Jay-Z is “heartbroken” over a sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by an anonymous accuser in late 2024.
The “Empire State of Mind” rapper finally opened up about the shocking sexual assault allegations in a GQ cover interview published Tuesday.
“It was tough. It was really tough. It was heartbreaking,” Jay-Z, 56, began. “I’m glad we were able to resolve it quickly.”
He continued, “I was really heartbroken by everything that happened. We’re in a space right now where the consequences aren’t really being considered, because everything happens in the moment, you know what I’m saying?”
The 25-time Grammy winner, who has been married to Beyoncé for 17 years, went on to say that she felt “uncontrollable anger” when her accuser filed a civil lawsuit against him in December 2024.
“That thing (the lawsuit) was very difficult for me,” he told the media. “I’m angry. I haven’t been this angry in a long time. It’s an uncontrollable anger.”
Jay-Z added, “You can’t force things like that on people – you’d better be absolutely sure. That’s how it used to be. You had to be very sure before you forced things like that on people, especially someone like me.”
Jay-Z stressed that he “took the accusations against him really hard,” before denying them again and saying they were “not true.”
“First of all, we knew we were going to get over it because it’s not true,” he said. “And at the end of the day, the truth still reigns supreme.”
An anonymous woman filed an amended civil lawsuit in December 2024 in New York federal court against the “99 Problems” rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
She claimed that when she was 13 years old, she was raped by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs after the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000 while an anonymous female celebrity was watching.
In a statement to Page Six at the time, Jay-Z called the lawsuit an “attempt to intimidate” and called the allegations “heinous in nature.”
The “Hard Knock Life” rapper filed a motion asking him to reveal his accuser’s name or dismiss the lawsuit, but a judge ruled he can remain anonymous and proceed with the lawsuit.
However, Jay-Z’s anonymous accuser voluntarily and with prejudice dropped the lawsuit in February 2025 after inconsistencies in her story were revealed. This meant she could no longer sue again.
After the lawsuit was dropped, he said, “Today is a victory.” “The frivolous, fictitious and horrific allegations were dismissed. This civil case had no merit and never proceeded.”
“Aside from the seriousness of the allegations, the fictional story they created was laughable. I would never wish this experience on anyone. The trauma my wife, children, loved ones, and I have endured cannot be ignored.”
A month later, in March 2025, Jay-Z filed a lawsuit in Alabama against his former rape accuser and her attorney Tony Buzbee, accusing her of conspiring to falsely accuse him of sexual assault and causing him to lose $20 million.
Meanwhile, Diddy was sentenced to four years in prison for transportation for the purpose of prostitution and is currently incarcerated in New Jersey.
Elsewhere in the GQ interview, the “Blueprint” artist opened up about fatherhood.
He and Beyoncé have three children, 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and 8-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
“It gives meaning to everything,” he said of fatherhood. “I fly across the country, do what I have to do, and get back on the plane that night. I love taking my kids to school. I love picking them up. It all means so much.”
Jay-Z also addressed the ongoing feud between hip-hop icons Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
“People who like Kendrick now hate whatever Drake makes. It’s like an attack on his character,” he said. “I don’t know if I like it. I don’t know if it’s going to help us grow, especially with all the influence we have on social media.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call our Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
