Jay-Z branded ‘bogus and laughable’ as lawyer behind rape lawsuit issues furious reply

The lawyer behind a lawsuit alleging Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean “Diddy” Combs has said his client “won’t be silenced” after the rapper labelled the claim a “blackmail attempt”.

Legal papers refiled on Sunday claim the rap star, real name Shawn Carter, and Combs drugged and raped the complainant, named only as the pseudonym Jane Doe, at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, while an unnamed female celebrity watched.

Mr Carter has described the case as a “blackmail attempt” by the claimant’s lawyer, saying his “only heartbreak” was for his family.

Attorney Tony Buzbee addressed the allegations in court on Tuesday, calling them “bogus” and saying that he intends to address them all.

He said: “Let me be clear: We will not be bullied or intimidated by these shenanigans. And our clients won’t be silenced”.

He added: “No one has made any threats. Jay Z’s assertions are bogus and laughable. Instead, our firm requested a mediation request in the form of a standard demand letter from the victim, who claimed Jay-Z sexually assaulted her as a minor.

Our client, who preferred to try to resolve the issue rather than file a lawsuit, reviewed and approved the letter. In these kinds of situations, this tactic is prevalent. You are now seeing a coordinated and desperate effort to divert attention away from the allegations being made by my clients.

Mr. Buzbee claimed that the lawyers’ efforts included allegedly “harassing” his family and coworkers and offering his former clients money to sue him.

In a statement on social media on Monday, Mr Carter said: “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘ lawyer ‘ named Tony Buzbee. He had anticipated that these allegations’ nature and the prospect of public scrutiny would lead to a settlement. No sir, it had the opposite effect! I wanted to make you known for being a fraud in a very public manner. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY! “!

Mr. Carter also questioned why the attorney had filed a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal complaint because the allegations were “so heinous.”

The Grammy-winning musician added that his “heart and support goes out to true victims in the world, who have to watch as this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit dress in costume for profit.”

The claimant in the case has asked for a jury trial and is seeking compensatory damages for “all physical injuries, emotional distress, psychological harm, anxiety, humiliation, physical and emotional pain and suffering, family and social disruption, and other harm”.

Combs was a defendant in the Southern District of New York’s initial filing for a federal civil lawsuit, which was later refiled on Sunday with Mr. Carter added.

The hip-hop mogul has filed a number of lawsuits against Combs, alleging that he coerced and abused women for years with the help of associates and employees.

Combs has repeatedly been denied bail while he is awaiting a criminal trial for sex trafficking allegations, which he denies.

Jay-Z appeared on the red carpet alongside his singer superstar wife Beyonce and their 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy for the premiere of her new film, Mufasa: The Lion King, on Monday.

Source: Mirror