American rapper Jay-Z has requested that a federal judge order his sexual assault accuser to disclose her identity, accusing the woman of being involved in a “calculated” campaign to extract an “exorbitant sum of money” from him.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, responded to the woman’s request to keep her name confidential. The woman had filed a lawsuit in October against Diddy and other unnamed defendants, alleging sexual assault at a 2000 VMAs afterparty.
The accuser, using the pseudonym Jane Doe, later amended her lawsuit on December 8 to include Jay-Z, 55, as one of the unnamed defendants, accusing him of sexual assault at the same event. Jane requested the court allow her to continue the legal proceedings without revealing her real name.
Her lawyer argued that revealing her identity would expose her to both physical and psychological harm. He further claimed, “The filing of this lawsuit has attracted significant media attention, and if her identity is made public, she would likely face unwanted media scrutiny, causing extreme distress.”
In response, Jay-Z’s lawyer stated, “Now, at last, the false and unfounded allegations behind this extortion campaign are being scrutinised by the courts—except that the plaintiff is hiding under the anonymity of ‘Jane Doe.’”
Jay-Z is seeking either the dismissal of the case or the accuser’s full disclosure of her identity. The rapper’s legal team emphasised his “impeccable reputation” and insisted that he had “never been accused of, nor engaged in, any sexual misconduct.” They further stated that he should not be forced to defend himself under the intense media spotlight against an anonymous accuser, particularly when witnesses could refute the claims if her identity were revealed.
Jay-Z’s lawyer also argued that the accuser’s decision to sue anonymously does not meet the legal criteria for such a case. The lawyer highlighted that the woman had not provided any compelling reasons to justify her anonymity and that her allegations seemed “incredible,” with numerous witnesses who could corroborate Jay-Z’s version of events if her identity were disclosed.
