Jay Z civil lawsuit response demands rape accuser be identified

Jay-Z is pushing for the woman who is accusing him of rape to be required to reveal her identity or for her lawsuit against him to be dismissed.

An attorney for Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, made the request Monday, one day after an anonymous accuser alleged Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped her in 2000 when she was 13 years old.

“Mr. Carter should not have to defend himself in the brightest of spotlights against an accuser who hides in complete darkness while leveling allegations that describe the purported acts occurring in the plain sight of witnesses who could refute the plaintiff’s claims if only her identity was revealed,” the filing said.

Jay-Z accusedof raping, drugging 13-year-old girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2000

It went on to say, “Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades.”

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The music mogul’s motion alleged the rape allegation is part of a “campaign of extortion” carried out by Tony Buzbee, the attorney who filed Jane Doe’s complaint. This “extortionate campaign” attempted to force the rapper to pay an “exorbitant” amount of money, he alleged.

“Make no mistake, this case is about retaliating against the rare target who would not pay,” the filing said.

Buzbee told USA TODAY in an email Monday that he “can’t and won’t respond to every court filing” but added, “Sending a basic demand is not extortion or blackmail. Throwing those types of allegations around is irresponsible and silly.”

Jay-Z named as anonymous celebrity who sued lawyer Tony Buzbee, as he pushes to have Jane Doe revealed

Monday’s filing also confirmed Jay-Z was the person whose attorneys filed a lawsuit against Buzbee in November accusing him of extortion. Jay-Z brought that lawsuit to “expose attorney Buzbee’s latest extortion scheme,” and the rape claims were subsequently leveled against him in a “clear act of retaliation,” the rapper’s lawyer argued.

Jay-Zdenies rape allegation, says he and Beyoncé will have to ‘sit our children down’

The anonymous woman originally sued Sean “Diddy” Combs in October and alleged he and a then-unnamed celebrity assaulted her. On Sunday, an amended lawsuit revealed that previously unidentified celebrity was allegedly Jay-Z.

Jane Doe says she attended an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, where she went into a bedroom to lie down after allegedly being drugged. Jay-Z is accused of holding the woman down and raping her while Combs and a still-unnamed female celebrity watched.

“Combs has been allowed for years to conduct himself in this manner without any consequences,” the lawsuit stated. “He believes he is above the law. He is not. His close friend Shawn Carter has been with Combs during many such instances. … Both perpetrators must face justice.”

In the motion on Monday, Jay-Z’s attorney argued that Jane Doe’s request to remain anonymous is contrary to Buzbee’s efforts to “draw widespread attention” to her case, including by posting about it on social media.

Jay-Z and Diddy’s career connections:Music moguls face sexual assault lawsuit

And in a fiery statement issued on Sunday, Jay-Z strongly denied the allegations and accused Buzbee of attempting to blackmail him.

“You have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same,” he said, addressing Buzbee. “I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor.”

In an X post on Sunday, Buzbee said his firm sent Jay-Z’s lawyer “a demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim” but that the woman “never demanded a penny from him,” seeking only “a confidential mediation.”

Jay-Z’s rape lawsuit response shocked.Our reaction matters, too.

“Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff,” the attorney said. “His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve.”