Sean 'Diddy' Combs lawyers seek to dismiss rape lawsuit following accuser's TV interview

Jay-Z's attorneys on Wednesday requested that a judge quickly remove the rapper from a lawsuit in which a woman accused both him and Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexual assault when she was 13, as reported by the Associated Press.

The unidentified woman recently added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, to her lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan federal court, alleging that she was attacked by the singers in 2000 after Combs’ limo driver offered her a ride to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party, said the report.

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In their court filing on Wednesday, Jay-Z's attorneys referenced a recent TV interview where the woman admitted to inconsistencies in her account. This filing occurred before Combs attended a pretrial hearing in his criminal case. During the hearing, after discussions about evidentiary deadlines, prosecutors informed Judge Arun Subramanian that any new charges against the hip-hop mogul before the May trial would require only minimal new evidence to be exchanged between the lawyers.

In the criminal case, Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that the Bad Boy Records founder coerced and abused women for years with help from associates and employees. Combs, who has been jailed without bail for three months, hugged his lawyers and touched his heart as he acknowledged his children among spectators.

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In the civil case, one of several filed against him, the woman originally asserted that Combs raped her at the after-party but did not mention Jay-Z, AP report mentioned.

Last Friday, NBC aired an interview in which the woman claimed she had spoken with musicians Benji Madden and his brother at the party, and that her father picked her up after the alleged assault. However, NBC also reported that a representative for the Maddens stated they were touring the Midwest during the VMAs, and her father said he did not remember what would have been a five-hour drive home.

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Jay-Z has argued that the interview shows Tony Buzbee, a personal injury lawyer from Houston, filed a false lawsuit against him for money and publicity.

Meanwhile, Combs' attorney, Teny R. Geragos, stated that the interview marked the "beginning of the end" of what he called a "shameful money grab."

In the newly filed court papers, Jay-Z's lawyers wrote that the allegations “have caused incalculable harm to Mr. Carter, his family, his businesses, his employees, and his legacy.”

Lawsuit accuses Buzbee of infecting woman with STD

A lawsuit claims that Buzbee transmitted a venereal disease to a woman identified as "Jane Doe." In response, Buzbee fired back at Jay-Z's Roc Nation, accusing the entertainment company of trying to discredit him, according to TMZ. He called the allegations "frivolous" and suggested they were part of an attempt to intimidate him from pursuing legal action against Diddy and the other rapper.

The lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court accuses Buzbee of exploiting a woman's trust, starting with their online connection in 2018. According to TMZ, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, alleges that Buzbee romantically pursued her, inviting her to Houston for a dinner date and a show. After the performance, Buzbee persuaded her to stay at a luxury hotel, where they engaged in sexual intercourse. The lawsuit claims that Buzbee did not disclose that he had a sexually transmitted disease, though the specific nature of the illness is not mentioned in the filing.

(With inputs from AP)