Overview
- Jay-Z, in a new GQ interview in March 2026, says the accusations left him devastated and fueled what he calls uncontrollable anger.
- An anonymous woman had alleged she was 13 in 2000 when she was assaulted at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs, a claim Jay-Z has rejected as false and an extortion attempt.
- The plaintiff voluntarily withdrew the civil lawsuit in February 2025, and Jay-Z says he trusted that the truth would prevail.
- He describes the personal toll at home, including a difficult talk with his wife Beyoncé and worries about how to explain the headlines to their three children.
- After the withdrawal, he filed a defamation suit that was later dismissed, and he now turns to his 30-year career plans, including summer 2026 Yankee Stadium concerts and a return to the umlaut in his stage name, JAŸ-Z.