Beyoncé and Jay-Z brought daughter Blue Ivy Carter, age 12, to the premiere of the new movie Mufasa: The Lion King on Monday, one day after the rapper was named in a lawsuit alleging he raped a 13-year-old girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2000.
Jay-Z, 55, and Beyoncé, 43, were accompanied by daughter Blue Ivy and Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles , 70, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The family was smiling and appeared to be in the holiday spirit after the 99 Problems rapper issued a scorching denial to the claims and took aim at his accuser’s legal representation.
Jay-Z said in a response he issued to Dailymail.com Sunday that he is the victim of a ‘blackmail attempt’ and fears his three children with Beyoncé will have to ‘endure’ harassment in the wake of the shocking allegations.
Jay-Z is especially worried about Blue Ivy, 12. He is afraid she will face questions from her friends about the lawsuit. The couple also share twins Rumi and Sir, seven.
‘My only heartbreak is for my family,’ Jay-Z said. ‘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.’
Beyoncé, 43, supported Jay-Z, 55, in a red carpet appearance in Hollywood, California on Monday, one day after the rapper was named in a lawsuit alleging he raped a 13-year-old girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2000
Jay-Z and Beyoncé were accompanied by daughter Blue Ivy, 12, at the Dolby Theatre
Jay-Z, who was accused of the assault at a party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, said he mourned ‘yet another loss of innocence’ and declared that his ‘children should not have to endure’ the graphic accusations at their young age.
‘It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit,’ he said.
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The A-list couple matched with one another’s fashion choices in their show of solidarity after the veteran rapper and his publicity team made their stance clear in response to the allegations.
Beyoncé, who voices the role of Nala, wore a shoulderless black gown with gold highlights and black heels.
The superstar actress-songstress had her blonde locks parted and sported jewelry, appearing nonplussed the day after her husband was linked to Combs, who has made headlines throughout 2024 amid federal raids in March which led to his arrest in September in connection with sex trafficking charges.
Jay-Z was clad in a dark maroon suit with a black tie and black shoes at the premiere.
Blue Ivy, who provides the voice for the Kiara character in the Disney film, which arrives in theaters December 20, was clad in a gold gown with her wavy locks down.
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, 70, a wore a holiday-inspired ensemble of a dark green shoulderless top with matching pants, with black leather gloves and a belt with a gold buckle.
Blue Ivy, who provides the voice for the Kiara character in the Disney film, was clad in a gold gown with her wavy locks down
The proud parents were seen helping hold up the train of Blue Ivy’s gown on Monday
Tina watched from afar as Beyoncé and Jay-Z supported their daughter in her latest endeavor in show business
The family was smiling and appeared to be in the holiday spirit after the 99 Problems rapper issued a scorching denial to the claims and took aim at his accuser’s legal representation
The fashion designer made headlines earlier Monday after she claimed her social media was hacked after a ‘like’ appeared on a post to a news story about the lawsuit against Jay-Z.
A source told Dailymail.com Monday, ‘Tina liked the post accidentally and quickly removed the like once close friends pointed the error out to her.
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‘She has known Jay since he was in his 30s and doesn’t believe he is capable of committing such an evil crime. She is standing by Beyoncé and will support whatever decision she makes.’
The appearance of the family came as a bit of a surprise amid the allegations, as The Hollywood Reporter noted that Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy had not been ‘previously announced to press as attending the event, despite their involvement.’
Jay-Z’s accuser, who identifies herself as Jane Doe in the legal documents reviewed by Dailymail.com, says she was assaulted at a party after the award show, which took place September 7, 2000 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
The lawsuit had initially been filed in New York’s Southern District this past October against Combs, with a refiling on Sunday that identified the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
Jay-Z issued a lengthy statement to DailyMail.com on Sunday denying the claims made in the re-filed lawsuit. DailyMail.com has also reached out to a Beyoncé representative on the story.
The civil lawsuit comes about a month before Blue Ivy becomes a teenager, as she turns 13 on January 7. Like her parents, she has an interest in music, and attended a Sabrina Carpenter concert last month in LA.
In recent years, she has gravitated toward the spotlight commanded by her famous parents, joining her mother onstage during her tour last year. Her first appearance alongside her mother came May 26, 2023 when she danced onstage to Beyoncé’s My Power/Black Parade at France’s Stade De France.
