Warning: This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault allegations which some readers may find distressing.
Jay-Z has said he would not agree to a settlement in a sexual assault lawsuit that was later voluntarily dismissed, explaining that doing so ‘wasn’t in his DNA’.
A federal filing submitted in December 2024 accused the 56-year-old rapper and businessman, along with imprisoned music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, of raping a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.
Both men denied the claims, which also alleged the child was drugged. The civil suit was withdrawn two months later.
After the plaintiff pulled the legal action, she told NBC News in an interview: “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”
In February 2025, Jay-Z responded in a statement released through his label, Roc Nation, saying: “Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed.
“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. 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.”
Jay-Z, who is a father of three, also alleged that the plaintiff’s legal team chose to ‘walk away with no repercussions’ once it became clear to them that what he described as a ‘money grab’ would not succeed.
“The system has failed,” he said, adding: “May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”
Speaking in a new GQ interview published on March 24, the artist described feeling ‘uncontrollable anger’ during the ordeal.
“You don’t put that on someone – that’s a thing that you better be super sure. It used to be like that. You had to be super sure before you put those kind of things on a person. Especially a person like me.”
The musician, born Shawn Carter, also explained why he chose not to settle with the plaintiff, saying that for him the truth ‘still reigns supreme’.
“First of all, first I had to tell my wife,” he said, referencing his wife, 35-time Grammy winner Beyoncé.
“Let’s back up. I know the weight that this is going to bring on our family. I can’t do it. I would die. If I settled … it would’ve been cheaper? Yes.
“Cheaper, quicker, move on with your life. I knew what was coming. I wasn’t naive.
“I called – again, after my family – my partners. They were like, ‘What do you need to help? Don’t even worry.’ In a phone call. Not even a: ‘I got to go to the board with this.’ It was like a testament because people know me.”
Combs, 58, who was also named in the 2024 lawsuit, is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was found not guilty on more serious allegations, including racketeering and sex trafficking.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org