Trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs | Jay-Z’s lawyers challenge rapper’s inclusion

(New York) Jay-Z’s lawyers on Wednesday asked a judge to quickly remove the rapper from a lawsuit in which a woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13.

The unidentified woman recently added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, to her complaint against Combs in Manhattan federal court, claiming she was assaulted by the two singers in 2000 after the limo driver de Combs offered to take her to a party after the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) gala.

In their closing argument, Jay-Z’s lawyers cited a recent television interview in which the woman acknowledged inconsistencies in her story.

The filing was filed before Combs appeared for a preliminary hearing in his criminal case. After lawyers discussed deadlines for presenting evidence, prosecutors told Judge Arun Subramanian that any new charges against the hip-hop mogul before the May trial would require minimal new evidence.

In the criminal case, Combs pleaded not guilty to charges that the Bad Boy Records founder coerced and abused women for years with the help of associates and employees.

On Wednesday, at the end of a brief hearing where the prosecution and defense mainly discussed the procedure before Judge Arun Subramanian, the accused embraced his lawyers one by one and wished them “happy holidays” before to go back to prison. A new procedural hearing has been set for March 17, 2025.

Combs, who has been jailed for three months without the possibility of bail, hugged his lawyers and touched his heart as he recognized his children among the spectators.

In the civil case, in one of several complaints filed against him, the woman originally claimed she was raped by Combs at the party, but did not mention Jay-Z.

Last Friday, NBC aired an interview in which she said she spoke with musician Benji Madden and his brother at the party, and that her father came to pick her up after the alleged assault.

NBC also reported that a representative for the Madden brothers said they were touring the Midwest during the VMAs, and his father said he didn’t remember the more than five-hour drive home .

Jay-Z said this proves that Tony Buzbee, a personal injury lawyer, filed a false lawsuit against him for money and fame. Attorney Teny R. Geragos, who represents Combs, said the television interview was part of “the beginning of the end of this shameful money story.”

In newly filed court documents, Jay-Z’s lawyers wrote that the allegations “have caused incalculable harm to Mr. Carter, his family, his businesses, his employees and his legacy.”

Mr. Buzbee told The Associated Press by email that lawyers for both artists planned to respond in court to the latest complaint.

“They continue to file baseless motions that are against the rules and have absolutely no merit,” Buzbee said.

He announced in October that he was representing some 120 people, men and women, who accuse Combs of sexual misconduct.

Jay-Z and Combs rose to fame in the 2000s, becoming high-profile entrepreneurs and two of the richest rappers in the world. Earlier this year, Forbes magazine estimated Jay-Z’s net worth at $2.5 billion.

The two men have collaborated over the years. Jay-Z is featured on Combs’ debut album, “No Way Out,” and Combs appears on Jay-Z’s sophomore album, “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1”.