Jay-Z has asked for the identity of a woman who has accused him of raping her when she was 13 to be revealed, or for the case to be dismissed.
The accuser, who is identified only as “Jane Doe” (a US legal terms to say that she is anonymous), says the assault happened after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, allegedly alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Jay-Z – whose real name is Shawn Carter – and Combs both deny the allegations.
In a court filing, seen by Sky’s US news partner NBC News, Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro argued the accuser’s decision to file a lawsuit under the name “Jane Doe” was “inconsistent with a genuine effort to determine the truth or falsity of these allegations as opposed to an effort to procure a quick, extortionate settlement”.
Mr Spiro said Jay-Z was “respectfully seeking either dismissal of the allegations or disclosure of the plaintiff’s identity”.
He went on: “It is not consistent with justice, fairness or the rules governing federal proceedings for the plaintiff and her counsel to smear [the] defendant’s good name in ways that are calculated to feed media coverage and thus inflict maximum public relations damage while the core fact of [the] plaintiff’s identity… remains wholly hidden from view.”
Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee, who says he is representing 120 accusers in cases against Combs, responded to Mr Spiro’s motion in an interview on Monday with NBC News.
Mr Buzbee said: “Anyone that suggests that a demand letter, especially the one that I sent, is extortion or blackmail, is foolish.
“These kinds of demand letters are sent on a daily basis across the United States, and attempting to attack me to take the focus off of the alleged perpetrator won’t work and it won’t intimidate us.”
Image: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was named alongside Carter in the lawsuit. Pic: AP
According to NBC News, the lawsuit claims the girl was dropped off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall by a friend – she did not have a ticket and approached various limousine drivers to try to gain access to the show or after party.
One driver allegedly told Doe he worked for Combs and she “fit what Diddy was looking for”. The driver later picked her up, the lawsuit says, and after 20 minutes she was dropped off at a white house. The girl was then made to sign a document she believed to be a non-disclosure agreement.
She was allegedly offered a drink that made her feel “woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down”.
Shortly afterwards, the suit says, both Combs and Jay-Z entered the room, with Combs telling her: “You are ready to party!”
That’s when, she alleges, Jay-Z removed her clothes, held her down and raped her while Combs and an unnamed female celebrity watched. She says Combs also raped her as Jay-Z and the woman looked on.
After the alleged assault, she “grabbed her clothes” and ran to the nearest petrol station where she called her father.
She is seeking unspecified damages.
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What you need to know about Jay-Z allegations
Jay-Z responded to the allegations in a lengthy statement sent to NBC News.
He wrote: “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?
“These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
Image: Jay-Z and Beyonce at the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King on Monday. Pic: Reuters
He went on: “My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.
“Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable,” he added.
Jay-Z has been married to Beyonce since 2008 after the couple met around 2000. They have three children together.
Meanwhile, Combs has been charged by federal prosecutors in New York with racketeering, sex trafficking and other offences. He is in custody in Brooklyn and scheduled to go on trial on 5 May.
Lawyers for Combs have denied allegations of rape, sexual assault and misconduct, saying in a previous statement: “Mr Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defences, and the integrity of the judicial process.
“In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone – adult or minor, man or woman.”
Austria has won Eurovision 2025, with Austrian-Filipino singer-songwriter JJ taking the glass microphone.
The 24-year-old singer, who originally trained as a countertenor, represented his country with his operatic ballad Wasted Love, staged on a storm-tossed ship.
The song, which was not dissimilar to that of last year’s winner Nemo, told the story of unrequited love, with a techno breakdown near the end. Austria has won Eurovision twice before, the last time in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s pop hit Rise Like A Phoenix.
Image: JJ singing Wasted Love for Austria. Pic: Reuters
Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who survived the October 7, 2023, attacks which were the catalyst for Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, was the runner-up with piano ballad New Day Will Rise, performed in Hebrew, French and English.
The singer was left “shaken and upset,” after two pro-Palestinian protesters rushed towards her during her grand final performance.
Organisers confirmed a backstage crew member was hit with paint but was not hurt.
A spokesman for SRG SSR said: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage.
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“They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”
Israel has won Eurovision four times, and last year finished in fifth place with Eden Golan’s Hurricane.
Image: Yuval Raphael performs New Day Will Rise for Israel. Pic:AP
Just as the grand final began broadcasting, Spanish broadcaster shared a message of Palestinian support which read: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”
The broadcaster had already received a warning from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over political statements reported by Israeli broadcaster Kan.
The EBU said in response to the latter incident: “We can confirm that we have spoken to RTVE regarding this matter and made it clear that commentators are expected to maintain neutrality within the broadcasts of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
During the evening, there were also pro-Palestinian protests near the centre of Basel, as well as a small group nearby protesting with Israeli flags.
Israeli National Security Council had issued a warning to Israeli civilians in the city to keep a low profile during the competition.
In a change from last year’s contest in Malmo, Sweden, the ban on certain flags being waved by the audience was relaxed which meant Palestinian symbols could be seen in the arena.
Image: Remember Monday perform What The Hell Just Happened for the UK. Pic: AP
The UK’s act – country pop trio Remember Monday – who performed in colourful Bridgerton-style outfits – avoided the dreaded “nul points”, coming in at 19th place with song What The Hell Just Happened?
However, for the second year running, the UK received no points in the public score.
The UK has had five wins at Eurovision, but in recent years have struggled to rank, with the exception being Sam Ryder with Space Man in 2022, who came second.
Last year, Olly Alexander placed 18th at Malmo, and Mae Muller was second to last the previous year in Liverpool.
The Eurovision grand final took place in the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, with the winner from among the 26 performing nations decided by a mix of public voting and points from national juries.
The four-hour-long show was presented by an all-female team – stand-up comedian Hazel Brugger, TV presenter Michelle Hunziker and Eurovision veteran Sandra Studer.
There were performances by previous Eurovision runners-up Croatia’s Baby Lasagna and Finland’s Kaarija, as well as last year’s winner Nemo during the night.
Image: KAJ perform Bara Bada Bastu for Sweden. Pic: AP
Sweden had been widely tipped to win with their sauna-themed entry Bara Bada Bastu (Just Sauna), but ended up coming fourth.
Ukraine, who have made a strong showing each since they first entered the competition in 2003, and who won in 2023, came ninth.
Last year protests and politics overshadowed the singing event amid the outbreak of war in Gaza, with some calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest.
Last year also saw Dutch singer Joost Klein kicked out of the competition by the EBU over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.
Next year’s competition, Eurovision’s 70th, will be held in Austria.
A second man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after an incident at a London nightclub that allegedly involved US singer Chris Brown.
The Metropolitan Police said Omololu Akinlolu, 38, will appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Better known by his stage name HoodyBaby, the American rapper has been charged in connection with an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in central London in February 2023.
Brown, 36, was charged on Thursday with grievous bodily harm with intent and was remanded in custody by judge in Manchester until 13 June.
He is accused of attacking music producer Abraham Diaw with a bottle during the incident in February.
During a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Brown watched intently as brief details of the case against him were outlined by prosecutor Hannah Nicholls.
She accused Brown of committing “an unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people”.
Brown spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, but did not enter a plea.
He will appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing in London on 13 June.
Brown – known for hits such as “Loyal”, “Run It” and “Under the Influence” – was arrested at a hotel in Manchester in the early hours of Thursday by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.
The Grammy Award-winning singer was due to tour the UK in June and July, with dates in Manchester, Cardiff, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.