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Jay-Z Speaks Out on Dismissed Assault Suit in Rare GQ Interview

His first full account frames the dismissed case as a test of principle over payout.

Overview

  • Jay-Z, in a GQ profile published Tuesday, said the 2024–25 lawsuit left him “heartbroken” and “uncontrollably angry,” adding that “you don’t put that on someone.”
  • Anonymously filed claims accused him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old after a 2000 MTV VMAs afterparty, and the plaintiff withdrew the case with prejudice in February 2025, which bars refiling.
  • In March 2025 he sued the accuser and attorney Tony Buzbee in Alabama for defamation and conspiracy, alleging the claims cost him $20 million.
  • NBC News reporting highlighted inconsistencies in the accuser’s account, including a father who said he did not recall picking her up and a supposed Benji Madden sighting that tour records contradicted, and she said she had “made some mistakes.”
  • He said he refused to settle because “it ain’t in my DNA,” describing that choice as a matter of principle and of protecting his family’s name.