Jane Doe Recants Sexual Assault Allegations Against Jay-Z, Citing False Claims in Court Filing

The anonymous plaintiff who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Jay-Z in 2024 has now recanted her allegations in a court filing. She states her claims were false, that she never met the rapper, and that she had previously informed her legal team about her mental health conditions before the lawsuit was publicized in December 2024.

In a sworn statement filed in Manhattan federal court, obtained by Rolling Stone, the woman affirmed that Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter never raped her, never met or spoken to him, and never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward her. “There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter,” she wrote under penalty of perjury, acknowledging the harm her false accusations may have caused him.

The declaration was filed alongside a notice that Carter is voluntarily dismissing the woman as a defendant in his ongoing malicious-prosecution lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee and his law firm. The plaintiff stated she received no compensation for the filing. Her attorney, James Blair Newman, Jr., emphasized that Carter was not the perpetrator and that the woman has unconditionally apologized to him and his family.

The recantation comes after Carter sued Buzbee in 2024, alleging that the attorney pressured him into a secret settlement by threatening public exposure of the allegations. Carter claimed Buzbee sent him an “extortionate demand letter” in November 2024, leading to the December 2024 identification of Carter in the original lawsuit. Carter had previously sued Buzbee in California using a pseudonymous “John Doe” and described the demand letter as an “existential threat” that caused him severe mental distress.

Jane Doe also voluntarily dismissed her entire complaint against Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs in early 2025, citing inconsistencies in her account. A California appellate court recently upheld the dismissal of Carter’s extortion case against Buzbee, ruling that the demand letter was protected under the law because it was sent in anticipation of filing a lawsuit. The court found no evidence that Buzbee acted with reckless disregard for the truth in the allegations.

Despite the court rulings, Carter’s malicious-prosecution lawsuit in New York remains active. His legal team argues that Buzbee and his firm should have known the claims against Carter were baseless, noting discrepancies in Jane Doe’s story and her failure to conduct a proper investigation. Buzbee, reached via email, stated he had not seen the recantation but maintained that the plaintiff had previously given consistent accounts to multiple attorneys.

According to Jane Doe’s declaration, her legal claim began after responding to a Facebook ad in September or October 2024 targeting survivors of sexual assault claims against Sean Combs. She described being triggered by the ad and agreeing to cooperate with Buzbee’s team. She alleged that her initial lawsuit against Combs was filed without her knowledge and without proper investigation, including a $1,200 cash payment during a Houston interview with NBC News. She later doubted her claims and requested dismissal after inconsistencies emerged.

Combs’ legal representatives have previously denied all allegations, asserting that he “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone.” Buzbee’s office maintains that providing basic legal services, including demand letters, is standard practice and not extortion. The New York case against Carter remains the sole pending matter in his legal battle with Buzbee.

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