This story contains mention of sexual assault.
In late 2024, Jay-Z was named in a legal complaint alleging that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.
Both men denied the allegations, and just a few months later, in February 2025, the attorney representing the alleged victim voluntarily withdrew the case. The filing noted that the dismissal was filed “with prejudice,” which means that the alleged victim is not allowed to re-file the lawsuit.
At the time, Jay-Z — whose real name is Shawn Carter — issued a strongly worded statement in which he celebrated the “victory” of the dismissal and slammed the allegations as “frivolous, fictitious, and appalling.”
In the statement, he called out the alleged victim’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, suggesting that the lawsuit was purely for financial gain. “When they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions,” the rapper wrote. “The system has failed.”
Now, over a year later, Jay has discussed the lawsuit again in a rare interview with GQ, saying he was “really heartbroken by everything that occurred.”
After being asked to reflect on his 2025, he began by saying that he found it “really hard.” “I was heartbroken. I’m glad we got right to that so we could just get that out the way,” he said. “We’re in a space now where it’s almost like consequence is not thought about enough. Because everything is so instant, you know what I’m saying?”
Continuing on the topic of consequences — or the apparent lack thereof — he said: “That whole [lawsuit thing], that shit took a lot out of me. I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger. You don’t put that on someone—that’s a thing that you better be super sure.”
“It used to be like that. You had to be super sure before you put those kind of things on a person. Especially a person like me,” he continued. “Even when we were doing the worst things, we had those kind of rules. There was a line: no women, no kids. You hear those sayings, but those are the things that I took from the street. We lived and died by that. So it’s strict for me, like it meant a lot to me.”
In the statement he published after the legal claim was dismissed, Jay made a brief reference to his wife, Beyoncé, and the “trauma” that she experienced as a result of the lawsuit. She has not publicly commented on the matter herself.
Elsewhere in the GQ interview, Jay discussed the support he received behind the scenes when the lawsuit was bubbling up, saying: “I also got to see how people felt about me, especially people that were close to me.”
He also talked about how the lawsuit impacted his personal and professional relationships — and why he wasn’t willing to pay a settlement to get rid of it.
“I can’t take a settlement — it ain’t in my DNA,” he said. “First of all, first I had to tell my wife. Let’s back up. I know the weight that this is going to bring on our family. I can’t do it. I would die.”
“For me, it would’ve been cheaper [to settle the lawsuit]? Yes. Cheaper, quicker, move on with your life. I knew what was coming. I wasn’t naive,” he said, talking more about how things unraveled behind closed doors. “I called — again, after my family — my partners. They were like, ‘What do you need to help? Don’t even worry’ … It was like a testament because people know me. Like: ‘I know who you are and that’s impossible. Not only are we standing by you, but what do you need?'”
The sexual assault lawsuit went public the day before the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King, which starred Beyoncé and their 14-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Despite the media frenzy over the allegations, Jay surprised people by joining Bey and Blue on the red carpet — a decision he said was not easy.
“Of course that’s a question because this is [Blue’s] moment. But our family, we are a tight unit,” he said, telling a story about how Blue went to school wearing a jersey with his name on the back. “To have that, it’s priceless. People can say that [they’ll always be there for you], but it’s very rare that you’re going to have to exercise it. And in the darkest moment for me, I got to see those sorts of things.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.