Rape accuser files motion to dismiss Jay-Z's defamation lawsuit against her

Los Angeles, April 23 (IANS) The accuser, who levelled allegations sexual assault against rapper Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter, has now asked a judge to dismiss the rapper's lawsuit against her.

The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleged in a December 2024 complaint that Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs raped her at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty when she was 13 years old, reports ‘People’ magazine.

Though her attorneys voluntarily dismissed the case in February, Jay-Z filed his own lawsuit against Doe and her legal team, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney, a month later. He sued Doe and her lawyers, alleging malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy.

As per ‘People’, he also sued Doe separately, alleging defamation. He claimed in his complaint that the initial allegations of rape against him were knowingly “false” and “malicious”, and Doe's lawsuit was “strategically and tactically calculated" in an attempt to extort him.

On Tuesday (Pacific Standard Time), Doe filed a motion to dismiss Jay-Z's lawsuit, alleging that he "fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted”.

Her attorneys argued in the motion that Jay-Z's malicious prosecution claim fails short since he alleges "the lawsuit was initiated and prosecuted for malicious reasons, not that any process was wrongfully used after issuance”.

"Carter has not alleged facts that would support an abuse of process claim”, the motion states. The filing says the civil conspiracy claim against the accuser should also be dismissed as her lawyers "have shown that, as attorneys, they are not liable for civil conspiracy under these allegations”.

"Since a conspiracy requires more than one party, Doe cannot be liable for civil conspiracy”, the motion continues.

Doe requests that the defamation claim against her be dismissed, stating that the allegations in her complaint and comments to the media are "absolutely privileged" under California law "and cannot form the basis for a defamation claim”.

--IANS

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