Woman Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Diddy
A woman who accused hip-hop moguls Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 has dropped her lawsuit, court records confirmed on Friday.
The civil case, filed in December, alleged that the two music icons assaulted the plaintiff at a party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000. However, a document submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York states that the case has been “voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice”—meaning it cannot be refiled.
It remains unclear whether the accuser, whose identity has not been disclosed, reached a settlement with the defendants.
Jay-Z, 55, dismissed the allegations as “frivolous, fictitious, and appalling,” expressing relief at the lawsuit’s dismissal.
“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere,” he said in a statement. “The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. “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.”
The lawsuit originally claimed that the assault took place while other celebrities were present and failed to intervene. It also alleged that Jay-Z had witnessed Combs engage in similar behaviour on multiple occasions.
While this case has been dropped, Combs, also 55, is facing separate federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors accuse him of orchestrating a pattern of sexual abuse, coercing women into drug-fueled sex parties through threats and violence. Combs has denied all charges, with his trial scheduled to begin on May 5.
