Jay-Z is taking aim at Tony Buzbee, the attorney who is representing an Alabama woman who accuses the rap superstar of sexually assaulting her more than 24 years ago.
Buzbee is representing the woman (who identifies herself as Jane Doe in court documents) claiming Jay-Z, 55, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 55, sexually assaulted her when she was 13. She claims the incident took place at an MTV Music Awards afterparty in September of 2000 – accusations which Jay-Z and Diddy have denied.
Lawyers for Jay-Z asked the court to sanction sanction Buzbee, alleging he did not personally meet with the woman ahead of filing the legal complaint, TMZ reported Wednesday after reviewing legal docs in the case.
The legal team for the 24-time Grammy-winner, led by attorney Alex Spiro, said Buzbee admitted to not personally speaking with the woman ahead of filing the case, which is a major ethical lapse, TMZ reported.
Buzbee told Dailymail in response that ‘what Spiro has filed, like everything else he has filed thus far, is utterly frivolous and meritless.’
Buzbee previously told TMZ that ‘he did, in fact, personally interview the plaintiff, as did four other lawyers,’ the outlet reported, noting that he said that ‘anyone who says otherwise has their own agenda.’
Buzbee told Dailymail that ‘with every frantic filing the defense in this case grows more desperate.’
He added of his case against the rapper, whose name is Shawn Carter: ‘The rules apply equally to everyone, even those who wrongly think they are above the law. No one is above the law.’
Lawyers for Jay-Z said that Buzbee – whose firm is in charge of more than 150 people suing Combs – didn’t properly vet the woman accusing Jay-Z ahead of a December interview she conducted with NBC News in which she acknowledged inconsistencies in her story.
Jane Doe said in her legal filing she was living in Rochester in 2000 when she made her way to New York City and befriended a limousine driver who drove her to the party in a trek that took about 20 minutes.
Buzbee has said his firm is representing more than 150 people, both men and women, who allege sexual abuse and exploitation at the hands of Combs.
Buzbee’s firm, which has set up a 1-800 number for accusers, has filed a wave of suits against Combs.
Buzbee’s lawsuits allege that many of the people he represents were abused at parties in New York, California and Florida where individuals were given drinks that were laced with drugs.
Combs’ lawyers have dismissed Buzbee’s lawsuits as ‘shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.’
Combs remains jailed in New York awaiting a May criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Jay-Z and Combs gained fame in the 2000s, emerging as wide-ranging entrepreneurs and two of the world’s wealthiest rappers.
Last year, Forbes estimated Jay-Z’s net worth to be $2.5 billion.
The artists have collaborated over the years, with Jay-Z featured on Combs’ debut album, No Way Out and Combs appearing on Jay-Z´s sophomore album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.