Jay-Z rape accuser withdraws allegations, says she never met or spoke to rapper

• Jay-Z’s accuser has withdrawn her allegations, saying in a sworn court declaration that she never met or spoke to the rapper and that he never engaged in inappropriate conduct towards her.

• The woman, identified as Jane Doe, apologised to Jay-Z and his family, acknowledging that her previous allegations caused him significant distress and damage.

• Her lawyer said she still believes she was assaulted but had mistaken Jay-Z for the person responsible. Tony Buzbee has disputed parts of her account, while the wider legal dispute involving Jay-Z and Buzbee has continued.

The woman, who has been identified in court documents as Jane Doe, made the statement in a 12-page declaration filed in federal court in Manhattan.

In the document, Doe said there was no truth to her allegations and specifically stated that Shawn Carter, professionally known as Jay-Z, had never engaged in inappropriate conduct towards her.

She wrote;

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She also acknowledged the impact her previous allegations had on the rapper, writing:

The declaration was submitted under penalty of perjury, meaning Doe affirmed that the statements contained in it were truthful.

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The legal dispute dates back to October 2024, when Doe filed a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs. Her initial complaint referred to another unnamed male celebrity in connection with an alleged assault at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000.

Carter was subsequently identified by name in an amended complaint.

Jay-Z denied the allegations from the beginning and later filed his own lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee and others, accusing them of malicious prosecution, abuse of process and other wrongdoing.

The original case against Carter and Combs was later withdrawn.

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In her latest declaration, Doe provided additional details about how she became involved in the legal proceedings.

She said she initially responded to a Facebook advertisement seeking people with claims relating to Combs. She was subsequently contacted and asked to provide further information about her allegations.

Doe also claimed that lawyers gave her $1,200 in cash when she travelled to Houston for an NBC News interview. She further said she was asked to take a polygraph examination after inconsistencies emerged in her account, although she said she never received the results.

Her current lawyer, James Blair Newman Jr., said Doe still believes she experienced an assault but that she was mistaken about the identity of the person responsible.

Newman also said his client had offered Jay-Z and his family a sincere and unconditional apology.

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Buzbee has disputed aspects of Doe's latest account.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said several lawyers had interacted with Doe before his involvement and maintained that she had provided the same account to each of them.

The conflicting accounts form part of the continuing legal dispute surrounding Carter, Buzbee and the handling of the original allegations.

Carter's broader legal battle with Buzbee has also faced developments separate from Doe's recantation. In September 2026, a California appeals court declined to revive Carter's claims against Buzbee over the handling of the earlier case.

The court's ruling does not change the fact that Doe has now formally withdrawn her allegations against Carter in her latest declaration. However, the wider litigation involving the rapper, Buzbee and other parties has involved multiple proceedings in different courts and remains legally complex.