Jay-Z said he and Beyoncé will have to ‘explain the cruelty and greed of people’ to their eldest child in addressing the issue to Blue Ivy
The A-list couple matched with one another’s fashion choices in their show of solidarity
Beyoncé wore a shoulderless black gown with gold highlights and black heels
Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles, 70, was also on hand at the glitzy gathering
In a GQ interview published this past September, Beyoncé said that Blue Ivy worked hard to prove to her she deserved a spot on the stage during the tour.
‘She’s a natural, but I did not want Blue onstage,’ Beyoncé said. ‘Blue wanted it for herself. She took it seriously and she earned it. And most importantly, she had fun! We all watched her grow more and more every night before our eyes.’
Beyoncé said that accommodations had to be made with Blue Ivy’s school to streamline her academic schedule to the five-month, 56-show trek, noting that her eldest child has demonstrated talent in multiple areas.
‘Blue is an artist,’ she added. ‘She has great taste in music and fashion. She is a fantastic editor, painter, and actress. She has been creating characters since she was three.’
In the GQ interview, Beyoncé specifically mentioned that she wanted to keep her children’s upbringings as normal as possible amid the family’s rare level of fame and wealth.
‘One thing I’ve worked extremely hard on is making sure my kids can have as much normalcy and privacy as possible, ensuring my personal life isn’t turned into a brand,’ she said. ‘It’s very easy for celebrities to turn our lives into performance art.
‘I have made an extreme effort to stay true to my boundaries and protect myself and my family. No amount of money is worth my peace.’
In his statement denying the claims, Jay-Z said, ‘My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a “lawyer” named Tony Buzbee.
The famed mother-daughter duo both play voice roles in the new Disney movie
Jay-Z said in his statement, ‘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’
‘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!!’ the statement read.
‘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. This lawyer, who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics!’
The rap staple, whose hits include Empire State Of Mind, Big Pimpin’ and Can I Get A…, took personal aim at Buzbee, who has taken on more than 100 cases against Combs.
‘I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over,’ Jay-Z said in his reply. ‘I’m more than prepared to deal with your type. You claim to be a marine?! Marines are known for their valor, you have neither honor nor dignity.
‘My heart and support goes out to true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.’
Jay-Z said in his statement that Buzbee ‘made a terrible error in judgement’ in categorizing all celebrities as the same, referencing his own rise amid humble New York City beginnings.
‘I’m not from your world,’ he said. ‘I’m a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games.
Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles, 70, a wore a holiday-inspired ensemble of a dark green shoulderless top with matching pants, black leather gloves and a belt with a gold buckle.
Jay-Z was clad in a dark maroon suit with a black tie at the premiere
The rapper began dancing on the red carpet, appearing upbeat amid the legal issues
‘We have very strict codes and honor. We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain.’
Jay-Z wrapped up his statement in saying, ‘Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable. I look forward to showing you just how different I am.’
The statement was initially sent to Dailymail.com then published on the Instagram account for Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label.
Dailymail.com has reached out to Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing Jay-Z’s accuser, for comment.
Buzbee told TMZ in a statement Sunday evening, ‘Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He even 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 an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him. Instead, she only sought a confidential mediation.’
In the suit filed by Buzbee’s firm, the accuser said that the sexual assault occurred at a house party following the VMAs.
The accuser was hoping to attend the VMAs as a ‘bucket list’ aspiration, according to the lawsuit, and ‘believed she could gain entry.’
Jay-Z issued a lengthy statement Sunday denying the claims made in the re-filed lawsuit
Jay-Z pictured during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in NYC
Jay-Z, 55, was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 55, at a party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in a civil lawsuit filed Sunday. Diddy and Jay-Z pictured at a Grammy event in January of 2020
As the show started, the accuser said she ‘approached several limousine drivers parked nearby and attempted to talk her way into either’ the event or afterparties associated with it.
The accuser said in the lawsuit that a limo driver who said they worked for Diddy ‘told her that Combs liked younger girls and said she “fit what Diddy was looking for.”‘
The driver said that he would return to pick ho the accuser after dropping Combs off at the location of the bash.
The accuser said that following a 20-minute drive, she ‘arrived at what she believed to be a large white residence with a gated U-shaped driveway’ and was told to sign her name to a document she ‘now believes to have been a non-disclosure agreement,’ as she didn’t receive a copy.
Once in the home, the accuser ‘recognized many celebrities’ and ‘attempted to mingle in the crowd’ and speak with people.
