Jay-Z has made his first public appearance after being accused of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in the early 2000s.
The rapper, 55, stepped out alongside his wife, Beyoncé, the couple’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter and his mother-in-law, Tina Knowles, at the premiere of Disney’s Mufasa in Hollywood, California, on Monday, December 9.
The family put on a united front at the event, posing arm in arm on the red carpet. Beyoncé voices lioness Nala in the film — which serves as prequel to the 2019 adaptation of The Lion King — while Blue Ivy voices lioness cub Kiara.
The outing comes after Jay-Z was accused of rape in a civil lawsuit along with Combs.
Jay-Z References Beyonce, Kids in Statement Denying Rape Allegations
Per NBC News, the rapper was accused of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 with Combs, 55. The accuser, who has remained anonymous and was only identified as “Jane Doe,” claimed the assault occurred at an afterparty for the MTV Music Video Awards.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, responded to the lawsuit on Sunday, December 8. The statement, provided to Us Weekly, denied the allegations, saying that his “only heartbreak is for my family.” (Jay-Z has been married to Beyoncé, 43, since 2008, and the pair share three children, Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, both 8.)
“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,” Jay-Z’s statement read. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
Jay-Z Accused of Raping a 13-Year-Old Girl With Diddy in 2000: Civil Lawsuit
The statement also spoke to Jay-Z’s “strict codes and honor,” claiming that he strives to protect all children. Directing his response to Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who filed the lawsuit on Sunday after its initial filing in October which only included Diddy’s alleged involvement, Jay-Z wrote, “You seem to exploit people for personal gain. 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.”
Buzbee is one of the attorneys who has filed lawsuits on behalf of several of Diddy’s alleged victims. He has previously claimed to be representing at least 120 of the disgraced mogul’s alleged victims. Diddy, who has been in prison since his September arrest, has denied the allegations. Diddy has been denied bail four times and currently remains behind bars until his trial, which is scheduled for May 2025.
