Woman who accused Jay-Z of rape heard on recording saying lawyer pushed her to sue
The woman who said she was 13 when Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs sexually assaulted her after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards is heard on a recording agreeing Jay-Z did not assault her and saying her lawyer pushed her to sue Jay-Z.
The woman's lawsuit against Jay-Z and Combs has since been withdrawn with prejudice, meaning it cannot be revived.
The recording, an excerpt of which was obtained by ABC News, is between the woman, identified as Jane Doe, and two private investigators associated with Carter.
"He was just there, but he didn't have anything to do with any sexual acts towards you?" the private investigator asked.
"Yeah," Jane Doe replied.
Carter's attorney, Alex Spiro, denies that Jay-Z has ever met Jane Doe.
In the recording, the woman is heard telling the investigators that her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, put her up to suing Jay-Z.
"He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z," the woman is heard saying.
"Buzbee did?" the investigators asked. "Yeah," the woman replied.
Buzbee called the idea that he pushed her into suing Jay-Z a "blatant lie."
"As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay Z - That is a blatant lie that is directly contrary to all the documentary evidence," Buzbee said in a statement provided to ABC News.
Carter's attorney said "the tape speaks for itself" and should leave no doubt about his innocence.
"She says in no uncertain terms Mr. Carter did not do this. It's effectively a lie and the only reason Mr. Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him," Spiro told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Jane Doe has said, in a sworn declaration, she stands by her claims and dropped her lawsuit because of "fear of intimidation and retaliation from Jay-Z" and his fans.
She also denied telling the investigators Buzbee sought her out as a client or that he encouraged her to pursue a false claim against Jay-Z. She said she felt "intimidated and terrified" at being confronted on her doorstep and that the investigators knew her name and address.
Spiro said the investigators who approached Jane Doe did not coerce or threaten her.
"She voluntarily met, spoke to them and she told them her truth, which was under no circumstances did Mr. Carter do this," Spiro said.
Jay-Z, who has sold more than 140 million albums, is one of the world's best-selling artists. He is married to Beyoncé and they share three children. His attorney said that this has impacted the Carter family.
"It's tough to hear a false lie said about you, spread through the internet, and affecting your children," Spiro said. "It's tough on him. It's tough on anybody. But what he does is he proves himself innocent. Today is hopefully the final chapter in that. And then they're gonna move forward. That's what Jay does."
Carter is now suing Jane Doe and Tony Buzbee for defamation, which they deny.
"The truth had to fully come out. This person cannot be allowed to sort of hide from the reality that this was a false accusation," Spiro said.
