Jay-Z has made a red carpet appearance alongside wife Beyonce and their daughter Blue Ivy Carter a day after being accused of raping a 13-year-old girl.
The rapper, 55, whose real name is Shawn Carter, smiled and posed with his family on Monday night during the LA premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King, which Beyonce, 43, and their 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy both star in. They were also joined by Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles.
His appearance came a day after a federal lawsuit was filed accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, allegedly alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has more than 120 sexual misconduct claims out against him.
From left: Tina Knowles, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter. Pic: Invision/AP
Jay-Z has been married to Beyonce since 2008. Pic: Invision/AP
The accuser, who is identified as “Jane Doe”, said the assault happened at an after-party.
Both men deny the allegations.
According to NBC News, Sky News’ US news partner, the lawsuit claims the girl was dropped off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall by a friend – she did not have a ticket and approached various limousine drivers to try to gain access to the show or after party.
One driver allegedly told Doe he worked for Combs and she “fit what Diddy was looking for”. The driver later picked her up, the lawsuit says, and dropped her off at a house where she was made to sign a document she believed to be a non-disclosure agreement.
She was allegedly offered a drink that made her feel “woozy” before, the lawsuit claims, both P Diddy and Jay-Z entered the room, with P Diddy telling her: “You are ready to party!”
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Jay-Z allegations: What you need to know
That’s when, she alleges, Carter removed her clothes, held her down and raped her while Combs and an unnamed female celebrity watched. She says Combs also raped her as Carter and the woman looked on.
She is seeking unspecified damages.
In a statement to NBC News, Jay-Z said: “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?
“These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
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The rapper said his “only heartbreak is for my family,” adding: “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
In a subsequent court filing seen by Sky’s US news partner NBC News, Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, argued that the accuser’s decision to file a lawsuit against Carter under the name “Jane Doe” was “inconsistent with a genuine effort to determine the truth or falsity of these allegations as opposed to an effort to procure a quick, extortionate settlement”.
Mr Spiro said Jay-Z was “respectfully seeking either dismissal of the allegations or disclosure of the plaintiff’s identity”.
Jay-Z has been married to Beyonce since 2008 after the couple met around 2000.
As well as Blue Ivy, they have seven-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir.