The woman who accused Jay-Z of rape has officially recanted her claims, now stating that she never met the legendary rapper. This development marks a significant turn in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the Roc Nation founder.
On Thursday evening, September 24, 2026, legal representatives for the artist filed a motion to dismiss the woman, referred to as Jane Doe, from his federal lawsuit. This action follows her formal retraction of previous allegations, which claimed she was sexually assaulted by the rap icon at a party in 2000 when she was 13 years old.
“My allegations that Shawn Carter raped me or otherwise sexually assaulted me were false,” her statement reads. “I have never met Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever. There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter. I understand that my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully undone. I sincerely and unconditionally apologize to Mr. Carter for the devastating harm I have caused to him, his family, and his reputation.”
Despite the retraction, Jane Doe’s current attorney, J. Blair Newman, continues to assert that his client was a victim of sexual assault, though he acknowledges she was mistaken in identifying Jay-Z as the perpetrator. The original accusations surfaced in an amended lawsuit filed in December 2024 against Diddy, which alleged the assault occurred during an MTV VMAs afterparty in New York.
In response to the initial filing, Jay-Z initiated a countersuit against both the woman and her former attorney, Anthony Buzbee, for the dissemination of false claims. While a judge dismissed Jane Doe’s lawsuit last February after she admitted to “mistakes” in her narrative, the legal proceedings against Buzbee and his law firm remain active.
