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In January 2025, Jay-Z’s lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss a civil lawsuit accusing him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old in 2000, and to impose a monetary sanction on the accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee. Those were requests by Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter—not rulings that the accusation was false. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the New York case with prejudice in February 2025. In a separate development reported in September 2026, she said in a declaration that she had never met Jay-Z and that her claims against him were untrue.
What Jay-Z asked the judge to do
In January 2025, Carter’s legal team filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres to dismiss the civil case and sanction Buzbee, the plaintiff’s lawyer. The request followed public scrutiny of the accuser’s account, including details she discussed in an NBC News interview. Carter’s lawyers argued that inconsistencies in her account showed Buzbee had filed the case without adequate vetting. Those were the defense’s arguments, not findings made by the judge.
The proposed sanction was monetary. The motion sought a remedy against Buzbee as well as dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims; the two requests should not be confused with a ruling that either had been granted. Rolling Stone reported on the motion and the arguments Carter’s lawyers made.
What the court had said before the motion
In December 2024, Judge Torres declined to speed up the case. She also criticized the tone and volume of filings by Carter’s lawyer. As The Guardian reported, the judge wrote: “Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client.” That criticism addressed the lawyer’s filings; it was not a decision on whether the assault allegation was true. The Guardian’s account describes the December court action and the January motion.
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What happened to the original lawsuit
In February 2025, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the New York lawsuit with prejudice. The filing did not explain why she withdrew it, according to the Associated Press. A voluntary dismissal with prejudice ends that case, but the withdrawal itself does not establish why the plaintiff acted or resolve the allegation’s truth. The dismissal was not a court ruling that the accusation was false. The Associated Press reported the dismissal and noted that the filing gave no reason for it.
What the accuser said in 2026
In a declaration filed in later litigation, the accuser said she had never met Jay-Z and that her claims against him were untrue. Reuters reported in September 2026 that Carter’s lawyers sought to remove her as a defendant in his defamation case. The declaration is a later statement by the accuser; the reporting does not establish that a court adjudicated the underlying events or issued a final finding resolving the original allegation. Reuters’ report, carried by Investing.com, describes the declaration and Carter’s request.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the separate California case fits in
Carter also brought separate extortion and defamation claims against Buzbee in California. In September 2026, a California appeals court upheld dismissal of those claims. Bloomberg Law reported that the court found no abuse of discretion in excluding private-investigator recordings and applying California’s anti-SLAPP law. Reporting after the accuser’s declaration said the appeals court rejected Carter’s rehearing bid, while leaving open the possibility of further proceedings in the lower court. These California claims were a separate case from the original New York lawsuit and are not the outcome of the January 2025 request to sanction Buzbee. Bloomberg Law reported on the appeals court’s decision; its later report covered the rehearing bid. Rolling Stone also reported on the recantation and appeal.
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Keep the legal developments distinct
- January 2025: Carter asked the judge to dismiss the original suit and sanction Buzbee. These were requested remedies, not outcomes.
- February 2025: The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the New York case with prejudice; the filing did not state why.
- September 2026: In a later declaration, the accuser said she had never met Jay-Z and that her claims against him were untrue.
- Separate California litigation: Carter’s claims against Buzbee were dismissed, and the dismissal was upheld on appeal. That is a different procedural track from the original case.
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