Jay-Z’s Rape Accuser Admits She ‘Never Met’ Him, Apologizes to Beyoncé for Her ‘False’ Claims

The woman who accused Jay-Z of raping her when she was 13 has completely recanted her allegations and apologized for the “tremendous pain” she caused the rapper and his family, including his wife Beyoncé.

“Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter never raped me. I never met or spoke to Mr. Carter,” the woman, who remained anonymous and identified as Jane Doe, said in a declaration filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court.

“Mr. Carter has never engaged in any inappropriate conduct toward me,” she continued.

“There is no truth to my claims against Mr. Carter. I understand that my false accusations have caused Mr. Carter immense pain, suffering and damage that can never be fully repaired.”

The woman also said she “sincerely and unconditionally” apologized to the “Empire State of Mind” rapper for the “devastating harm” she caused him, his family and his reputation.

Doe’s current attorney, J. Blair Newman, also said in a statement to Page Six that his client “maintains she was the victim of sexual assault” but was “totally mistaken” when she identified Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, as one of her alleged attackers.

“Mr. Carter did not rape her, sexually assault her, or engage in any inappropriate conduct toward her, and she never met him,” Newman said.

“She offers her sincere and unconditional apologies to Mr. Carter and his family.”

Doe previously alleged in a 2024 lawsuit that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs raped her at an after-party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, when she was 13.

She first sued Combs, then amended her complaint to name Jay-Z as the second alleged attacker.

Jay-Z, 56, vehemently denied the allegations from the start, calling them “heinous” and expressing concern about the effect they would have on Beyoncé, 45, and their three children: Blue Ivy, 14, and twins Rumi and Sir, 9.

“My only sorrow is for my family,” the Grammy winner said after the allegations surfaced in December 2024.

“My wife and I will have to sit down our children, one of whom is at the age where his friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims,” he continued at the time.

Doe voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit with prejudice in February 2025.

Jay-Z celebrated the firing as a “victory,” saying the allegations had caused lasting trauma to his family.

“The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be ignored,” he said at the time.

A month after the case was filed, Page Six reported that Doe was heard on a recording telling private investigators that Jay-Z did not rape her — while also claiming that attorney Tony Buzbee “pushed” her to pursue the allegations against the rapper.

The music mogul later filed a lawsuit against Doe and his former lawyer, Tony Buzbee, accusing them of malicious prosecution, abuse of process and defamation.

Jay-Z opened up about the ordeal earlier this year, admitting that the allegations left him “heartbroken” and filled with “uncontrollable anger.”

Doe said in her new statement that she was not threatened or coerced into recanting her allegations and was not given or promised any money from Jay-Z or anyone acting on his behalf.

She also explained how she came to make the allegations, saying she saw an ad on Facebook in 2024 looking for people to file sexual assault charges against Combs.

According to Doe, the ad triggered memories of being raped when she was 13, which led her to contact a law firm. His case was eventually referred to Buzbee.

Doe said she disclosed her mental health issues to attorneys handling her case, but claimed she was not questioned about whether those issues might affect her memory or recollections.

She further claimed that her allegations were not properly verified before the lawsuit was filed and said she eventually began to doubt her own account, including whether she had ever attended a party full of celebrities in the first place.

Doe had publicly acknowledged problems with his story before dropping the case.

During an interview with NBC News in December 2024, she admitted there were “inconsistencies” in her story after several details could not be corroborated.

Among them, Doe claimed to have spoken with musician Benji Madden at the party, although a rep for the Good Charlotte rocker said he and his twin brother Joel Madden were touring the Midwest at the time.

She also claimed her father picked her up in New York after the alleged assault and drove her home for more than five hours, but her father told NBC News he had no memory of taking such a trip.

Doe now maintains she was sexually assaulted when she was young, but says Jay-Z had nothing to do with the alleged attack.

Following his retraction, Jay-Z’s attorneys filed a notice voluntarily dismissing Doe as a defendant in his ongoing lawsuit.

His malicious prosecution case against Buzbee, his law firm and other defendants remains ongoing.