Jay-Z revealed that the recently dismissed lawsuit for the rape of a minor caused him losses of 20 million dollars, according to a statement obtained by the specialized media Deadline. The lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of California accused the rapper and currently incarcerated Sean 'Diddy' Combs of raping the woman, identified as Jane Doe, in 2000 when she was 13 years old, after a party following the MTV Video Music Awards.
The lawsuit was withdrawn by the plaintiff on February 14. In the filed document, Jay-Z accused the plaintiff's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, of damaging his family and his company Roc Nation's relationship with other businesses, resulting in the loss of million-dollar contracts. Additionally, the rapper claimed that Buzbee attempted to blackmail him before officially filing the lawsuit, requesting a significant sum of money to "address the situation."
In his statement, Jay-Z expressed that the allegation also affected his reputation, as he was heavily criticized by the press, especially for choosing to accompany his daughter Blue Ivy to the premiere of 'Mufasa: The Lion King.' The rapper suggested that the lawsuit was strategically filed to place him in a difficult position, having to choose between supporting his daughter or avoiding negative media coverage.
The voluntary withdrawal of the lawsuit by the plaintiff means that she will not be able to file a new civil case for the same crime in the future. Jay-Z concluded that the lawsuit caused him significant financial and personal harm, and now seeks to put this episode behind him to continue with his life and career.
