Mia Williams
Jay-Z has responded to the woman who accused him of raping her in 2000, after she admitted 'mistakes' were made as she recalled the night of the alleged incident.
US rapper Jay-Z has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, after an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.
Combs has been behind bars since September, after being denied bail on three occasions.
He is awaiting trial for a slew of charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking, all of which he has continued to deny.
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A civil lawsuit which originally named Combs was refiled to also name Jay-Z - real name Shawn Carter - earlier in the week.
And Jay has been very vocal about denying the allegations.
In a public statement he said: "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.
“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!!
"These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!"
Combs' attorney called the legal action 'a shameful money grab'.
Buzbee is representing more than 120 accusers who have come forward with allegations against Combs, which he says include 60 males and 60 females, with 25 of them being minors at the time of the alleged offences.
However, in an interview with NBC news on December 12, the anonymous woman who alleged the rappers had raped her admitted that 'she made some mistakes' when recalling the night of the alleged incident - which happened 24 years ago.
While she accepts that this is the case, the accusation still remains the same.
Buzbee told NBC News: "Jane Doe’s case was referred to our firm by another, who vetted it prior to sending it to us.
"Our client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory. We will continue to vet her claims and collect corroborating data to the extent it exists."
Following the interview, Jay-Z came forward with another statement.
He said: "Today’s investigative report proves this 'attorney' Buzbee filed a false complaint against me in the pursuit of money and fame.
"This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press. True Justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory."
His lawyer Alex Spiro added: "It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press.
"We are asking the Court to dismiss this frivolous case today."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org