Despite recently re-surfaced rape allegations, rapper Jay-Z appeared alongside his wife Beyoncé, daughter Blue Ivy, and mother-in-law Tina Knowles at the Los Angeles premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." This marks Blue Ivy's debut in a feature film. The film also features Beyoncé reprising her role as Nala from the 2019 live-action remake.
The lawsuit, initially filed in October and refiled this past Sunday in New York, alleges that Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean "Diddy" Combs at a 2000 MTV Video Music Awards after-party. The accuser, who remains anonymous, claims Combs and another individual, identified as "Celebrity B," were present during the alleged assault. In the amended complaint, Carter is identified as "Celebrity A."
Jay-Z vehemently denies the accusations. In a statement released by his company, Roc Nation, he accuses the lawyer who filed the suit, Tony Buzbee, of blackmail and urges for a criminal investigation. He expressed concern for the impact these allegations will have on his children, particularly his eldest daughter, who is now old enough to be exposed to media coverage.
Combs' representative also denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit a publicity stunt aimed at extorting money. Further controversy arose when Tina Knowles appeared to like a social media post about the lawsuit, which she later attributed to her account being hacked. Knowles was seen alongside Jay-Z at the premiere.
"Mufasa: The Lion King" is set for theatrical release on December 20th.
