17 hours ago
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The judge presiding over Jay-Z’s alleged rape case has ruled against his lawyer’s major request in a scathing letter.
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, is accused of raping a girl aged 13 at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. In a lawsuit filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, the accuser – now in her 30s – alleges that she was raped by both Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Carter and Combs, both 55, have denied the allegations.
The alleged victim’s identity has not been revealed but Carter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, filed a motion to remove her anonymity.
New York Judge Analisa Torres has now issued a response to the request and has decided that the accuser can remain unidentified as Jane Doe, the Mail Online reports.
In her written response, Judge Torres also issued a blistering reprimand of Mr Spiro who she said has used an aggressive strategy against Mr Buzbee.
‘Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client,’ Torres wrote.
‘The Court will not fast-track the judicial process merely because counsel demands it.’
Judge Torres went on to point out how Mr Spiro has failed to follow procedure despite accusing Mr Buzbee of doing the same.
She stated: ‘Moreover, although Carter’s attorney assails Plaintiff’s lawyer as having a “chronic ability” to follow the rules… Carter’s counsel has failed to abide by this Court’s clear rules,’ explaining that a pre-motion letter is required before the filing of any motion.
‘He did not give Plaintiff the requisite five business days to respond. This is unacceptable. Counsel is hereby advised that any further motions filed in violation of the Court’s Individual Practices may be denied on that ground alone,’ she added.
It comes after Jane Doe sat down for an interview with NBC News in which she detailed her version of events. However, it also highlighted inconsistencies in her story which she later acknowledged.
In NBC’s initial reporting of the alleged incident, Doe claimed she was dropped off at the VMAs in New York’s Radio City Music Hall by a friend and tried to obtain a ticket for the event or get an invite to an after-party.
She said she approached various limousine drivers and was told by one he worked for Combs and ‘fit what Diddy was looking for.’
Later in the evening, she claims the driver transported her to a white house with a U-shaped drive and on arrival signed what she believed was a non-disclosure agreement.
When she entered the party she said she was offered a drink which made her feel ‘woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down.’
After consuming the drink, she claims Combs and Carter entered the room she was resting in and told by Combs: ‘You are ready to party.’
Doe alleges Carter then removed her clothes and raped her while an unnamed female celebrity looked on. She claims Combs also raped her while Carter and the female celebrity watched.
After the alleged incident, Doe claimed she went out into the after-party where she alleged she spoke to Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden about his tattoo.
She also claimed her father picked her up from the party after the alleged assault.
However, NBC News later reported that there were several inconsistencies in Doe’s story, including her father stating he did not remember picking her up after the alleged sexual assault and that Madden was not in New York at the time of the alleged incident.
It’s also said that images from the night Doe claimed she was assaulted show Carter and Combs at an after-party different to the one she had described. The music moguls’ exact whereabouts for the whole evening remain unknown.
Carter, who has denied the allegations, responded to the inconsistencies, telling NBC: ‘This incident didn’t happen.’
In a full statement shared on X, Carter wrote: ‘Today’s investigative report proves this “attorney” Buzbee filed a false complaint against me in the pursuit of money and fame. This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press.
‘True justice is coming. We fight from victory, not for victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realise it yet, but, soon.’
His lawyer Mr Spiro also shared a statement on the social media platform: ‘It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press.
‘We are asking the court to dismiss this frivolous case today, and will take up the matter of additional discipline for Mr Buzbee and all the lawyers that filed the complaint.’
Buzbee responded after the interview and said that Doe was previously vetted by another law firm and that he was still fact-checking her claims.
Metro has reached out to Jay-Z’s lawyer for comment.
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