Tony Buzbee has clapped back at JAY-Z’s legal maneuvers to discredit him, labeling the mogul’s attempts to impose sanctions and dismiss Jane Doe’s lawsuit as “an unprecedented attempt to silence a victim.”
Representing Jane Doe, who has accused JAY-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was just 13 years old, Buzbee is pushing back hard against the rapper’s legal team’s claims of misconduct and frivolity.
The Houston-based attorney says that the rap mogul’s legal team has crossed the line from defense into intimidation, accusing them of trying to derail the case by discrediting the plaintiff and her counsel.
“Carter’s celebrity status does not entitle him to special treatment by the courts,” Buzbee stated in the filing, emphasizing the thoroughness of his investigation into the allegations.
The lawsuit alleges that in 2000, Jane Doe was drugged and assaulted at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards.
JAY-Z’s lawyers argue the case is riddled with inconsistencies, pointing to NBC’s coverage of the case, which raised questions about details in Jane Doe’s account, including the location of the alleged assault and other contextual specifics.
However, Buzbee asserts that these discrepancies are the result of trauma-induced memory lapses, a common phenomenon in survivors of sexual violence.
Buzbee also hit back at allegations that his firm was sloppy and irresponsible in vetting Jane Doe’s allegations.
According to the filing, multiple attorneys, including a retired police detective, conducted rigorous interviews and research to corroborate her claims before filing the lawsuit.
Buzbee pointed to the groundwork his team conducted to verify Jane Doe’s allegations, including exhaustive research into the events surrounding the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards and JAY-Z’s whereabouts that evening.
Buzbee says his evidence supposedly contradicts JAY-Z’s claims, asserting that while photos show JAY-Z at a Manhattan after-party that did not match Jane Doe’s description of the after-party she allegedly attended, they do not account for the rest of his activities throughout the night.
The NBC report that JAY-Z’s lawyers rely on acknowledges that “its purported findings ‘do not necessarily mean the allegations are false.’”
Buzbee maintains that his client’s account of being taken to a private residence matches details of the alleged assault, further supported by connections between JAY-Z and co-defendant Sean Combs, including their history of attending exclusive gatherings in the area.
“We won’t speculate on whether there was an after-after party,” Buzbee stated, “but her detailed description of the venue is consistent and specific to what happened that night.”
Buzbee has maintained that his investigation meets all legal standards and far exceeds the bar for ethical representation.
Buzbee also alleged a campaign of harassment against his law firm, claiming that individuals tied to JAY-Z’s camp had contacted his employees and clients, urging them to file baseless complaints against him.
This alleged harassment, Buzbee argued, is part of a broader strategy to intimidate and undermine him as counsel for Jane Doe.
In response to JAY-Z’s bid to sanction him for supposed procedural violations, Buzbee minced no words, calling the move “factually and legally meritless” and accusing JAY-Z’s legal team of using the motion as a scare tactic to evade discovery.
“This is nothing more than an improper attempt to intimidate plaintiff and her counsel,” Buzbee’s filing reads.
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