Jay-Z opens up about ‘uncontrollable anger’ after false sexual assault claims

Jay-Z has revealed the emotional toll of being falsely accused of sexual assault, calling the experience “heartbreaking” and admitting it left him with “uncontrollable anger.”

The 56-year-old rapper, born Shawn Carter, spoke to GQ about a 2024 lawsuit filed by an anonymous woman claiming she was sexually assaulted at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000, when she was 13. 

The lawsuit also named Sean “Diddy” Combs. Jay-Z vehemently denied the allegations, and the case was later voluntarily withdrawn.

“It was hard. Really hard. I was heartbroken… like I was really heartbroken by everything that occurred,” Jay-Z said. 

“We’re in a space now where it’s almost like consequence is not thought about enough. Because everything is so instant, you know what I’m saying?”

He added that the ordeal left him furious: “That whole [lawsuit thing], that s*** took a lot out of me. I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger. You don’t put that on someone that’s a thing you better be super sure.”

Jay-Z reflected on the principles he grew up with: “Even when we were doing the worst things, we had those kind of rules. 

There was a line: no women, no kids. You hear those sayings, but those are the things that I took from the street. We lived and died by that. So it’s strict for me, like it meant a lot to me.”

He also discussed the difficulty of sharing the news with his wife, Beyoncé, and confirmed he never considered settling the suit. 

“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 [settle]. I would die,” he said. 

“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.”

Jay-Z remains affected by the experience, acknowledging that he is “still dealing with” the emotional fallout.

The rapper had previously denied the woman’s claims in a public statement, expressing concern for his children, who might encounter the allegations in the media. 

“Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away… My only heartbreak is for my family,” he 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… and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”

After the lawsuit was withdrawn, Jay-Z filed a defamation case against the accuser and her lawyers, which a judge dismissed five months later.