• Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, opened up in an interview with Good Morning America about why the “Empire State of Mind” musician, 55, decided to file a lawsuit against Jane Doe — who initially named him in a lawsuit alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, which has since been dropped — and her attorneys, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney
• “The truth had to fully come out,” Spiro said of the rapper’s legal action. “This person cannot be allowed to sort of hide from the reality that this was a false accusation”
• The filing also alleged that Jane Doe “voluntarily admitted” to Jay-Z’s representative that “Carter did not assault her” and that Buzbee “pushed her to go forward with the false narrative of the assault by Mr. Carter in order to leverage a maximum payday”

Jay-Z’s lawyer is speaking out over a week after the rapper filed a defamation lawsuit against Jane Doe — who initially named him in a lawsuit alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, which has since been dropped — and her attorneys, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney.

The rapper’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, opened up in an interview with Good Morning America about why the “Empire State of Mind” musician, 55, decided to file his lawsuit seeking assumed, actual and punitive damages.

“The truth had to fully come out,” Spiro said. “This person cannot be allowed to sort of hide from the reality that this was a false accusation.”

In Jay-Z’s lawsuit, he claimed that the initial allegations of rape against him were knowingly “false” and “malicious.” (Jane Doe claimed in her lawsuit that she was assaulted by Jay-Z and Combs after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000). He added that the sexual assault suit was “strategically and tactically calculated and time to inflict maximum pain and suffering” to him and Jane Doe and her lawyers “launched to extort” the rapper “through a menacing ‘private’ ‘demand letter.’ ”

The filing also alleged that Jane Doe “voluntarily admitted” to Jay-Z’s representative that “Carter did not assault her” and that Buzbee “pushed her to go forward with the false narrative of the assault by Mr. Carter in order to leverage a maximum payday.”

A recording purported to be of Jane Doe denying that Jay-Z did not assault her and her saying that her attorney Buzbee “kind of pushed” her into naming Jay-Z in her lawsuit while being interviewed by private investigators was obtained by GMA. Spiro told the outlet that the “tape speaks for itself.”

“She says in no uncertain terms, Mr. Carter did not do this,” Spiro claims. “It is effectively a lie and the only reason Mr. Carter is even involved in this was because she was pushed to involve him, pushed to include him by a lawyer.” 

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Buzbee told GMA in a statement that it was a “blatant lie” that he pushed Jane Doe to name Jay-Z in her lawsuit and shared his own recording where Jane Doe denied saying anything in the recording to the private investigators.

In a separate statement to PEOPLE obtained on March 3, he said, “It appears that the quotes attributed to her in the lawsuit are completely made up, or they spoke to someone who isn’t Jane Doe.” Buzbee also claimed, “This is just another attempt to intimidate and bully this poor woman that we will deal with in due course. We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.”

Buzbee and fellow attorney Antigone Curis had Jane Doe’s lawsuit voluntarily dismissed “with prejudice” on Friday, Feb. 14. Jane Doe said in a court filing, per GMA, that although she “ultimately chose not to pursue them, I stand by my claims.”

When asked if Jane Doe was “coerced” into dropping her lawsuit by Jay-Z and Combs, the “Renegade” rapper’s lawyer denied it.

“Of course not. They did not coerce her, promise or threaten her in any way, shape or form,” Spiro said. He further claimed, “She voluntarily met and spoke to them and she told them her truth, which was under no circumstances did Mr. Carter do this, and number two the only reason he’s even involved in this is she was pushed to introduce him by a lawyer.”

When asked if Jay-Z knew Jane Doe or “ever met her,” Spiro said “no.” He explained, “Mr. Carter doesn’t know Jane Doe, never met Jane Doe. There’s no truth to any of this.”

Jay-Z previously filed a complaint against Buzbee in L.A. in December 2024, accusing him of civil extortion, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, L.A. Judge Mark H. Epstein signaled that the defamation claim has merit to proceed to trial, but was leaning toward dismissing the extortion claim, according to Rolling Stone.

In that complaint, the musician alleged  Buzbee intentionally filed the complaint on the eve of his daughter Blue Ivy’s Mufasa: The Lion King movie premiere “to put me in the position of having to choose between supporting my daughter or hiding to avoid the negative press.” He also claimed that he lost $20 million in contracts due to the false allegations in Buzbee’s lawsuit and that he has been going through deep “mental anguish” since it was filed.