Rapper Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has been accused in a civil suit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 with Sean “Diddy” Combs, according to NBC News.
The 24-time Grammy winner issued a lengthy statement, calling the allegations “idiotic.” The identity of the accuser remains anonymous:
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?” Carter said in a statement to NBC News. “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on whether the office is pursuing the case when shown NBC News’ report on the lawsuit.
The incident had been previously reported, but Jay Z was not named at the time.
The incident allegedly happened at an MTV Music Awards afterparty after the girl, identified only as “Jane Doe” was picked up by a driver who said she “fit” what Diddy was looking for.
According to a lawsuit, the girl went to lie down in bed after she felt woozy after being handed a drink at the party. Diddy eventually entered the room with two celebrities, a man (Jay Z) and an as-of-yet unidentified woman. The suit alleges that both men took turns assaulting the minor.
The federal lawsuit, initially filed in October in the Southern District of New York, named Combs as a defendant. On Sunday, it was refiled to add Jay Z to the list.
Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who filed the lawsuit, released his own statement shortly after Jay-Z’s, claiming he had been subjected to harassment, intimidation, and smear tactics from unnamed parties.
“Despite a coordinated and aggressive effort that has included harassing my kids, contacting my clients and former clients to encourage them to sue me, contacting my colleagues or former employees asking if I’ve ‘abused’ them, showing up at my current employees’ homes to harass them, filing frivolous cases against me and my law firm, defaming me with outrageous assertions to anyone who will listen, and having mysterious people follow me and my family, I’m still THAT guy. I won’t be bullied or intimidated. People will see through this effort to discredit me and my clients, and the truth will be revealed. I also won’t allow anyone to scare my clients into silence.”
Buzbee has filed several lawsuits in recent months — all have withheld their complainants’ names — accusing Combs of assault and rape. This is the first suit in which he has named another high-profile defendant.
In a statement, legal representatives for Combs called the suits “shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.”
“As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor,” the statement added.
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