Jay-Z is seeking legal sanctions against attorney Tony Buzbee, accusing him of filing a false r@pe lawsuit that has damaged his reputation.
In a motion filed by his lawyer Alex Spiro, Jay-Z claims Buzbee failed to conduct even basic due diligence before pursuing the case, which accuses Jay-Z and Diddy of drugging and r@ping a woman after the 2000 MTV VMA Awards when she was 13 years old.
Spiro’s filing criticizes Buzbee for not withdrawing the lawsuit even after an NBC News interview with the accuser cast doubt on several key details in her allegations. The accuser described the incident as occurring at “a large white residence with a gated U-shaped driveway” located about 20 minutes from the VMAs. However, Jay-Z contends that photographs place him at Lotus nightclub in Manhattan after the awards show.
The woman also claimed her father picked her up after the alleged assault, but her father reportedly has no recollection of such an event. Jay-Z’s legal team highlighted the logistical improbability, noting the journey would have taken 10 hours round trip, making it an event the father should remember.
Further questioning her account, the woman alleged she watched the VMAs on a Jumbotron outside Radio City Music Hall. However, Jay-Z’s filing states that photos show no such screen was present, and the city had denied MTV’s request to install one.
Another inconsistency noted in the filing involves her claim of speaking with Benji Madden at the afterparty. However, following the accuser’s interview, Madden’s representative told NBC the singer was not even in New York City during the 2000 VMAs as his band, Good Charlotte, was touring the Midwest at the time.
Jay-Z argues that these inconsistencies could have been easily disproven with minimal investigation, and claims Buzbee’s failure to verify the facts before filing such damaging accusations warrants sanctions.
Buzbee responded defiantly, stating, “With each frantic filing, Mr. Spiro’s team reeks of desperation. Mr. Spiro and his team think the laws and rules don’t apply to them. They are flat wrong. They also think they can bully or intimidate counsel by filing meritless and frivolous pleadings full of lies and half-truths. Again, they are dead wrong. We won’t be bullied or intimidated, ever.”