Why People Have Been Waiting For Jay-Z's Downfall

Over the last year, there’s been a music industrywide reckoning brewing from the mounting sex abuse and assault allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs. With his infamous star-studded soirees becoming a common thread in some of the civil lawsuits (and now criminal case) involving him, many have asked which alleged celebrity abusers could be named next. Well, this week, Jay-Z found himself pulled into one of the latest allegations against Combs.

On Sunday, the hip-hop mogul, born Shawn Carter, was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl with Combs at an awards show afterparty over 20 years ago. The lawsuit was originally filed in October by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee — the same lawyer who announced plans to file over 120 civil suits against Combs — with Combs named as the defendant but was recently refiled to include Carter, NBC News first reported. Combs has denied all allegations.

As swiftly as the allegation was made public, Carter quickly condemned the “heinous” claim and Buzbee for allegedly attempting to blackmail the rapper into settling with the accuser. 

“What [Buzbee] had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” Carter wrote in a searing statement on his Roc Nation company’s social media accounts, denying the allegation. “No sir. It had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!”

Carter added: “You have made a terrible error in judgment, thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I’m not from your world. … Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me. … I look forward to showing you just how different I am.”

This is the first time Carter has personally spoken out to defend his name against serious allegations. The hip-hop star remained quiet when Piers Morgan aired an interview with Jaguar Wright — who’s known for trafficking conspiracy theories — in October, in which she spewed baseless accusations about Carter and his wife, Beyoncé. Morgan apologised for airing the interview shortly after the Carters’ lawyers contacted him. But now many are questioning the stark difference in Carter’s replies in light of the fallout from his most recent comments.

Since Sunday, Carter’s scandal has become a media circus, with reports about a litigation war between his lawyers and Buzbee. The mogul is the most prominent public figure to be named in Combs’ legal saga so far, which isn’t shocking to those who have cited their years-long friendship. Some thought a scandal like this would surface sooner; social media users have been trying to connect Carter to Combs’ crimes for months amid his continued silence. 

Though neither Combs nor Carter has been found guilty, it seems as though several folks have been waiting for a moment like this to be Carter’s downfall — there are a litany of mixed opinions about the allegations floating around on social media.

Shortly after news broke about the allegations against Carter, his former rap protégé, Foxy Brown, shared a series of cryptic Instagram posts that some fans presumed was a response to his rape allegation. A representative for Brown did not respond to HuffPost’s request for clarification. 

50 Cent, Carter’s longtime rival, meanwhile, took a direct swipe at the mogul on X, formerly called Twitter, writing in one trolling post, “Ok I don’t know what’s going on, but are we gonna still have the Super Bowl. ????I’m just asking for a friend.”

In a since-deleted Instagram post, the “Candy Shop” rapper also slammed Carter for attending the Monday premiere of Beyoncé and their daughter Blue Ivy’s new movie, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” so soon after facing public ridicule, People reported.

Conversely, some individuals have spoken up for Carter in light of the recent accusation. On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell — who partners with Carter’s Roc Nation to produce the Super Bowl halftime shows — said in a press conference, “We’re aware of the civil allegation, and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that,” adding, “But from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparation for the next Super Bowl.”

In the past year, celebrity cancel culture on social media has become increasingly polarized, with people anxiously waiting to oust public figures for perceived misdeeds. That said, while support for Carter seems strong from his family and figures like Goodell, the unfolding details of his civil suit have prompted online sleuths to dig up past instances that they say justify Carter’s scrutiny.

Sometime before he was accused, former Roc Nation artist M.I.A. claimed that Carter suggested “the first thing” she should’ve done after signing to his record label was get plastic surgery, per an Instagram clip posted in late November.

And in a 2005 interview on “The Tyra Banks Show,” Rihanna, a current Roc Nation artist, revealed an off-putting comment Carter once made after she first auditioned for his label. “He said, ‘There are two ways to leave here,’” she recalled. “‘Either through the door, with a deal signed, or through this window, and we’re on the 29th floor.’”

As of now, Carter is only facing a civil suit for the allegation — unlike Combs, who’s currently detained and awaiting a federal criminal trial next year. However, the divisive court of public opinion has been quick to call Carter an alleged perpetrator who, even if not a participant with Combs, is guilty by association. In TMZ’s “The Downfall of Diddy: Inside the Freak-Offs” documentary, Buzbee himself said he sent demand letters to several celebrities who allegedly witnessed crimes at Combs’ “freak-offs,” essentially telling them to pay up or face very public damage to their reputations.

The ongoing conversation about the allegations against Combs and Carter demonstrates the public’s desire for more accountability in cases of sexual abuse, especially for seemingly untouchable figures. For now, we’ll have to keep waiting to see what develops next.

Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment.