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Jay-Z is fighting back after being accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit that was later dropped. The rapper and music mogul has now filed his own lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee, David Fortney, and their client, Jane Doe, claiming that the accusations against him were false, malicious, and strategically timed to hurt his reputation.
Filed on March 3 in Alabama, the lawsuit accuses the three defendants of malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy. Additionally, Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) is suing Jane Doe for defamation. He is seeking compensation for financial losses, emotional distress, and punitive damages to hold them accountable for what he calls a deliberate attack on his character.
The original lawsuit was filed on October 20, 2024, and claimed that Jay-Z and fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulted a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. However, the case did not hold up in court—on February 14, 2025, Buzbee and co-counsel Antigone Curis dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Now, Jay-Z’s new lawsuit claims that Jane Doe and her lawyers knew the allegations were false but pushed forward with the lawsuit anyway in an attempt to extort money from him. According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe allegedly admitted to Jay-Z’s representatives that he never assaulted her, and it was Buzbee who pressured her to continue in the hopes of securing a large payout.
Tony Buzbee denies any wrongdoing, calling Jay-Z’s lawsuit baseless. Speaking to People, he dismissed the new claims, saying:
“This new case is just like the one they filed in Los Angeles—it has no legal merit.”
He also claimed that after talking to Jane Doe, she said the quotes attributed to her in Jay-Z’s lawsuit were fabricated. He accused Jay-Z’s legal team of trying to intimidate and pressure Jane Doe into taking back her allegations.
This isn’t the first time Jay-Z has taken legal action against Buzbee. Back in December 2024, the rapper filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing Buzbee of civil extortion, defamation, and emotional distress over the same allegations.
So far, a judge in California has ruled that the defamation claim has enough merit to go to trial, while the extortion claim may be dismissed.
Jay-Z says these false allegations have cost him dearly—he claims to have lost $20 million in business deals and suffered significant emotional distress. He also argues that Buzbee timed the original lawsuit strategically, filing it just before his daughter Blue Ivy’s big movie premiere, to maximize the damage to his reputation.
As this legal battle continues, it’s clear that Jay-Z is determined to clear his name and hold those responsible accountable.