American rapper Jay-Z has responded to a lawsuit alleging that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at a 2000 concert.
The unidentified accuser claims she was assaulted at a house party after the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in New York, and that an unnamed celebrity was in the room at the time.
In a statement, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, dismissed the legal action as a “blackmail attempt.”
Combs – who is jailed awaiting trial after being charged last September with sex trafficking and other crimes – has denied the latest accusations.
Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.
The suit was originally filed in October, but was refiled on Sunday to list Mr. Carter as a defendant.
The BBC has contacted Carter's lawyer, Alex Spiro, and his publicist for comment.
The legal action was brought under New York's Sexual Violence Victim Protection Act by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee has filed several lawsuits in recent months accusing Combs of assault and rape, though none of them provide the names of the victims. The hip-hop artist is scheduled to face a criminal trial on May 5.
“My attorney received an extortion attempt, called a demand letter, from an attorney named Tony Buzbee,” Carter said in a statement posted on social media.
“What I thought was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny made me want to settle.
“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose your scam in a very public way. So no, I won't give you a single red penny!!”
Carter added that he found the allegations “so heinous in nature that I implore you (Tony Buzbee) to file a criminal complaint, not a civil complaint!! Anyone who commits such a crime against a minor should be locked up, don't you agree?” ?
A statement from Mr. Combs' legal team said this amended lawsuit is the latest in a series of “shameful publicity stunts designed to extract money from celebrities who fear lies will be spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.”
The statement said that the judicial process will show Mr. Combs' innocence of all charges against him. He faces 30 other lawsuits.
In response to the criticism, Buzbee posted a photo of himself on his Instagram account as a younger man in uniform, with a caption saying he faced a “coordinated and violent effort” to prevent him from moving forward with the case.
“I will also not allow anyone to intimidate my clients into silence,” he wrote. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant and I'm sure the sun is coming.”
The defendant in Sunday's lawsuit, identified only as “Jane Doe,” said that in 2000, when she was 13, a friend drove her to the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
She approached limousine drivers outside the venue to try to get into the show, according to legal action.
One of the drivers told her that he worked for Mr. Combs, and that she “fit what Diddy was looking for,” the lawsuit states.
Later that evening, the driver took her to a party at the White House, according to legal procedure.
When Jane Doe arrived at the party, she was asked to sign a document, which she believed was a nondisclosure agreement, the lawsuit says.
The legal action says she was introduced to “several celebrities” at the party and observed widespread drug use, including cocaine.
A waitress offered her a drink that made her feel “dizzy,” so she went into the room to lie down, according to the lawsuit.
Shortly after, the lawsuit says, Mr. Combs and Mr. Carter entered the room with a female celebrity, described as Celebrity B. “Plaintiff immediately identified the three celebrities,” the lawsuit says.
The legal action says Mr Coombs approached her with a “crazy look in his eyes”, grabbed her and said: “You ready to party!”
Mr. Carter grabbed her and raped her, before Mr. Combs did the same, all in front of Celebrity B, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Jane Doe resisted during the assault, and when Mr. Combs backed away in surprise, she fled.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, says the plaintiff continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression as a result of the alleged rapes.
Carter, who is married to Beyoncé and has three children, said in his statement: “My only sadness is for my family.
“My wife and I will have to sit down with our children, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely watch the press and ask questions about the nature of these allegations, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
