Jay-Z accuser recants claims, says rapper 'never raped me' - USA Today
The anonymous woman who accused Jay-Z of sexual assault is recanting her claims.
The Jane Doe submitted a declaration to New York federal court Thursday, Sept. 24, stating all allegations against the 56-year-old rapper, born Shawn Carter, are false, according to documents obtained by Rolling Stone. She also said she disclosed "mental health conditions" to her legal team before naming him in her since-dropped 2024 lawsuit.
"Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever," she wrote under penalty of perjury. "There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter.
"I understand my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering, and damage that can never be fully undone," she added, noting she did not received "financial compensation of any kind from Mr. Carter, or anyone acting on his behalf."
Her new lawyer, James Blair Newman Jr., addressed the legal move in a Sept. 25 statement to Rolling Stone: "Our client maintains that she was a victim of sexual assault, but she was entirely mistaken in her allegations identifying Mr. Carter, and those allegations were false.
"Mr. Carter did not rape her, sexually assault her, engage in any inappropriate conduct towards her, and she has never met him. She sincerely and unconditionally apologizes to Mr. Carter and his family," Newman added.
The admission came the same day Carter filed a notice that he was voluntarily dismissing the woman as a defendant in his case against her and her former attorney Tony Buzbee for malicious prosecution and abuse of process. The Roc Nation founder has accused Buzbee of leveling Jane Doe's sexual assault allegations despite her disclosing they were not true.
USA TODAY reached out to representatives for Carter, Buzbee and Jane Doe for comment.
The woman first filed her sexual assault suit in October 2024, naming only Sean "Diddy" Combs as a defendant but mentioning another unnamed celebrity. However, she amended the complaint two months later to include Carter, alleging the two artists drugged and raped her when she was 13 years old at a party after the September 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
At the time, Carter released a lengthy statement denying the "heinous" allegations and saying the suit was "a blackmail attempt" by Buzbee, whom he called a "deplorable human." In February 2025, the woman dropped the lawsuit "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be refiled in the future.
In his countersuit, Carter accused Buzbee of sending an "extortionate" letter demanding money in November 2024 and adding Carter to the case when he refused to pay. Buzbee pushed back, claiming he only ever sent a "standard demand letter."
"The letters were sent seeking a confidential mediation in lieu of filing a lawsuit. No amount of money was included in the demand letters. No threats were made," Buzbee previously told USA TODAY. "The demand letters sent are no different than the ones routinely sent by lawyers across the country in all types of cases."
Jay-Z also sued Buzbee in a California court for extortion in November 2024 under a John Doe pseudonym, but later identified himself when the sexual assault allegations came out the following month. The case was ultimately dismissed.
