Jay-Z is doubling down against allegations against him, after he was named alongside rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs in a lawsuit.
The rapper's attorney explained how Jay-Z and his family were coping following accusations that he alongside Combs assaulted a 13-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
"He's upset," A-List lawyer Alex Spiro explained. "He's upset that his kids and his family have to deal with this, he's upset and he should be upset," he said, referring to Jay-Z's wife, Beyoncé, and three kids Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir.
With all eyes on the rapper amid the lawsuit, fans have particularly looked to his family, who appear to be putting on a united front.
His mother-in-law Tina Knowles hit out after fans speculated over her apparently liking a social media post by ABC 7 Chicago explaining the details of the case.
"I was hacked! As you all know, I do not play about my family," the notes app statement read. "So if you see something uncharacteristic of me. Just know that it is not me!"
Tina continued to deny the action in the caption, writing, "Please stop playing with me!!!! 'No weapon formed against my family shall prosper.'"
The accusations against the rapper, real name Shawn Carter, come as an anonymous Jane Doe amended her complaint against disgraced mogul Sean Combs to also include Jay-Z as the previously unnamed celebrity in her original complaint filed in October. She accused him of rape.
So far, the rapper has vehemently denied all allegations against him, with his lawyer telling reporters on December 16 that "We expect the case to be dismissed. If it's not, we expect this all to crumble."
The lawsuit
The rapper's attorney has argued that "this is all a fantasy" after the Jane Doe in question confessed there were "inconsistencies" in her own testimony, although she maintains her accusation against Jay-Z and Sean Combs.
She told NBC: "I have made some mistakes. You should always advocate for yourself and be a voice for yourself. You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward."
Her complaint states that she was taken to an afterparty after meeting a limo driver who claimed to work for Combs, outside of Radio City Music Hall, where the MTV event was held.
Spiro showed reporters photographs of his client alongside the disgraced rap mogul and other celebrities at a VMA afterparty held at a commercial establishment in New York City. He argued that Doe's story was implausible because of the time it would take to travel from the city to the suburbs, where the alleged party was held.
Accusations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
The disgraced mogul currently faces over 30 civil cases filed against him, primarily accusing him of sexual assaults dating back to the 1990s.
The musician is currently being held in Manhattan's Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial on separate criminal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he has denied. He has pleaded not guilty to all accusations against him.
In November, he was denied bail a third time by a judge in New York City, after two other judges previously denied him release from custody over concerns of potential witness tampering ahead of his trial, scheduled for May 2025.
Lawyer Tony Buzbee, who represents the aforementioned Jane Doe accusing Jay-Z as well, said the potential number of civil legal cases against the musician "is probably in the 300 range" but "realistically" the final total would be "about 100 to 150."