Montgomery, Alabama — Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, has initiated a lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee, David Fortney, and their client, referred to as Jane Doe, following previous accusations of sexual assault against him. The legal action, which was instituted on March 3, contends that the defendants engaged in malicious prosecution, abuse of process, civil conspiracy, and defamation.
According to court documents, Jay-Z alleges that the prior sexual assault claims were fabricated and intentionally levied at a time intended to inflict maximum reputational damage. The original case, lodged on October 20, 2024, accused Jay-Z and musician Sean “Diddy” Combs of assaulting a 13-year-old girl during a 2000 MTV Video Music Awards after-party. However, this lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by Buzbee and another attorney, Antigone Curis, on February 14, 2025, which legally bars its refiling.
In his latest legal effort, Jay-Z argues that Jane Doe and her legal team falsified information in an attempt to extort him. The lawsuit further claims that Jane Doe had confessed that Carter had not assaulted her and accused Buzbee of coercing her into pursuing the lawsuit to secure a financial settlement.
Buzbee has rejected these claims, stating that the new lawsuit is baseless and mirrors an earlier suit filed against him by Carter in Los Angeles. He commented on the alleged inaccuracies in the quotations attributed to Jane Doe in the lawsuit, suggesting that the statements might not have been made by Jane Doe herself.
In addition, Jay-Z initiated a lawsuit against Buzbee in Los Angeles in December 2024 for civil extortion, defamation, and emotional distress. In this ongoing case, a judge has found sufficient basis for the defamation claim to proceed to trial, although the extortion claim might be dismissed.
Jay-Z asserts that these false allegations have led to a loss of $20 million in business contracts and caused him considerable emotional distress. He also suggested that the timing of the initial lawsuit was deliberately set to coincide with his daughter Blue Ivy’s movie premiere, aiming to tarnish his public image further.
As parties prepare for the legal battle ahead, the music industry and fans are keenly observing the outcomes, which will not only affect the reputations involved but potentially set precedents for how celebrity lawsuits are handled in the future.
This article has been automatically generated by OpenAI. The information, including people, facts, circumstances, and the narrative, may be inaccurate. Requests for article removals, retractions, or corrections can be sent to [email protected].