Jay-Z, Sean Combs accuser drops sexual assault lawsuit

Rap star Jay-Z has reacted to a huge development in a sexual assault lawsuit against him and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

A woman who accused hip-hop stars Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 dropped her civil lawsuit on Friday, court records showed.

Jay-Z — real name Shawn Carter — was accused in December of raping the girl with Combs at a party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September of 2000.

The document filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York claims the accuser “hereby gives notice that the above-captioned action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice” — meaning the suit cannot be refiled.

It was not immediately clear if the stars had reached a settlement with the woman, who has not been identified.

Jay-Z took aim at the suit. Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP

Combs and Carter at the pre-Grammy in 2020. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

But 55-year-old billionaire Jay-Z welcomed the closure of the case, which he slammed as “frivolous, fictitious and appalling.”

“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere,” he said in a statement.

“The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims.

“I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

The complaint said Combs and Carter — who is married to pop superstar Beyonce — took turns assaulting the plaintiff as another celebrity stood by and watched.

“Many others were present at the after-party, but did nothing to stop the assault,” it went on.

“Carter has been with Combs during many such instances described herein. Both perpetrators must face justice.”

Combs is awaiting trial on other charges. Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP

Combs, also 55, has separately been charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.

Federal prosecutors allege that he sexually abused women and coerced them into drug-fuelled sex parties using threats and violence.

He has denied all charges, and his criminal trial is currently slated to begin on May 5.

Combs was taken from federal lockup to a hospital earlier this month to undergo an MRO.

The medical scan was authorised because his “knee was bothering him,” citing the rapper’s long history of knee issues after he ran the New York marathon, the source said.

Originally published as Jay-Z, Sean Combs accuser drops sexual assault lawsuit