‘I’ve never met him’: Woman retracts rape allegation against Jay-Z

A woman who alleged that Jay-Z raped her when she was 13 has said she made “false accusations” and never met the United States rapper.

The woman, who has not been identified, had claimed that Jay-Z and convicted hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulted her following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000.

Jay-Z, who was born Shawn Carter, dismissed the accusation as a “fictional tale,” and the woman dropped her civil lawsuit against the pair in 2025.

“I have never met or spoken to Mr Carter. Mr Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct towards me,” the woman stated in the latest court document obtained by AFP on Friday, September 25, 2026.

She added: “There is no truth to any of my claims against Mr Carter.

“I understand that my false accusations have caused Mr Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully undone.”

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Her statement was filed by Jay-Z’s lawyers as part of a counter lawsuit against the woman and her attorneys, a case that is now being dismissed.

The woman said she made her complaint after seeing a Facebook advert for people with sexual assault claims against Combs, who has faced a raft of allegations in recent years and is in prison for prostitution charges.

“The ad triggered memories of being raped when I was 13 years old,” the woman said, adding that she then contacted a law firm.

She said she does not recall having given her permission for lawyers to file the legal complaint in 2024, which she later withdrew after having “doubts” about her claims.

The document, partially redacted, suggests that the woman suffered from mental health problems.