Jay-Z has referenced his wife Beyoncé and the pair’s three children within a statement denying allegations of rape lodged against him in a civil lawsuit.
Jay-Z, 55, was accused in the lawsuit that was re-filed on Sunday, December 8, of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The accuser, who has remained anonymous and was only identified as “Jane Doe,” claimed the assault occurred at an after party for the MTV Music Video Awards that year.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, responded to the lawsuit on Sunday, with a lengthy, at times emotional statement. The statement, provided to Us Weekly, denied the allegations, saying that his “only heartbreak is for my family.” (Jay-Z has been married to Beyoncé since 2008, and the pair share three children, Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, both 8.)
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“My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people,” Jay-Z’s statement read. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
The statement also spoke to Jay-Z’s “strict codes and honor,” claiming that he strives to protect all children. Directing his response to Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who filed the lawsuit on Sunday after its initial filing in October which only included Diddy’s alleged involvement, Jay-Z wrote, “You seem to exploit people for personal gain. Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable.”
Us has also reached out to representatives for Diddy, 55, for comment.
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Jay-Z’s statement detailed how he was alerted to the lawsuit, labeling it a “blackmail attempt.”
“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a “lawyer” named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” Jay-Z stated. “No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
The “Hard Knock Life” hitmaker added that the allegations were “heinous” and noted that he had “done a bit of research” on Buzbee, who has filed lawsuits on behalf of several of Diddy’s alleged victims; he has previously claimed to be representing at least 120 of the disgraced mogul’s alleged victims.
“This lawyer, who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics!,” Jay-Z wrote. “I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over. I’m more than prepared to deal with your type. You claim to be a marine?! Marines are known for their valor, you have neither honor nor dignity.”
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Jay-Z’s response to this lawsuit comes after last month when an unnamed male celebrity filed a lawsuit against Buzbee and his firm for “shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him or else publicly file wildly false horrific allegations against him,” according to court documents obtained by CNN.
As for Diddy’s current legal troubles, he remains incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after his September 16 arrest on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Diddy has denied all allegations lodged against him.