Jay-Z’s defense is looking stronger

A former prosecutor has told Newsweek that rapper Jay-Z is in a stronger position to defend himself from a sexual abuse lawsuit after NBC exposed inconsistencies in his accuser’s claims.

The woman says that she was raped by Jay-Z and fellow rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs at a Video Music Awards after-show party in 2000, when she was 13 years old. Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has strongly denied the allegations.

The plaintiff is one of over 200 people who have accused Combs of sexual abuse. Combs is being held in a New York jail awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Newsweek sought email comment on Monday from attorneys representing Jay-Z, Combs and their accuser.

Why It Matters

The allegations against Combs, both criminal and civil, feed into a wider debate in society, after the rise of the Me Too movement, about sexual harassment, sexual abuse and toxic masculinity.

Jay-Z, who is married to the singer Beyonce, has completely rejected allegations that he had any involvement with Combs’ alleged crimes, and he has launched an extortion lawsuit against his accuser’s attorney.

What to Know

On December 13, NBC aired details of an interview with Jay-Z’s accuser, in which she claimed she talked to musician Benji Madden and his brother at the VMA after-party.

In her lawsuit, she also alleged that, after she was raped by Combs and Carter at the same party, she ran to a gas station and called her father, who came to collect her.

Madden’s representative told NBC that he was touring the Midwest during the VMAs in 2000 and could not have been at the after-show party.

In addition, the accuser’s father told NBC he does not recall picking up his daughter after the alleged rape.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek that the accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, should have better vetted the accuser.

“Knowing that Jay-Z had already filed an extortion lawsuit and was going to strongly deny the allegations and call his client a liar, Buzbee made a mistake by not vetting the case better,” he told Newsweek.

“Buzbee could have easily talked to the victim’s father to verify that he picked her up, like the NBC reporter did. And Buzbee could have verified that Benji Madden was at the 2000 VMAs, which he was not.”

“Now, the NBC interview is a problem to the extent that it’s inconsistent with the allegations in the complaint, which had to be amended.”

Rahmani, now president of the West Coast Trial Lawyers law firm in California, said the NBC interview could create a big problem for the accuser if her accusations go to trial.

“These types of interviews create potentially inconsistent testimony that can be used during cross-examination. Jurors may either believe the inconsistencies are innocent mistakes, or think the accuser is lying,” he said.

What People Are Saying

On December 26, New York judge Analisa Torres refused Jay-Z’s application to dismiss the rape lawsuit.

She sharply criticized Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s attorney, for the “inflammatory language” used against Buzbee.

She noted that Spiro had filed a “litany of letters and motions attempting to impugn the character of the plaintiff’s lawyer, many of them expounding on the purported ‘urgency’ of this case.”

What Happens Next

In the new year, Buzbee will be seeking to question Jay-Z in a pre-trial deposition, while Jay-Z will be seeking to have the case thrown out of court, based on inconsistencies in the accuser’s statements.

Jay-Z’s extortion claim against Buzbee will continue before a California court.