Jay-Z accuser recants rape allegations in sworn federal court filing

Sworn recantation in federal court

An unnamed woman who accused Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, of raping her when she was 13 years old has formally recanted her allegations in an 11-page sworn declaration submitted in federal court in Manhattan. The woman, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, stated that her previous claims against the musician were completely false and acknowledged that she had never met or spoken to Carter. The declaration, signed under penalty of perjury, states that Carter never engaged in any improper conduct toward her.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter never raped me. I have never met or spoken to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me whatsoever.

In the court filing, the woman expressed regret for the disruption her claims caused, noting that her false statements inflicted lasting personal and reputational harm on the musician and his family.

Accusations against legal representation

The declaration details the circumstances under which the original civil lawsuit was prepared and filed by her former attorney, Tony Buzbee. The accuser stated that she saw a Facebook advertisement in autumn 2024 calling for potential victims of Sean Combs to come forward, which she claims revived memories of an assault from 2000. She reported speaking with her former legal team only once by phone before the lawsuit was initiated and noted that she informed them of pre-existing mental health conditions prior to naming Carter. She asserted that the attorneys conducted no independent background checks or due diligence regarding whether her conditions affected her memory. Additionally, she stated that her former legal team gave her $1,000 in cash prior to an interview with NBC News.

Case chronology and pending litigation

The legal dispute began in late 2024 when Jane Doe filed suit against Combs over an alleged incident at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, before refiling in December 2024 to name Carter as a co-defendant. Both musicians denied the allegations, with Carter characterizing the lawsuit as an extortion attempt based on an impossible timeline. Jane Doe voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit with prejudice in February 2025, precluding any future refiling of the claims. Carter subsequently filed a countersuit against both Jane Doe and Buzbee for malicious prosecution and willful defamation.

Following the submission of the sworn declaration, Carter dismissed Jane Doe as a defendant in his lawsuit, while continuing to pursue his civil action against Buzbee and his law firm.

Reactions from counsel

The woman's current attorney, James Blair Newman Jr., stated that his client maintains she was a victim of sexual assault in 2000 but was entirely mistaken when identifying Carter as the perpetrator. Newman added that his client offered a sincere and unconditional apology to Carter and his family for the erroneous identification. In response to the declaration, Buzbee stated that at least four attorneys at his firm handled the case and that the client provided the exact same account to each of them prior to meeting him.

If, for whatever reason, she now claims she lied to us and to the court, that is new information.