The woman accusing Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her at a 2000 MTV VMAs after-party has spoken out publicly for the first time. While recounting what she described as a “catastrophic event” during an interview with NBC News, the woman, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, admitted to inconsistencies in her story.
This revelation has fueled Jay-Z’s legal team’s efforts to dismiss the case entirely.
Allegations and Jane Doe’s Account
The accuser, identified as Jane Doe in court filings, claims she was just 13 years old when the alleged rape occurred at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
According to her account, she attended an after-party where she was taken in a limo to a house, and given a drink that left her feeling disoriented before the alleged assault occurred. She called the incident life-ruining, stating, “It was a catastrophic event that derailed my entire life.”
During her interview, she However, also acknowledged discrepancies in her account, stating, “I have made some mistakes.” Despite these missteps, she insists her overall allegations remain truthful.
Inconsistencies in the Story
The inconsistencies in Jane Doe’s story have raised questions about the credibility of her claims. For example:
- She alleged she spoke to musician Benji Madden at the after-party, but representatives for Madden confirmed neither he nor his brother Joel were at the 2000 MTV VMAs as they were on tour in the Midwest.
- Jane Doe claimed her father drove over five hours to pick her up after the alleged incident, but her father disputes this, saying, “| feel like I would remember that, and I don’t.” He noted he once picked her up locally in the middle of the night but denies driving.
- Images from the night of the alleged assault show Jay-Z and Diddy partying at the Lotus nightclub. This challenges Jane Doe’s assertion that the assault happened at Diddy’s home. While these photos don’t account for their whereabouts the entire night, they add doubt to her timeline of events.
Jay-Z and Diddy Respond
Jay-Z and his attorney Alex Spiro have responded aggressively to these developments. In a statement to NBC News, Carter called the allegations false, adding, “This incident didn’t happen. True justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began.”
Spiro filed court documents asking the judge to dismiss the case immediately, citing Jane Doe’s admission of inconsistencies and the lack of corroborating evidence. He criticized the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, accusing him of filing a baseless complaint without properly vetting the facts.
“It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press,” Spiro said. “Basic facts in her narrative — the who, what, when, and where — are wrong. She admits she has no single corroborating witness.”
Spiro plans to file a motion to dismiss the case and is reportedly considering disciplinary action against Buzbee and his legal team for what he called a clear violation of court rules.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys have echoed similar sentiments, dismissing the lawsuit as an attempt at a “money grab.”
“Yesterday, a lawyer admitted that over 50 people falsely claimed to be victims. Today, for the second time this week, a Buzbee plaintiff has been exposed. This is the beginning of the end of the money grab,” Diddy’s team stated.
Despite the mounting challenges to her claims, Jane Doe remains resolute. She maintains that the inconsistencies in her story are the result of the trauma and passage of time, not a fabrication of events.
“Trauma clouds memory, but it doesn’t erase it,” she said. “I stand by my allegations. These flaws don’t mean the assault didn’t happen.”
Watch Jane Doe’s full interview with NBC News below.
Here's a video of @ChloeMelas' interview with the woman, who has autism. pic.twitter.com/x6bgF018Y2
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 14, 2024