Jay-Z accuser recants rape claims, says she never met him

An anonymous woman who accused Jay-Z of raping her when she was 13 has formally withdrawn her allegations in a sworn declaration filed in Manhattan federal court. She stated she has never met or spoken to the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, and that her claims were entirely false.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe, originally filed a lawsuit in December 2024 through attorney Tony Buzbee, alleging that Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulted her at an MTV VMAs afterparty in 2000. She dropped the suit against both men in early 2025 but has now gone further by declaring under oath that the accusations against Jay-Z were mistaken.

“Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr Carter.”

Her new attorney, James Blair Newman Jr., said his client maintains she was a victim of sexual assault but was "entirely mistaken" in identifying Jay-Z as a perpetrator. He added that she sincerely and unconditionally apologizes to Carter and his family. The woman also affirmed she received no money or promises in exchange for the declaration.

Jay-Z had filed a malicious-prosecution lawsuit against Buzbee and his firm and had named the woman as a defendant. Following her recantation, Carter voluntarily dismissed his claims against her. The rapper has consistently denied the allegations since they were first made public.