NEW YORK — Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter’s lawyer has filed a motion to deny the anonymity of a woman who has accused the hip-hop mogul and entrepreneur of sexually assaulting her in 2000, when she was 13 years old.
In court documents submitted Monday, December 9, 2024, attorney Alex Spiro argued that the plaintiff’s use of the pseudonym “Jane Doe” is inconsistent with a transparent effort to uncover the truth.
Spiro called the lawsuit a calculated attempt to damage Carter’s reputation while shielding the accuser from scrutiny.
“It is not consistent with justice, fairness, or the rules governing federal proceedings for the Plaintiff and her counsel to smear Defendant’s good name … while the core fact of Plaintiff’s identity remains wholly hidden from view,” Spiro wrote.
Spiro requested either the dismissal of the lawsuit or the disclosure of the plaintiff’s identity.
Allegations Against Jay-Z and Combs
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, also names Sean “Diddy” Combs as a co-defendant.
The accuser claims she was driven to an afterparty following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, where she alleges the assaults took place.
According to the lawsuit, she was offered a drink at the party that left her feeling disoriented.
She claims Jay-Z and Combs subsequently entered a room where she had gone to rest, and both men sexually assaulted her.
An unnamed female celebrity was also allegedly present, the suit states.
The accuser, who says she fled the party and contacted her father from a gas station, is seeking unspecified damages under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
Jay-Z’s Denial and Counterclaim
Carter vehemently denied the allegations in a statement issued Sunday, calling them “heinous” and “idiotic.” He challenged the accuser and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, to file a criminal complaint instead of pursuing a civil lawsuit.
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!” Carter said.
“Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
Tony Buzbee Responds
Buzbee, the Texas-based attorney representing the accuser, pushed back on Spiro’s motion and Carter’s accusations.
“Anyone that suggests that a demand letter, especially the one that I sent, is extortion or blackmail, is foolish,” Buzbee told NBC News.
“These kinds of demand letters are sent on a daily basis across the United States, and attempting to attack me to take the focus off of the alleged perpetrator won’t work and it won’t intimidate us.”
Buzbee has filed several lawsuits against Combs in recent months, accusing him of assault and rape.
Combs is currently facing federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and related offences and is scheduled to stand trial in May.
Combs’ representatives dismissed the allegations as “shameless publicity stunts” and denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
The Case Moves Forward
The court will now decide whether to grant Spiro’s motion to lift the accuser’s anonymity, a decision that could set the tone for the progression of the case.
Legal experts note that while anonymity is often granted in sensitive cases involving alleged sexual assault, courts must weigh this against the defendant’s right to a fair and transparent legal process.
As the case unfolds, it has already sparked broader discussions about power dynamics, accountability, and the role of public figures in navigating allegations of misconduct.
For now, the legal battle continues, with both sides entrenched and the stakes exceedingly high.
