Jay-Z makes addressed the child rape allegations, and how they would affect his family, his wife Beyoncé and their three kids.
The musical artist has publicly addressed allegations made in a civil lawsuit that accused him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
The rapper, 55, firmly denied the claims in a statement shared on Sunday, Dec. 8, calling the allegations “heinous” and emphasizing their impact on his family, including wife Beyoncé and their three children—Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, 7.
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” Jay-Z wrote.
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down… and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
The lawsuit, originally filed in October and later amended, alleges that a woman identified as Jane Doe was assaulted after being driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in New York City.
She claims Jay-Z and Combs raped her while another female celebrity watched.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, rejected the accusations as a “blackmail attempt,” directly calling out the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee.
“What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations… would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect!” Jay-Z stated, vowing not to pay and urging for a criminal complaint instead of a civil one.
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint… Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away.”
In the same statement, Jay-Z condemned the claims as baseless, adding, “I look forward to showing you just how different I am.”
Combs, who faces separate sex trafficking and racketeering charges and remains in federal custody, has also denied the allegations.
Jane Doe’s attorney, Buzbee, responded, telling People, “The pleading speaks for itself. This is a very serious matter that will be litigated in court.”