Jay-Z's lawyer calls rape accusation against him a 'fantasy,' expects case to be dismissed
The lawyer of Jay-Z, or Shawn Carter, dismissed as "fantasy" the allegations of a woman that the rapper, alongside disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, raped her in 2000 when she was 13.
"This is all a fantasy," Atty. Alex Spiro told media outlets, including CNN, at a private meeting in Carter's Ron Nation offices in New York on Dec. 16.
"We expect the case to be dismissed. If it’s not, we expect this all to crumble.”
Spiro showed the reporters a PowerPoint presentation containing a timeline of the allegations, calling them false.
“None of the details are right because this never happened,” Spiro said. “When something isn’t real and when something doesn’t happen, you’re going to get the details wrong because you weren’t really there.”
In a civil lawsuit filed in October, the accused, identified only as Jane Doe, said the assault happened after she was driven to an MTV Music Video Awards after-party in New York in 2000.
Combs and Carter were said to have raped her after a friend dropped her off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall.
She's seeking unspecified damages.
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer who filed the suit on behalf of the Jane Doe, also filed several assault and rape suits against Combs in recent months.
Carter immediately denied the accusations. He then sued Buzbee and others for extortion.
He also questioned why they're filing a civil complaint instead of a criminal complaint, knowing the allegations are "so heinous in nature."
But days after the news came out, Jane Doe, in an amended complaint, admitted to having inconsistencies in her story, including key corroborating witnesses.
Nevertheless, she maintained the rape accusation against Carter.
“This is not an account of inconsistencies,” Spiro said in response. “This never happened. This is completely false.”
Spiro also showed reporters photographs of Carter, Combs, and other celebrities at the VMA afterparty in question. He said the Jane Doe's story wasn't plausible, citing time constraints traveling from the city to the suburbs where the party was supposedly held.
Combs, who was arrested in September, is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges but could face life imprisonment if convicted.
Over 100 individuals, including dozens of children, are suing Combs, saying they're victims of rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation at his hands.
Lawyers for Combs criticized Buzbee, saying, “This is the beginning of the end of this shameful money grab."
Spiro also pointed out that Carter has nothing to do with Combs and his cases.
"They knew each other professionally for a number years, just like in all professions. There is no closer association between any of them. That’s also a matter of fiction," he said.
"That’s all that there is. He doesn’t know anything about the charges or allegations against him. He has nothing to do with that case and there’s nothing more to say.”
