NEWS
Jay-Z‘s lawyer has told the court that the anonymous accuser’s claims against his client and Diddy are too old to pursue.
Per Rolling Stone, the lawyer, Alex Spiro, filed new court paperwork yesterday (December 30) stating plans to challenge the lawsuit on grounds that the claim does not qualify for revival under the “lookback” window linked to New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act (GMVA). Spiro argued that the GMVA was not enacted until December 19, 2000, which took place three months after the alleged rape.
On December 8, it was reported that Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – was named in a lawsuit which alleged the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000 by the rapper and Diddy, real name Sean Combs.
In a statement issued via Roc Nation, Carter called the allegations “heinous in nature” and dismissed them as a “blackmail attempt”, and filed a court letter seeking the dismissal of the suit while maintaining his innocence. Combs also denies the accuser’s claims.
In Spiro’s letter to the court, obtained by Rolling Stone, he wrote: “[The GMVA] cannot apply retroactively to create a cause of action unavailable to plaintiff at the time in question. A contrary conclusion would violate both state and federal due process protections.”
The letter also cites a prior ruling that involved the dismissal of a sexual assault lawsuit against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler by former model Jeanne Bellino, who had claimed the singer had sexually assaulted her twice in one day when she was aged 17. Tyler denied the allegations.
The presiding judge over the case dismissed the claim because it sought to use the GMVA revival window for an alleged attack, which was said to have taken place in Manhattan, New York in 1975.
In a ruling last Thursday (December 26), Judge Analisa Torres declared that the woman can proceed anonymously in the case after Jay-Z had sought to reveal her name.
The judge pointed to the “weight of the factors” including the “highly sensitive and extremely personal” nature of the claim in making her decision, arguing it “tips the favour of allowing Plaintiff to remain anonymous, at least for this stage of the litigation”.
Carter’s team had sued the accuser’s lawyer Tony Buzbee for extortion and defamation, claiming that his demand letter only gave a two-week window to commit to a “confidential mediation” regarding an alleged male and female victim. Both have claimed they were drugged and raped when they were minors.
Buzbee has called the claim “patently frivolous” and added that it “will be dismissed,” per Rolling Stone. “I’ve never said a word about him. This is just another attempt to bully and intimidate me. It just won’t work.”
It followed Buzbee filing a lawsuit against Roc Nation where he accused the company and its lawyers of using “shadowy operatives” and promising to pay Buzbee’s former clients to illegally entice them into filing “frivolous” claims against him.
Roc Nation has denied that accusation, saying the lawsuit is “baloney” and a “pathetic attempt to distract and deflect attention” from the case. “Mr. Carter is not someone who can be intimidated,” the rapper’s lawyers said, adding: “He filed this lawsuit to pre-emptively call out Buzbee for the miscreant that he is.”
Earlier this month, the unnamed accuser, known in court documents as Jane Doe, admitted to making “some mistakes” in her recollection of that night.
In a video interview with NBC News, the woman, now 35, recalled the alleged events of the night from her memory as outlined in the lawsuit.
In a statement, Carter said the “incident didn’t happen” but Buzbee “filed it in court and doubled down in the press.”
“True Justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory,” the rapper continued. “This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon.”
The accuser is seeking unspecified damages, with the lawsuit filed under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
Earlier this month, the NFL commented on the state of its relationship with Jay-Z and Roc Nation amid the allegations, stating that their “relationship’s not changing” with Roc Nation.
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
NEWS
Fontaines D.C. members Carlos O’Connell and Tom Coll have been behind the production of the forthcoming second album from French indie outfit Film Noir. To introduce the project, the band has unveiled the paired singles ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’, which you can listen to below.
The Fontaines D.C. guitarist and drummer worked alongside Film Noir at La Frette Studios just outside Paris. The renowned recording space is also where Arctic Monkeys created their two most recent albums, ‘Tranquillity Base…’ and ‘The Car’.
O’Connell is partnered with Film Noir vocalist Joséphine de La Baume, who is also known for her work as an actor, filmmaker and model. Together, they share two children, with their first child serving as the inspiration for Fontaines’ 2025 track ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’.
