"The celebrity version of ‘deny, depose, defend’" — Forbes' breakdown of Jay-Z's statement denying the allegations raises eyebrows on the internet

On December 10, 2024, Forbes published an article breaking down Jay-Z's statement addressing the allegations of s*xually assaulting a minor at an MTV VMA afterparty in 2000. The accusations came after a lawsuit filed by attorney Tony Buzbee on December 8 claimed rappers Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z r*ped his client, who was 13 at the time of the alleged assault.

Hours after the lawsuit was filed, Jay-Z released a lengthy statement on his entertainment company Roc Nation's X page denouncing the allegations. In his statement, the rapper dubbed the lawsuit a "blackmail attempt."

He also questioned Buzbee's character and highlighted the heartbreak caused by the allegations to his wife, Beyoncé, and their three children. In its breakdown, Forbes dubbed his mention of his global superstar wife as a "protective layer."

The article further expanded that the sentiment was met with irony online in light of Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade, which publicly talked about Jay-Z's infidelity in great length.

"He [Jay-Z] mentioned his wife, Beyoncé, and their children, Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir, likely hoping her star power would add a protective layer. However, this move didn’t land perfectly. Social media users were quick to point out the irony, referencing Lemonade, Beyoncé’s album that famously addressed Jay-Z’s admitted infidelity and put their private struggles on public display," the article read.

The Forbes article generated immense interest among netizens on social media. Several people suggested the article saw through Jay-Z's perfectly curated PR response to the s*xual assault allegations. One person tweeted:

"The celebrity version of ‘deny, depose, defend.'"

Many echoed this sentiment, claiming Forbes was "tired" of reading celebrity statements.

"Someone so tired of reading these celebrity statements," one person tweeted.

"Not them saying he mentioned Beyonce for a “protective layer”," someone else wrote.

"Gagged him so bad ijbol," another person added.

"Good for Forbes! Clocking it!" someone else commended.

Others accused the rapper of trying to play the victim, adding he was "toast."

"Jay-z really tried to flip the script and act like he’s the victim here. that “we don’t play these types of games” line is so out of touch, like sir, you’re a billionaire with a whole empire. we see through it," one person commented.

"Jay Z is toast.... he is just buying time..." another user added.

However, some netizens alleged Forbes was trying to push "its own narrative" on the situation.

"Forbes seems to be pushing its own narrative disguised as countering propaganda against Jay-Z. I've never seen Forbes write think pieces like this before—since when did they become experts on someone else's PR strategy?" one person questioned.

"Well if Forbes had to go out of their way to do a breakdown on Jay z then I’m believing Jay Z more, I think the powers to be have an issue with a black man being this successful and they’ve all come together to clip his wings," another user wrote.

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Revisiting Jay-Z's statement amid Forbes' breakdown

Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Blue Ivy Carter attend the Los Angeles premiere of Disney's "Mufasa: The Lion King" at Dolby Theatre on December 09, 2024, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage)

On December 8, Tony Buzbee filed a lawsuit that claimed his client, referred to as Jane Doe, was r*ped by both Diddy and Jay-Z at an afterparty in 2000 while an unnamed female celebrity watched. The suit alleged the woman was 13 at the time of the incident.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Jay-Z released a statement denying the allegations, calling them "heinous." He challenged Buzbee to file a criminal lawsuit instead of a civil one, adding the lawyer would not receive "ONE RED PENNY" from him. The Forbes breakdown called this move a "No-Nonsense Denial" on the rapper's part.

Hov also disparaged the lawyer's character, calling him a "deplorable human" and adding that he lacked the honor and dignity of a Marine. Forbes also pointed out that the rapper seemingly challenged the accuser by trying to question the lawyer's motives.

The rapper also mentioned his family, adding that "the only heartbreak" from this situation was having to explain the allegations to his 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.

"My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence," he wrote.

In its breakdown, Forbes posited that bringing up his children was a way of humanizing himself in the public's eyes. However, the publication added this particular statement was met with mixed reviews, with some netizens claiming it was a calculated move on the rapper's part.

The rapper's statement ended with him mentioning his "strict codes and honor" as a Brooklyn native. He also spoke about wanting to protect children while accusing Buzbee of trying to "exploit people for personal gain." He concluded his statement with:

"Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable. I look forward to showing you just how different I am."

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Tony Buzbee, who is representing over 120 alleged Diddy victims, had earlier warned that several high-profile celebrities would be exposed in the coming months in relation to Diddy.

According to NBC News, this particular lawsuit was first filed in New York in October. However, it had omitted Jay-Z's name at the time, referring to him as "Celebrity A." The suit later named the Brooklyn rapper as one of the alleged perpetrators when it was refiled on December 9.