Jay-Z
American rapper Jay-Z has filed a lawsuit against an anonymous woman and her attorneys, accusing them of malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy over previously dropped sexual assault allegations.
According to Alabama court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is suing attorney Tony Buzbee, David Fortney, and their Jane Doe client over claims that he raped a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000—a lawsuit that was voluntarily dismissed on February 14, 2025.
In his new March 3 filing, Jay-Z is also proposing a defamation claim against Jane Doe. He is seeking assumed, actual, and punitive damages, stating that the initial allegations were “false” and “malicious” and intended to cause “maximum pain and suffering.”
The lawsuit further claims that Jane Doe “voluntarily admitted” to Jay-Z’s representative that “Carter did not assault her” and that attorney Buzbee allegedly “pushed her to go forward with the false narrative” to force a financial settlement.
Jay-Z’s legal team argues that the defendants engaged in a “desperate attempt to leverage Mr. Carter into an extortionate payoff” through a “menacing ‘private’ demand letter.”
The rapper asserts that he is taking legal action to hold Jane Doe accountable for “willful defamation per se” and “malicious prosecution of knowingly false allegations.”
In response to Jay-Z’s filing, Tony Buzbee told PEOPLE that the lawsuit “has no legal merit” and insisted that Jane Doe “stands by her claims.”
“After speaking with Jane Doe today, it appears that the quotes attributed to her in the lawsuit are completely made up, or they spoke to someone who isn’t Jane Doe,” Buzbee said in a statement.
He further described the lawsuit as an attempt to “intimidate and bully this poor woman,” adding, “We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.”
This latest lawsuit follows Jay-Z’s December 2024 case against Buzbee in Los Angeles, in which he accused the attorney of civil extortion, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
On February 25, 2025, Judge Mark H. Epstein ruled that the defamation claim could proceed to trial but indicated he may dismiss the extortion claim, according to Rolling Stone.
Jay-Z also previously alleged that Buzbee deliberately filed the now-dismissed lawsuit just before his daughter Blue Ivy’s Mufasa: The Lion King premiere, causing emotional distress.
The rapper claims the false allegations have cost him $20 million in contracts and have had a profound effect on both his career and his family.