Jay-Z is finally speaking out.
In a rare and wide-ranging interview with GQ published Tuesday, the rap icon opened up about the now-dismissed 2024 sexual assault lawsuit that once placed him at the center of controversy.
Calling the allegations “heartbreaking,” Jay-Z admitted the situation took a serious emotional toll on him.
“I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time—uncontrollable anger,” he said. “You don’t put that on someone… you better be super sure.”
The billionaire mogul firmly denied the claims, stressing they were “not true” and revealing he never once considered settling—despite it potentially being the quicker and cheaper route.
“I can’t take a settlement — it ain’t in my DNA,” he added.
The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2024 by an anonymous woman, accused Diddy and another male celebrity of drugging and assaulting her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000, when she was just 13. Though Jay-Z was not initially named, he was later identified in an amended filing.
He quickly pushed back, calling the accusations “heinous,” and fired back legally by filing a countersuit against the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, accusing him of attempting to extort money through false claims. That countersuit has since been dismissed.
By early 2025, the accuser dropped her lawsuit after acknowledging inconsistencies in her story—though she still maintained her allegations were true.
Weeks later, Jay-Z responded with a defamation lawsuit against the woman and her legal team, alleging they orchestrated an “evil conspiracy” driven by greed. That case is still ongoing.
Notably, Jay-Z’s name surfaced publicly just days before the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King, a major moment for his family, as both Beyoncé and his daughter Blue Ivy Carter had roles in the film.
