Jay-Z is making another legal move after an extortion and defamation lawsuit he filed was dismissed. The case followed allegations that the music mogul and Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted a woman at a VMAs afterparty. The accuser, only identified as publicly as Jane Doe, has since recanted her allegations, and Jay-Z is now asking an appeals court to revive his extortion case.
Jay-Z’s Accuser Recanted Her Statement And Apologized To His Family
The woman who accused Jay-Z of sexual assault has now fully recanted her allegations, stating in a sworn court declaration that she never met or spoke to him and that there was “no truth” to her claims.She said her allegations were false and apologized to Jay-Z and his family. pic.twitter.com/sX5Bmr7RQ1— Baboon Forest Entertainment (@TheBaboonForest) September 25, 2026
On September 24, nearly two years after accusing Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, of sexual assault, Jane Doe submitted a sworn legal declaration recanting her allegations.
In a statement, Jane Doe said her former statements were untrue and in fact, she has never met the rapper. “Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropirate conduct toward me whatsoever. There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter,” Jane Doe noted, adding that the damages her accusations caused Jay-Z’s family “can never be fully undone.”
The woman apologized to Jay-Z and his family, noting in her declaration that she did not receive any compensation for retracting her claims.
The Mogul Wants The Court To Revive His Extortion Case
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Jay-Z intially filed an extortion lawsuit against Jane Doe’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, and his lawfirm in November 2024. Several months later, a California court dismissed the case, which the rapper’s camp appealed.
On September 9, a panel rejected Jay-Z’s appeal, citing that Buzbee did not act with “reckless disregard for the truth.” With Jane Doe’s recantation, however, the rapper is asking the court to revive his case.
In the new filing, Jay-Z’s lawyer notes, “Jane Doe’s declaration proves that discovery would yield evidence supporting Carter’s claims. Fairness and due process require this court to grant rehearing,” per Rolling Stone.
Inside The Allegations Against Jay-Z
The woman who accused Jaÿ-Z of rape recants her claims and now says she never met Hov.On Thursday evening (Sept. 24), Jigga’s legal team filed a motion dismissing Jane Doe from his federal lawsuit against the woman and her former attorney, Anthony Buzbee. The update comes after… pic.twitter.com/LkAit1sA85— XXL Magazine (@XXL) September 25, 2026
Jane Doe initially filed a lawsuit against Diddy in October 2024, and alleged that she was sexually assaulted at an afterparty when she was just 13 years old. Jay-Z was later added as a defendant when the complaint was amended in December that year.
In her original filing, Jane Doe alleged that Diddy’s driver took her to an afterparty, where she was given a drink that made her feel unwell. She claimed she went to a bedroom to rest, where Jay-Z allegedly sexually assaulted her, followed by Diddy. She also alleged that a well-known female celebrity was present during the incident and did not intervene.
Jane Doe dropped her civil lawsuit against the two rappers in February 2025, citing the intense public attention and mounting scrutiny.
The Rapper Called The Lawsuit A Blackmail Attempt
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In a statement released shortly after Jane Doe’s accusations, Jay-Z vehemently denied the claims. He also called out Buzbee over his “blackmail attempt,” accusing the lawyer of his “calculated” attempt to push him to settle.
“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give your ONE RED PENNY!!,” part of his statement read.
The rapper also dared Buzbee to file a criminal complaint and not a civil one, saying people who are guilty of crimes such as the one he was being accused of should be put in prison. “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case,” he noted.
Jay-Z Has An Ongoing Federal Lawsuit Against Tony Buzbee
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Apart from the extortion lawsuit, Jay-Z also filed a federal malicious-prosecution lawsuit against Jane Doe and Buzbee. The latter and his law firm remain the only defendants in the case after the music mogul dropped Jane Doe from the lawsuit following her recantation.
Jay-Z argues that Buzbee failed to do their due diligence when they filed a lawsuit against him and accused him of sending him an “extortionate demand letter” for a financial settlement. He also said the highly publicized case caused him reputational harm and affected his businesses.
The federal case is active and pending, with Buzbee’s defense team filing a motion to strike Jane Doe’s retraction from the record, claiming it was “bought-and-paid-for.”
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