Jay-Z is taking a new approach in the ongoing legal battle against him after a judge ruled that the woman suing him can remain anonymous.
The lawsuit, filed in December 2023, accuses Jay-Z of raping a woman identified only as “Jane Doe” during an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000, when she was 13 years old. Both Jay-Z and fellow musician Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is also accused in the lawsuit, have denied the allegations.
On Monday, December 30, Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, filed new paperwork aiming to challenge the lawsuit. The legal team is arguing that the case should not proceed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act (GMV Law), citing that the alleged assault took place months before the law came into effect in December 2000.
In 2022, the New York City Council amended the law to create a two-year window allowing victims of past gender-motivated violence to come forward, but Spiro contends that the law cannot be applied retroactively.
In his letter to Judge Analisa Torres, Spiro argued, “Plaintiff cannot recover for her sole claim under the GMV Law…because the statute does not have retroactive effect.”
He pointed out that the GMV Law was enacted three months after the alleged incident in September 2000, which means the law did not exist at the time of the alleged assault.
Last week, Judge Torres ruled that Jane Doe could remain anonymous, despite Jay-Z’s lawyer attempting to have her identity revealed. The judge also indicated that this issue may be revisited if the case advances. Torres took issue with Spiro’s attempts to expedite the case and labeled his actions as combative.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, representing Jane Doe, responded to the ruling, stating, “I don’t typically comment on court rulings, but I will say that the coordinated and desperate efforts to attack me as counsel for alleged victims are falling flat.”
This legal dispute comes amid an ongoing lawsuit between Jay-Z and Buzbee. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is suing Buzbee for extortion and defamation, while Buzbee recently filed a suit accusing Jay-Z’s Roc Nation of bribing clients, threatening former clients, and impersonating state officials. Roc Nation has dismissed Buzbee’s allegations as “baloney.”
As the legal proceedings continue, both the lawsuit involving Jane Doe and the battle between Buzbee and Jay-Z’s legal teams remain in the spotlight.
