...

Logo Pasino du Havre - Casino-Hôtel - Spa
in partnership with
Logo Nextory

Jay-Z's lawyer says accuser's rape claim is 'provably, demonstrably false'

• Dec 17, 2024, 5:33 PM
4 min de lecture
1

An attorney defending Jay-Z against the rape allegation brought against him last week by an unnamed woman outlined a range of evidence Monday that he said showed the accuser’s account to be “provably, demonstrably false.”

The woman told NBC News last week that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her in 2000, when she was 13, at an after-party for the MTV Music Awards. She has since acknowledged certain inconsistencies in her story.

Speaking to reporters at Roc Nation’s New York headquarters, Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said the woman’s claim relied on an “impossible timeline” and a nonexistent location. While the lawsuit said the assault happened at a “large white residence with a U-shaped driveway,” photos show both Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, and Combs at a nightclub following the award show.

In the suit, the woman said she snuck out of a window of her home in Rochester and hitched a ride to the award ceremony from a friend, who has since died. She said she watched the event on a jumbotron outside, then befriended a limousine driver who drove her to the house party where she was assaulted by the two rap moguls.

Following the alleged rape, she said she fled the house and called her father for a ride home from a nearby gas station.

The allegation, Spiro said, “defies credibility.” It would’ve taken her five hours to drive from Rochester, the lawyer noted, meaning she would’ve had to leave her home by 3 p.m. Permits and photographs show there was no jumbotron outside the VMAs in 2000, according to Spiro. The woman’s father has said he does not recall driving from Rochester to pick her up in New York City.

“It’s not just that this story is a lie and that it’s not true, it’s provably, demonstrably false,” Spiro said. "This never happened.”

The suit comes amid a wave of sexual assault lawsuits levied against Combs, who remains in custody in New York awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty and faces trial in May.

The lawsuits were filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations.

After initially suing Combs, the woman’s complaint was amended to include a new allegation that Jay-Z also participated in the sexual assault as a third unnamed celebrity watched.

The litigation was filed by Tony Buzbee, a personal injury attorney in Houston whose firm has set up a toll-free phone line for accusers. In October, Buzbee said he was representing some 120 people, men and women, with allegations of sexual misconduct against Combs.

Last month, Jay-Z anonymously sued Buzbee, alleging the lawyer had attempted to blackmail him by making the rape allegation public if he did not agree to a legal settlement. Buzbee has said the letter was simply trying to set up a confidential mediation session.

In a statement last week, Jay-Z said his “heart and support goes out to true victims in the world.”

On Monday, Spiro accused Buzbee of “taking advantage” of the woman, while "destroying this opportunity and the voices of real victims.”

In an emailed statement Monday, Buzbee said the woman had been referred to him by another law firm and vetted by four attorneys from his firm.

“Courts exist to resolve factual disputes,” Buzbee added. “Our client remains adamant about her claim.”


Yesterday

Oil spill ravages Black Sea shores, causing major environmental disaster
• 11:05 PM
1 min
Footage showed oil-streaked shores and birds covered in mazut. Officials say clean-up efforts are underway, though environmental impacts remain uncertain.
Read the article
Fears of environmental disaster following oil spill from Russian ships
• 9:29 PM
2 min
Environmental groups say the oil could have a devastating impact on marine life in the area.
Read the article
DRC files criminal case against Apple over alleged use of illegal minerals
• 5:56 PM
1 min
Kinshasa accuses the company's subsidiaries in Belgium and France of illegally using what it described as “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
Read the article
Jay-Z's lawyer says accuser's rape claim is 'provably, demonstrably false'
• 5:33 PM
4 min
An attorney defending Jay-Z against the rape allegation brought against him last week by an unnamed woman outlined a range of evidence Monday that he said showed the accuser’s account to be “provably, demonstrably false.”
Read the article
Ukraine claims killing of Russian general in Moscow
• 4:55 PM
2 min
A senior Russian general was killed Tuesday by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building in Moscow, a day after Ukraine’s security service leveled criminal charges against him.
Read the article
France rushes aid to Mayotte after Cyclone Chido devastation
• 4:17 PM
5 min
Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter, after Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods on Saturday when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory of France and, by extension, the European Union
Read the article
Watch: Vanuatu shaken by 7.3 magnitude earthquake
• 3:02 PM
1 min
Videos shared on social media show debris scattered in shops and structural damage to buildings housing diplomatic missions after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu.
Read the article
Gaza death toll surpasses 45,000 as Israeli offensive continues
• 2:02 PM
3 min
The real death toll is likely to be much higher as thousands of bodies are still buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access.
Read the article
Mayotte reels after deadly Cyclone Chido
• 1:46 PM
1 min
Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte on Saturday, levelling entire neighbourhoods and causing heavy destruction in the island's capital. Local reports confirm at least 20 deaths, but officials fear the true toll could be far higher.
Read the article
Dogs Canine Carnival in Lagos attracts dozens of pet owners
• 11:11 AM
3 min
The dogs, some of which are in fancy dress, are blessed by a priest and the organisers hope to show the world that Nigeria is a nation that cherishes canines.
Read the article
President Assoumani's assurance of support post-cyclone Chido
• 8:07 AM
1 min
In an official statement, he offered condolences to those who have lost family members in Mayotte and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured.
Read the article
Damage and rebuilding after Cyclone Chido hits Mozambique
• 6:41 AM
2 min
December through to March is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been hammered in recent years
Read the article
Transition in Syria: Russian troops under scrutiny by new government
• 12:11 AM
1 min
In the wake of President Bashar al-Assad's removal, Syria's transitional government has announced that Russian presence is unwelcome. They are open to discussions with all countries to help establish a new future for Syria.
Read the article
800 arrested over Nigerian crypto-romance scam
• 12:07 AM
1 min
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the suspects, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipino nationals, were detained on December 10 at the seven-storey Big Leaf Building in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.
Read the article