NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell states that JAY-Z’s established connection with the NFL remains unchanged despite the recent sexual assault lawsuit filed against him.
Goodell issued a statement after the league’s winter meetings on Wednesday (December 11), confirming that Hov and Roc Nation will still manage the yearly halftime show and the NFL’s social justice programs.
“We understand the civil accusations and JAY-Z’s very forceful reaction to them,” Goodell stated. “We understand that the litigation is currently underway, so for us, our relationship with them remains unchanged, including our planning for the upcoming Super Bowl.”
“I believe they are becoming very at ease not only with the Super Bowl but also with other events where they’ve provided us guidance and assistance,” he remarked. “They have significantly assisted us in the area of social justice on numerous occasions.” “They have been excellent collaborators.”
In a legal case initiated by prominent attorney Tony Buzbee representing an unnamed client, Hov is alleged to have sexually assaulted the teen at an afterparty after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
The legal action was initially filed in October, naming Diddy as the defendant while JAY-Z was mentioned anonymously as “Celebrity A.”
The lawsuit was refiled on Sunday (December 8) and identified Jay (born Shawn Carter) as a defendant, as per court documents reviewed by HipHopDX.
The supposed victim asserts that a driver for Diddy invited her to an afterparty, stating that she “matched what Diddy desired.”
Once she arrived at “a big white house featuring a gated U-shaped driveway,” the girl reportedly received a drink that quickly caused her to “feel dizzy and faint, prompting her to lie down.”
She asserts that she discovered an unused bedroom to rest in and later woke up to Diddy and JAY-Z coming into the room with an unidentified female star.
JAY-Z supposedly took off her clothes and pinned her down as he assaulted her, with Diddy and the unknown woman observing.
The lawsuit alleges that Diddy subsequently raped the girl while Jay and the woman observed.
According to the filing, the girl ultimately succeeded in escaping by “striking [Diddy] in the neck” when he attempted to coerce her into performing oral sex, fleeing the party and arriving at a nearby gas station where her father picked her up.
In an uncommon public statement from Roc Nation, JAY-Z condemned the accusations and criticized Buzbee, labeling him a “fraud” and asserting that he had attempted to “blackmail” him.
“These accusations are so atrocious that I urge you to submit a criminal complaint, rather than a civil one!!” “Whoever would perpetrate such a crime against a child deserves to be imprisoned, don’t you think?” the rap icon stated.
“If that were true, these supposed victims would merit genuine justice.”
The declaration also noted the effect the lawsuit would have on Jay’s famously private family life: “My sole sorrow is for my family.” My spouse and I will need to talk to our kids, one of whom is old enough that her friends will likely notice the media coverage and inquire about the nature of these allegations, and discuss the harshness and selfishness of individuals. “I grieve yet another loss of purity.”
Hov also criticized Buzbee’s legal actions by stating: “I extend my heart and support to genuine victims globally, who must witness their life narrative being exploited for profit by this opportunist in a tacky suit.”
