A Jane Doe who alleged that Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z sexually assaulted her 25 years ago has officially withdrawn her lawsuit against both men. In a notice of voluntary dismissal filed on Friday, the woman’s attorneys stated the lawsuit was dropped with prejudice, meaning it cannot be re-filed in the future.
According to the court filing, “Counsel of Plaintiff have discussed this matter with counsel for each Defendant, who acknowledge and consent to this submission,” and it was signed by Doe’s legal team.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, commented on the development, stating, “The false case against Jay-Z, that never should have been brought, has been dismissed with prejudice. By standing up against heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can—he pushed back, he never settled, and he never paid a penny. He triumphed and cleared his name.”
The lawsuit was initially filed against Combs in October 2024, where Doe alleged she was drugged and raped at a 2000 afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards when she was just 13. An amended complaint filed in December added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, as a defendant, accusing him of rape.
Carter vehemently denied the allegations, urging that they be pursued through criminal charges rather than civil avenues, labeling the claims as “heinous in nature.”
Prior to the dismissal, Carter’s legal team made multiple attempts to have the case thrown out. In December, a judge denied their motion to dismiss and permitted Doe to proceed anonymously after rejecting their request for her identity to be revealed. The judge criticized the defense’s “relentless filing of combative motions” as “inappropriate.”
In January, Carter’s lawyers sought dismissal once more and requested sanctions against Doe’s attorney after inconsistencies in her allegations surfaced. Doe had acknowledged these inconsistencies in an NBC interview but maintained her assertion that she was raped. Her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, reiterated his client’s commitment to the truth, stating, “Our client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory.”
Combs’ legal representatives expressed that the dismissal is “further confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts,” criticizing the trend of plaintiffs remaining anonymous.
Combs, currently facing over 40 sexual assault lawsuits, was indicted in September on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His attorney stated on Friday that Combs has “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
Doe’s attorney declined to comment on the situation.
Credit: CNN