Reflecting on the project while announcing his role in the album, O’Connell shared on social media: “In early 2020 I walked into a gig in a club in Paris and was introduced to a band called Film Noir. I fell in love with the singer, I went on to make babies with her to to fall in love twice again with them.
“A little while back myself, [Coll] and @filmnoirmusic went to La Frette and recorded their upcoming record.”
The guitarist continued: “Producing this record was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had. Blessed to have so many. This album means the world to me & I hope it’ll mean something to many more.”
Film Noir have offered an early look at the still untitled album through the release of ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’. O’Connell handled production duties on both tracks, while Coll contributed drums. O’Connell also took care of mixing on ‘VEGITA’.
Opening with a light acoustic arrangement, ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ gradually unfolds into a dreamy sound shaped by shoegaze influences. In contrast, ‘VEGITA’ leans into a brighter, surf inspired feel that complements de La Baume’s floating vocal performance.
The group has also released a behind the scenes video capturing moments from the recording sessions for their sophomore album, which can be viewed below. At this stage, no official release date has been announced.
Back in spring 2020, O’Connell collaborated with Film Noir on a rendition of Lee Hazlewood’s ‘For A Day Like Today’ (via LiveForever). When the track arrived, the band described the guitarist as “a great supporter of the European rock scene and a common friend”.
Film Noir first emerged with their debut EP, ‘Vertiges (Men Of Glory)’, in 2019, followed by ‘Tendrement’ a year later. Their first full length album, ‘Palpitant’, arrived in 2022.
Outside of music, Joséphine de La Baume portrayed Marie in the 2011 film adaptation of One Day alongside Anne Hathaway. She has also appeared in Apple TV’s The New Look and the Polish period feature Chopin, a Sonata in Paris.
O’Connell also produced the self titled debut album from Dead Dads Club, the new project led by former Palma Violets singer Chilli Jesson. Released in 2026, that record was also created at La Frette Studios.
Speaking with NME earlier this year, O’Connell explained that the French studio “feels like a home”. He continued: “There’s nothing about it that feels corporate or constrained by time. My mind goes into this creative mode in which I can hear things in a certain way, and it doesn’t stop until I leave the building.”
Jesson also spoke about the experience, saying: “It was really organic. Carlos, on one of the tours we were on together, was working on a Film Noir album, and he was always mixing it and playing around with sounds. He’d just come out of the studio at La Frette and to see that process, with the production, I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I’d been in a world where it was all on the computer, and then suddenly he’s talking about a fucking bass drum that’s two metres long.’”
More recently, Fontaines D.C. contributed music to the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The band also appeared on the collaborative charity release ‘Help(2)’, which supports War Child.
The group are preparing to return to the stage this summer for their first performances in nearly a year, beginning with three headline concerts in Spain before taking on their first ever top billing appearances at Reading & Leeds 2026.
Their schedule also includes a headline performance at Electric Picnic in Ireland, alongside appearances at European and American festivals including Frequency, La Route du Rock and Shaky Knees.
Discussing new material with NME at the beginning of the year, O’Connell revealed: “We’ve been writing, it’s been fun. We’re at [Reading & Leeds] and there are a couple of shows before that. I think if the music is there, it could get busy.”
Asked whether any fresh songs could appear during the Reading & Leeds performances, he responded: “I’d say so. If there is stuff written, then I would say so, yeah. That’s what we used to do all the time, play the new stuff live, songs that weren’t even finished. It’s a good way to test the songs.”
O’Connell was also asked whether elements of the visual production from the ‘Romance’ era might carry over into the band’s 2026 shows. “I think ‘Romance’ was so intense in every [way]… the visual, the production, the setlist… It wasn’t just about the music,” he explained.
“It’s almost a bit of the identity of the band now, but I guess that’s the decision to make. Does that become the identity of the band, or actually, it’s just a phase and you reinvent it? I don’t know.”
He went on to add: “I personally like the idea of revisiting some old stuff at Reading & Leeds, making the setlist maybe a bit more ‘Dogrel’ heavy. I’m excited about that. I’ve been listening to music like that much more. This morning I was listening to Sonic Youth. I want to go [in] that direction, but we’ll see, because anything could happen now, literally anything.”
‘Romance’ ultimately secured the Number Two spot on NME‘s list of the 50 best albums of 2024, finishing just behind Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’.
