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The lawyer representing a woman accusing Sean “Jay-Z” Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault claims he’s at the center of a harassment campaign himself. On Sunday, NBC News reported that lawyer Tony Buzbee brought forth a lawsuit that accused Jay-Z and Diddy of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl back at an MTV Video Music Awards party in 2000.
The lawsuit was initially filed in October, listing Diddy as the sole defendant, but was refiled Sunday to include Jay-Z.
According to NBC News, Buzbee sent a letter to Jay-Z in an attempt to mediate the matter before filing the lawsuit.
Via NBC News
“Carter received a letter from Plaintiff’s counsel requesting a mediation to resolve this matter,” Buzbee wrote in the suit. In response to the letter, which NBC News has seen, Carter filed his own lawsuit against the accuser’s attorneys, Buzbee wrote in the suit.
The rap mogul released a statement on Sunday night claiming that Buzbee tried to blackmail him and is urging the victim to file a criminal complaint.
“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a “lawyer” named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.”
“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
“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?” Carter said in a statement. “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
Buzbee took to social media to claim that Jay-Z and his team have harassed him and his client.
“Despite a coordinated and aggressive effort that has included harassing my kids, contacting my clients and former clients to encourage them to sue me, contacting my colleagues or former employees asking if I’ve “abused” them, showing up at my current employees’ homes to harass them, filing frivolous cases against me and my law firm, defaming me with outrageous assertions to anyone who will listen, and having mysterious people follow me and my family, I’m still THAT guy. I won’t be bullied or intimidated. People will see through this effort to discredit me and my clients and the truth will be revealed. I also won’t allow anyone to scare my clients into silence.”
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant and I am quite certain the sun is coming.”
Update: Buzbee has released a second statement on X.
Regarding the Jay Z case and his efforts to silence my clients: Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of…
— Tony Buzbee (@TonyBuzbee2) December 9, 2024