Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Apr 23: The woman who accused rapper Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter of sexual assault has now asked a US court to dismiss his lawsuit against her, claiming it lacks legal merit and fails to meet the required standards for prosecution.

Identified in court documents as Jane Doe, the woman had filed a complaint in December 2024 alleging that Jay-Z and fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs raped her at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty when she was just 13, reports People magazine. Her legal team voluntarily withdrew the case in February.

However, in March, Jay-Z retaliated with a lawsuit against Doe and her attorneys, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney, alleging malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy. In a separate filing, he also sued Doe for defamation, claiming her accusations were knowingly “false” and “malicious”, and aimed at extorting him.

On Tuesday (Pacific Standard Time), Doe responded by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, stating that Jay-Z "fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted."

Her attorneys argued that the rapper’s allegations do not meet the legal threshold required to prove malicious prosecution or abuse of legal process. “Carter has not alleged facts that would support an abuse of process claim,” the motion noted, further pointing out that the civil conspiracy claim is invalid, as California law does not permit attorneys to be held liable under these allegations.

“Since a conspiracy requires more than one party, Doe cannot be liable for civil conspiracy,” the filing stated.

Additionally, the motion requests dismissal of the defamation charges, arguing that both the lawsuit’s allegations and public comments are protected under California’s legal privilege statutes and “cannot form the basis for a defamation claim.”

The case remains under judicial review, with legal experts closely watching the high-profile developments.