What's Going on with Jay-Z?

Last month, Quinn Emanuel — the attorney for Jay-Z — filed a preemptive lawsuit on behalf of John Doe against Tony Buzbee, a lawyer Emanuel accused of threatening to level baseless charges to extort his client. John Doe was later revealed to be Jay-Z and the “baseless charges” are allegations that Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean Combs at a 2000 MTV Music Awards after-party. The suit alleges that Jay-Z and Combs drugged and raped her while an unnamed celebrity female watched.

Buzbee originally filed a lawsuit on behalf of his anonymous client, Jane Doe, in October but petitioned to have Jay-Z added. It’s one of several lawsuits Buzbee has filed against Combs on behalf of anonymous clients. Buzbee may be a familiar name to some as he is the lawyer who represented two dozen women who accused Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct and assault.

Buzbee sought to mediate the claim before refiling the suit and adding Jay-Z, prompting Jay-Z to file the preemptive lawsuit.

After the suit was filed, Jay-Z issued a poorly worded statement addressing the allegations, writing: “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?” He continued, “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”

Jay-Z also claimed that he was unfairly targeted. “You have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the projects of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor. We protect children.”

Jay-Z also wrote about Buzbee: “Only your network of conspiracy theories and fake physics will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me.” He has also sought in a filing to require his accuser in the civil suit reveal her name. “Mr. Carter should not have to defend himself in the brightest of spotlights against an accuser who hides in complete darkness while leveling allegations that describe the purported acts occurring in the plain sight of witnesses who could refute the plaintiff’s claims if only her identity was revealed.”

Jay-Z and Sean Combs have been close friends for over 25 years. Jay-Z’s ex-protégé Foxy Brown has since posted cryptic emojis in response to the accusations. It may also be worth noting that Jennifer Lopez dated Sean Combs from 1999 until 2001, and there are photos of her arguing with Combs on the night of the alleged rape.

The legal and PR strategy employed by Jay-Z resembles that of Garth Brooks, who filed suit against his accuser earlier this year and identified his Jane Doe accuser by name. He also employs the DARVO strategy employed by Jonathan Majors, attacking his accuser and positioning himself as the victim.

Amid the allegations against Jay-Z, his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, is promoting Mufasa, the Lion King prequel in which she voices the character of Kiara, along with her mother, Beyoncé, who voices the character of Nala. At the same time, Beyoncé is preparing to perform at the half-time show for Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. It is the first NFL game to be streamed on Netflix.

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