Jay-Z has said he was "heartbroken" by the 2024 sexual assault lawsuit against him and that he would "die" before agreeing to a settlement, as he continues to speak publicly about the now-dismissed case.

In a new GQ cover interview published this week, the 56-year-old rapper reflected on the civil lawsuit filed in late 2024 by an anonymous woman who accused him and Sean "Diddy" Combs of raping her at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, allegations he has repeatedly denied.

He described the experience as "hard, really hard," saying he was "really heartbroken by everything that occurred" and that the accusations took a severe toll on his well-being, according to People.

Jay-Z said he chose to fight the claims in court rather than consider any payout, insisting that accepting a settlement would go against his values. "I can't take a settlement – it ain't in my DNA," he said, adding that "I would die" before doing so and explaining that he could not carry the weight such a decision would put on his family.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court in December 2024, alleged that the woman, then 13 years old, was sexually assaulted by Combs and Jay-Z at a party connected to the MTV awards.

Court records and subsequent reports show that the case was voluntarily dismissed by the accuser in early 2025, after Jay-Z's team had moved to challenge the claims and question inconsistencies in her account, ABC News reported.

Jay-Z has previously labeled the allegations "frivolous, fictitious [and] appalling," calling the lawsuit a "money grab" and saying it caused serious damage to his reputation and business interests. In a separate filing, he alleged that the case led to emotional distress and financial losses exceeding $20 million for his company Roc Nation.

In the new interview, he also spoke about the emotional impact, saying he experienced "uncontrollable anger" over what he viewed as false accusations but remained confident the case would ultimately be resolved in his favor.

He noted that the episode showed him how those close to him truly felt, while reiterating that he believes serious accusations should only be made when people are "super sure" of their claims.

People magazine and other outlets report that the accuser has since acknowledged making "some mistakes" in her original account, even as she has maintained that something happened to her.

Jay-Z, however, continues to state that the claims against him are not true and says he is relieved the lawsuit has been dismissed so he can move forward, as per the BBC.

Tags
Jay-Z, Sexual assault, Allegations