‘Marijuana and cocaine’ use was a part of the ‘widespread drug use’ she witnessed once inside, the accuser said in the suit.
The accuser said she took a drink that had ‘a reddish-yellow mixture that tasted like orange juice, cranberry juice, and something bitter’ and ‘began to feel woozy and lightheaded, making her need to lie down.’
The accuser said in legal documents that she laid down in ‘what appeared to be an empty bedroom’ and subsequently, Combs, Jay-Z and a female celebrity referred to as “Celebrity B” entered the room.
‘Combs aggressively approached Plaintiff with a crazed look in his eyes, grabbed her, and said, “You are ready to party!”‘ legal documents read.
The accuser said in the lawsuit that Combs threw her ‘toward a wall,’ leading her to fall, then ‘grabbed her again and threw her on the bed.’
Diddy seen at an afterparty shot taken the same evening alongside ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez
Diddy, pictured at the event 24 years ago, has been in custody in NYC for almost three months as he awaits his sex trafficking trial in May
Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, who has taken on more than 100 cases against Combs, named Jay-Z in Sunday’s filing. Pictured in 2022
The accuser said Jay-Z began stripping her down ‘as she grew more and more disoriented’ and held her down as ‘he vaginally raped her, while Combs and Celebrity B watched.
‘After [Jay-Z] finished, he stepped back toward the wall. Combs then stepped forward and vaginally raped Plaintiff while Carter and Celebrity B watched.’
According to legal docs, in the 2000 incident, ‘another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor. Many others were present at the after party, but did nothing to stop the assault.
‘Carter has been with Combs during many such instances described herein. Both perpetrators must face justice.’
The accuser said in legal documents that Combs tried to force her ‘to perform oral sex on him,’ at which point she ‘fought back, standing up quickly and punching out at the same time, hitting Combs in the neck,’ at which point he ‘stopped his attempt.’
The accuser said she was able to escape the property and ‘retrace the route taken by the limo driver,’ arriving at ‘a gas station she noticed on the way to the party.
After ‘a female clerk noticed her distress and allowed her to use the phone,’ the accuser said she ‘called her father, admitted that she had lied about her whereabouts, and asked him to pick her up,’ which he did.
The accuser ‘fell into a deep depression which continues to affect every facet of her life,’ according to the lawsuit.
The legal documents filed against Jay-Z indicate that he was past referred to as ‘Celebrity A’ in a prior legal filing, and says he has homes in New York City and Los Angeles
She ‘suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and a seizure disorder caused by stress and trauma,’ the suit states.
The accuser has also ‘has had difficulty maintaining normal relationships and lives largely withdrawn from society.’
The accuser is asking the court for unspecified damages in the suit, which had been filed under New York state’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
Sunday’s filing marks the first time Buzbee has named a public figure apart from Combs in legal documents.
The legal documents filed against Jay-Z indicate that he was past referred to as ‘Celebrity A’ in a prior legal filing, and says he has homes in New York City and Los Angeles.
The attorney wrapped up in saying, ‘Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve.’
The timeframe of the incident appears to align with when Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s relationship began getting serious.
Beyoncé told Seventeen magazine that she initially met Jay-Z at the age of 18 (a timeframe spanning from September of 1999 through August of 2000), People previously reported.
Jay-Z was snapped chatting with Beyoncé and her Destiny Child’s bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland in January of 2001
Diddy and Jay-Z pictured at a 2005 event in NYC, four years after the alleged incident
Combs, who is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, has denied all of the allegations against him
Beyoncé told Oprah Winfrey on OWN in 2013, ‘We were friends first for a year and a half before we went on any dates.
‘We were on the phone for a year and a half, and that foundation is so important for a relationship. Just to have someone who you just like is so important, and someone [who] is honest.’
By November 2001, they were seen with one another on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, with Jay-Z telling the publication they ‘were just beginning to try to date each other,’ adding: ‘She’s a charming Southern girl, you know … but I would have definitely had to be this cool.’
Combs, who is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, has denied all of the allegations against him.
Combs in September was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and additional offenses by federal officials. He has tried in vain to get bail on three occasions.
Attorneys for Combs issued a statement to TMZ on Sunday evening calling Buzbee’s latest move one in a series of ‘shameless publicity stunts;’ and reiterated their stance on the case against Combs.
‘This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs,’ the statement read.
It continued: ‘As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.’
For all the latest updates on this story, listen to The Trial of Diddy – available wherever you get your podcasts now.