A woman who previously accused Jay-Z of raping her at age 13 has formally withdrawn her allegations, stating they were fabricated. In a sworn declaration filed on Thursday, the woman, identified in court records as Jane Doe, explicitly stated that Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, never raped her and that she had never met or spoken to him.
“Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever,” the statement read. She further clarified that her previous claims involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and an unnamed celebrity witness were without truth.
The retraction follows a legal battle that began in late 2024 when Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging she was drugged and assaulted by both rap superstars at a party following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. The defendants denied the accusations, and Doe dropped the lawsuit in February 2025. Subsequently, Carter filed a countersuit against her and her legal team.
Carter, who is married to Beyoncé, had vehemently rejected the original claims, labeling them a “blackmail attempt” and describing them as frivolous and fictitious. He emphasized the lasting emotional impact on his family.
In her new declaration, Jane Doe asserted that she received no payment from Carter or his representatives for the statement. She also denied allegations that Carter’s investigators harassed or threatened her, a claim previously made by her attorney, Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee, who represents numerous accusers against Combs, told Rolling Stone he had not yet reviewed the recantation. He noted that Doe had provided the same account to multiple attorneys prior to his involvement.
According to her latest statement, Doe was contacted by law firms after seeing a Facebook advertisement in September or October 2024 seeking individuals with sexual assault claims against Combs. She claimed she was not shown a draft of the lawsuit before it was filed in October 2024 and that her lawyers failed to conduct proper due diligence or seek corroboration.
Combs, who was convicted in July 2025 on federal charges related to prostitution and trafficking and is currently serving a four-year sentence, had denied Doe’s allegations. The BBC has contacted representatives for comment.
This case keeps changing shape. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop with Diddy’s involvement still being investigated.
Wait, did she say she never met Jay-Z before? That completely undermines the entire premise of the original lawsuit, doesn’t it?
I always suspected these allegations were fabricated from the start. Good to see justice finally prevailing here.
This is incredibly confusing. How can someone file a lawsuit and then completely retract it like this? Makes me question the whole process.