The woman who accused Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards has been heard on a recording admitting Jay-Z “didn’t have anything” to do with the sexual acts – and that her lawyer “pushed” her to sue.
As ABC News reports, the lawsuit against Carter and Combs has since been withdrawn with prejudice, meaning it cannot be revived.
The recording is an exchange between the woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, and two private investigators associated with Jay-Z. ABC News and Rolling Stone obtained an excerpt of the recording.
“He was just there, but he didn’t have anything to do with the any sexual acts towards you. It was strictly…” one investigator asked.
“Yeah,” Doe replied. She then said her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, “pushed” her to go forward with the lawsuit against Carter.
The other investigator asked her if it was Buzbee who suggested Carter had a role in the alleged assault. “He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him. with Jay-Z,” the woman replied.
“Buzbee did?” the investigators asked. “Yeah,” the woman replied.
However, Buzbee denied these allegations and called the recording a “pieced-together fabrication”, and said the idea that he pushed her into suing Jay-Z a “blatant lie”.
“As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay Z – That is a blatant lie that is directly contrary to all the documentary evidence,” Buzbee said in statements to ABC News.
In a statement sent to Rolling Stone, he said: “Her position is very clear and has never changed. The tape is a pieced-together fabrication. The investigators tormented and harassed and tricked that poor woman and took what she said out of context and secretly recorded her.
“She stands by her claim that Jay-Z was there at the party and that [he] assaulted her. She has never wavered on that point, not once.”
Carter’s attorney, Alex Spiro, denies that Jay-Z has ever met Jane Doe. Spiro said “the tape speaks for itself”. Speaking to ABC News, he said: “She says in no uncertain terms Carter did not do this. It’s effectively a lie and the only reason Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him.”
Jane Doe said she stands by her claims but dropped the lawsuit because of “fear of intimidation and retaliation from Jay-Z” and his fans.
Jay-Z is now suing her and Buzbee, accusing them of “false and malicious” allegations. He claimed they engaged in an “evil conspiracy” to extort him with “completely fabricated” and “wildly horrific” claims of rape.
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.