JAŸ-Z is speaking out after the lawsuit accusing him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl was dismissed, sharing new details about the emotional toll it took on him and his family.
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
As previously reported, in a declaration filed in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2025, the 55-year-old rapper accused attorney Tony Buzbee of intentionally causing emotional distress by filing the lawsuit at a particularly sensitive moment in his life.
According to reports from PEOPLE,Jay said in his filing that he believes the complaint was strategically submitted the night before his daughter Blue Ivy’sMufasa: The Lion King premiere, forcing him into an impossible decision. He said the timing was meant “to put me in the position of having to choose between supporting my daughter or hiding to avoid the negative press.”
In the declaration, the rapper described feeling cornered by the situation, saying, “I felt that Mr. Buzbee was placing a gun to my head that I either bow to his demands or endure personal and financial ruin.” He also alleged that the claims cost him $20 million in business deals and caused ongoing “mental anguish” after the lawsuit was filed in October 2024.
Shortly after the dismissal, JAŸ-Z called the outcome “a victory” in a statement shared on Roc Nation’s X account, while also highlighting the impact the allegations had on his loved ones.
“Today is a victory,” he wrote at the time. “The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”
Now, in a new interview with GQ, Hov gave further insight into what that period felt like behind the scenes, describing how the situation pulled him into a rare emotional space.
“I needed the people around me more than ever because usually when I have that feeling, I would just make music and it would be therapeutic. I’d be able to [exhales], blow it out and I would move on. I had to sit in that for a long time,” he said. “I’ve built this circle that’s really safe for me of people that really love me, are not using me, and really care for my best interests. So I was able to have that in the most crucial time for me.”
He went on to say that the ordeal revealed who truly supported him.
“I also got to see how people felt about me, especially people that were close to me,” he explained. “So when those types of things happen, people run, they don’t care what happened. It’s like, save yourself.”
Jay-Z recalled reaching out to business partners as the situation unfolded, including a contact at LVMH, and being met with immediate support. He also detailed telling Beyoncé about the allegations.
“I called my guy from LVMH: ‘Hey, man, this is coming and I can’t get rid of it.’ I can’t take a settlement, it ain’t in my DNA. First of all, first I had to tell my wife. Let’s back up. I know the weight that this is going to bring on our family. I can’t do it. I would die.”
He doubled down on that stance when asked about settling the case.
“If I settled, make that thing go away. And for me, it would’ve been cheaper? Yes. Cheaper, quicker, move on with your life. I knew what was coming. I wasn’t naive,” he said. “I called, again, after my family, my partners. They were like, ‘What do you need to help? Don’t even worry.’ In a phone call. Not even a: ‘I got to go to the board with this.’ It was like a testament because people know me. Like: ‘I know who you are and that’s impossible. Not only are we standing by you, but what do you need?’”
Despite the legal win, JAŸ-Z admitted he is still processing the emotional impact.
“I’m still dealing with that. Because that’s a horrible thing to put on someone,” he said to GQ, noting the timing once again. “It was like released the night of my daughter’s [movie] premiere.”
He also shared that attending the event with Blue Ivy was not an easy decision.
“Of course that’s a question because this is her moment. But our family, we are a tight unit,” he said.
He became emotional recalling a moment that underscored their bond.
“Blue has this jersey with ‘Jay-Z’ on the back. She put it on one day. She went to school with the ‘Jay’ [points to his back]. I was just in the corner, like tears coming down. Seriously. To have that, it’s priceless,” he said. “People can say that they’ll always be there for you, but it’s very rare that you’re going to have to exercise it. And in the darkest moment for me, I got to see those sorts of things.”
The rapper also reflected on fatherhood, saying his children have given his life deeper meaning amid the challenges.
“It gives everything meaning, everything,” he said. “I’ll go cross-country, do what I have to do, and I’m back on the plane that night. I love taking them to school. I love picking them up. Everything means so much more.”
He added that watching Blue Ivy grow into her own, especially during Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, has been a highlight.
Source: Brooke Sutton / Getty
“That was amazing,” he said. “On the first tour there was a lot of conversation around her first performance, and she worked really hard to get to that point, but she still wasn’t going for it. She still was going through the motions. And then she just started fighting back. I saw her fight maybe for the first time in her life.”
He continued, “She’s almost on every number. I had to take her off some, like, ‘Man, you can’t be on that stage when she’s singing ‘Six-inch heels…’; are you crazy?’”
The proud father also revealed that Blue has a natural knack for music.
“Blue is a crazy pianist, but she won’t let us get her a teacher. She doesn’t want it to be a job. But she has perfect pitch. If she hears a song, she’ll be like ‘Play it again’ and then she’ll teach herself,” he said. “That’s just talent, she doesn’t work at that. She worked at this, and it makes me proud that she fought for something that she really wanted to do. I don’t think we’re going to be able to get her off that stage now.”
