ALBAWABA - According to a court document filed in New York on Friday, a lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z that claimed the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been dropped.
According to court documents, the lawyer for the unnamed plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, voluntarily dropped the case.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is defending scores of plaintiffs in cases alleging sexual misconduct against Mr. Combs, filed the brief.
The plaintiff "hereby gives notice that the... action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice," according to the records.
The lawsuit cannot be refiled in its current form because it was dismissed with prejudice.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Jay-Z and Diddy (Photo by Vivien Killilea / Getty Images via AFP)
In a statement he signed, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, called the firing a "victory" on behalf of Roc Nation, the entertainment firm he created.
"The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed," he stated.
"This legal lawsuit lacked merit and would remain unresolved." If not for the gravity of the allegations, the made-up story they came up with was absurd.
According to the rapper, who is married to singer Beyoncé, "The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed."
He went on: "The courts must prevent innocent people from being charged without any proof at all. May the truth come to light for all victims, even those who have been wrongfully accused.
In a subsequent statement, Alex Spiro, Jay-Z's lawyer, emphasized 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 stated.
Jane Doe filed the complaint against Mr. Combs in October, prior to Jay-Z's inclusion in December. In 2000, she claimed that both men had attacked her following an after-party for the MTV Video Music Awards.
Jay-Z vehemently refuted the accusations, claiming that his lawyer had received threats of "blackmail" to force a settlement. The attempt, he claimed, had the "opposite effect" and instead inspired him to openly refute the charges.
Jane Doe's veracity was called into question during an interview she conducted in December. The speaker acknowledged that "not all the facts are clear" and said, "I have made some mistakes." I might have identified incorrectly.
Citing discrepancies in the accuser's testimony, Jay-Z formally asked the court to dismiss the complaint last month. The action was dismissed after United States District Judge Analisa Torres granted the motion.
Jay-Z is no longer being sued in this case, but Mr. Combs is still battling more than three dozen civil lawsuits.
Following his dismissal on Friday, Mr. Combs' defense team released a statement claiming his innocence.
"For months, we have witnessed case after case submitted by people who prefer to remain anonymous, supported by a lawyer who is more concerned with making headlines than with the merits of the case. Similar to this assertion, the others will be disproved as they are untrue, the statement claims.
It continued, "This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law."
Since September 2024, Mr. Combs has been detained at Brooklyn, New York's Metropolitan Detention Center on federal criminal accusations pertaining to sex trafficking and racketeering.
After three bail denials, he will remain in custody until his trial on May 5, 2025.
