Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, also known as Shawn Carter, has been accused in a lawsuit of raping a teenage girl after an awards show more than two decades ago along with Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently facing federal sex trafficking charges and numerous lawsuits alleging sexual assault. The plaintiff in the suit claims she was only 13 years old at the time of the alleged assault and met the men after the MTV Music Video Awards in 2000. The lawsuit alleges that the assault took place in a room where Carter and Combs, along with a female celebrity, were present.
Carter has denied the allegations, calling them “idiotic,” and accused the lawyer behind the suit of trying to blackmail him into settling. He also claimed that the plaintiff’s decision to sue anonymously is inconsistent with a genuine effort to determine the truth. Combs, on the other hand, has been arrested and charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers maintain his innocence.
Both Carter and Combs rose to fame in the 1990s hip-hop scene in New York and became successful entrepreneurs beyond music. Carter founded Roc Nation while Combs founded Bad Boy Records and has a lucrative partnership with a vodka brand. The allegations against them and legal battles they are facing threaten their reputations and legal standing. The cases are ongoing and continue to develop as both men fight to clear their names.
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