The Jane Doe who accused Jay-Z of sexual assault in a December 2024 lawsuit has fully recanted her allegations. In a 12-page declaration filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, she stated her claims were entirely false, that she never met the rapper, and that she had disclosed mental health conditions to her legal team prior to filing.
Jane Doe Recants Jay-Z Sexual Assault Claims in 12-Page Court Declaration
The Bottom Line
- The Recantation: The plaintiff filed a 12-page declaration in Manhattan federal court on Thursday stating, “There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr. Carter.”
- The Legal Fallout: Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter voluntarily dismissed the woman as a defendant in his ongoing New York malicious-prosecution lawsuit against lawyer Tony Buzbee and his firm.
- The Origin: The underlying claims emerged after the woman responded to a late 2024 Facebook ad seeking individuals with sexual assault claims against Sean Combs.
Inside the Manhattan Federal Court Filing and Voluntary Dismissal
The legal battle surrounding Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter took a dramatic turn on Thursday with the release of a 12-page declaration filed in Manhattan federal court and obtained by Rolling Stone. In the document, the plaintiff retracted all allegations made against the Grammy-winning rapper, confirming under penalty of perjury that she had never met him and that her initial claims were entirely fictitious.
“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,” the woman wrote. “I understand my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering, and damage that can never be fully undone.”
This filing accompanied a notice that Carter was voluntarily dismissing the woman as a defendant in his ongoing malicious-prosecution lawsuit. That particular lawsuit targets prominent lawyer Tony Buzbee and his Texas-based law firm, following a series of legal maneuvers that began in late 2024.
| Date | Action / Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Late September / October 2024 | Facebook Ad Response | Jane Doe responds to an online advertisement seeking individuals with claims against Sean Combs. |
| November 2024 | California Extortion Lawsuit | Carter files a lawsuit using a John Doe pseudonym, claiming Tony Buzbee sent an extortionate demand letter. |
| December 2024 | Amended Lawsuit Filed | Jane Doe’s lawsuit is amended to identify Jay-Z as the previously unnamed celebrity defendant. |
| Early 2025 | Complaint Dismissal | Jane Doe voluntarily dismisses her entire complaint against Carter and Combs, admitting inconsistencies. |
| Thursday | Full Recantation Filed | Jane Doe files a 12-page declaration recanting all claims and apologizing to Carter. |
Tracing the Origin of the Claims and Extortion Allegations
The timeline of this litigation dates back to October 2024, when the woman first filed a lawsuit accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her when she was 13 years old. That initial complaint also included an allegation against an unidentified “male celebrity.”
According to court filings, Carter maintained that Tony Buzbee sent him an “extortionate demand letter” in November 2024. When Carter refused to pay, the lawsuit was amended in December 2024 to name him publicly. Carter vehemently denied the allegations from the outset. In a sworn declaration filed during his California state court action, he described the demand letter as an “existential threat.”
“I felt that Mr. Buzbee was placing a gun to my head that I either bow to his demands or endure personal and financial ruin,” Carter wrote, detailing the mental anguish caused by the threats to his family and reputation.
Although Jane Doe voluntarily dismissed her entire complaint against Carter and Combs in early 2025 after acknowledging inconsistencies in her story, Carter’s legal actions against her attorneys proceeded. An appellate court recently upheld the dismissal of Carter’s California-based extortion lawsuit against Buzbee, ruling that the demand letter was protected because it was sent in anticipation of filing a lawsuit. Associate Justice Anne Richardson noted in the unanimous ruling from California’s Second Appellate District that the record contained no evidence Buzbee accused Carter of rape while knowing the statements were false.
Current Status of the New York Malicious-Prosecution Case
With the California litigation concluded, Carter’s malicious-prosecution lawsuit in New York remains his primary active legal challenge against Buzbee and his firm. Carter alleges that the legal team should have known before filing the lawsuit that the woman’s claims were contradicted by publicly available information and internally inconsistent.
James Blair Newman, Jr., the new lawyer representing Jane Doe in the malicious-prosecution matter, provided a statement regarding her decision to step forward with the recantation. “Our client maintains that she was a victim of sexual assault, but she was entirely mistaken in her allegations identifying Mr. Carter, and those allegations were false,” Newman said. “Mr. Carter did not rape her, sexually assault her, engage in any inappropriate conduct towards her, and she has never met him. She sincerely and unconditionally apologizes to Mr. Carter and his family.”
The declaration also notes that the plaintiff was not promised and did not receive any financial compensation in exchange for filing the recantation. Reached by email following the filing, Tony Buzbee stated he had not yet seen the new declaration, noting that his firm had investigated the matter extensively prior to taking the case.
