Carter and Combs raped her at a house party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. She later gave an interview to NBC News, but inconsistencies in her account were highlighted, leading her to acknowledge mistakes in a subsequent phone interview. In February 2025, she dismissed her lawsuit with prejudice, preventing any future filing.
In the latest filing, Doe wrote, "> I understand that my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering, and damage that can never be fully undone. I sincerely and unconditionally apologize to Mr. Carter for the harm I have caused to him, his family and his reputation."
The document also notes that Buzbee's team paid Doe $1,000 before her interview with NBC News.