Exploring audio excerpt of Jay-Z's accuser reportedly admitting to being pushed to accuse rapper of s*xual assault

An audio recording has surfaced in which a woman who accused Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter of s*xual assault is heard saying her lawyer allegedly pushed her to sue the rapper.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe, had alleged that Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulted her when she was 13, after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. However, the lawsuit was withdrawn with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.

On March 12, ABC News obtained an excerpt of the recording, which features Jane Doe in conversation with two private investigators linked to Shawn Carter. When asked if Shawn Carter was there but wasn't involved in any s*xual acts towards her, she responded, "Yeah," indicating he was present but not involved in the alleged assault.

The investigators further questioned her about her attorney, Tony Buzbee, and whether he encouraged her to include Shawn Carter in the lawsuit.

"He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z," she replied.

Shawn Carter's attorney, Alex Spiro, has firmly denied any wrongdoing by his client, stating to ABC:

"The tape speaks for itself. She says in no uncertain terms Mr. Carter did not do this. It’s effectively a lie and the only reason Mr. Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him."

---

Jay-Z pursued legal action against the accuser and attorney

Tony Buzbee refuted the claims made in the recording, calling the assertion that he pressured Jane Doe to sue Jay-Z a "blatant lie." In a statement to ABC News, he said:

"As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay-Z, that is a blatant lie that is directly contrary to all the documentary evidence."

Buzbee further argued that the private investigators had manipulated Jane Doe into making statements that were taken out of context in a statement to Page Six on March 12.

"I spoke to Jane Doe immediately after being contacted by ABC. Her position is very clear and has never changed. The tape is a fabrication. The investigators tormented and harassed and tricked that poor woman and took what she said out of context and secretly recorded her," he told Page Six.

Jane Doe has maintained her allegations against Shawn Carter in a sworn declaration, stating that she dropped the lawsuit due to "fear of intimidation and retaliation from Jay-Z" and his fans.

She also denied claiming that Buzbee coerced her into suing Shawn Carter. She said she felt "intimidated and terrified" when the investigators approached her at her doorstep, knowing her name and address, as reported by ABC News. In response, Spiro emphasized that Jane Doe met with the investigators voluntarily and was not coerced.

Following the lawsuit's dismissal, Shawn Carter filed a defamation lawsuit against Jane Doe, Buzbee, and attorney David Fortney earlier this month. Spiro explained:

"The truth had to fully come out. This person cannot be allowed to hide from the reality that this was a false accusation."

Spiro further noted that the allegations have significantly impacted Jay-Z and his family:

"It's tough to hear a false lie said about you, spread through the internet, and affecting your children. It’s tough on him. It’s tough on anybody."

Buzbee and his colleagues have denied any wrongdoing and are contesting Shawn Carter's legal claims. They argue that Jane Doe has consistently maintained her allegations against the rapper.

Jane Doe initially filed the lawsuit in December 2024, alleging that Shawn Carter assaulted her at an afterparty following the MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 2000. She claimed that Combs and an unidentified woman were also present during the alleged assault. Combs, who is facing multiple other s*xual assault allegations, has denied involvement in the case.

At the time of the lawsuit, Jay-Z had strongly denied the allegations, calling them "blackmail." His attorneys have since filed legal actions for malicious prosecution, abuse of process, civil conspiracy, and defamation. They argue that the accusations have cost Shawn Carter at least $20 million in damages.