A lawsuit accusing music moguls Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been voluntarily dismissed, according to a legal filing submitted in New York on Friday.
The anonymous plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, withdrew the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled in its current form. The dismissal comes amid an ongoing wave of sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. Combs.
Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, welcomed the decision, calling it a “victory” and condemning the lawsuit as baseless. “The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he stated. “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed.” His lawyer, Alex Spiro, added that the case “never should have been brought” and praised Jay-Z for standing firm against the accusations.
The lawsuit was initially filed against Mr. Combs in October 2024, with Jay-Z’s name added two months later. The plaintiff claimed both men assaulted her after an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000. However, inconsistencies in her account, coupled with her admission of possibly misidentifying the alleged perpetrators, cast doubt on the case. In a December interview, Jane Doe acknowledged, “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”
In January 2025, Jay-Z’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing these inconsistencies and the lack of credible evidence. The motion was granted by US District Judge Analisa Torres, effectively clearing the rapper’s name. Jay-Z also alleged that his legal team had received blackmail attempts seeking a financial settlement, which he said only strengthened his resolve to fight the case publicly.
While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal action, Sean Combs remains entangled in legal troubles. The music executive is currently battling more than three dozen civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, racketeering, and sex trafficking. His legal team issued a statement following the case’s dismissal, asserting his innocence and criticizing what they called a “media-driven” legal campaign against him.
“For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity,” the statement read. “Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them.” Despite these assertions, the allegations against Mr. Combs have continued to mount, with multiple plaintiffs stepping forward with disturbing accusations spanning decades.
Mr. Combs has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September 2024. He has been denied bail three times and will remain behind bars until his trial, scheduled to begin on 5 May 2025.
The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting the challenges of navigating high-stakes allegations involving powerful figures in the entertainment industry.
