A woman who accused hip-hop moguls Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 has dropped her civil lawsuit, court records revealed on Friday.
The lawsuit, initially filed in December, claimed that the two stars sexually assaulted the plaintiff at a party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, and Combs were accused of taking turns assaulting the girl, while another celebrity allegedly stood by without intervening.
The legal filing submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicated that the accuser voluntarily dismissed the case “with prejudice,” meaning the suit cannot be refiled. The details of any potential settlement between the woman, who has not been publicly identified, and the defendants remain unclear.
Jay-Z, 55, responded to the case’s dismissal with relief, condemning the lawsuit as “frivolous, fictitious, and appalling.” In a statement, he criticized the claims, stating that the lawsuit had “no merit from the start” and dismissed the accusations as “laughable” despite their serious nature.
“I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed,” Jay-Z said, referencing the emotional toll on his family.
The original complaint had alleged that Combs and Carter — who is married to pop superstar Beyoncé — sexually assaulted the plaintiff, and that multiple witnesses were present at the after-party but did nothing to stop the alleged assault.
Separately, Combs, also 55, faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Federal prosecutors have accused him of sexually abusing women and coercing them into drug-fueled sex parties through threats and violence. He has denied the allegations, and his criminal trial is set to begin on May 5.
AFP
