Could criminal charges follow? Will Jane Does’ identity be revealed? Legal experts get involved.

Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has launched his defense against allegations that he raped a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000.

Since being named in the civil lawsuit on Dec. 8 — in which a Jane Doe claimed the two rappers raped her at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty — he has denied the allegations in a sharp statement and accused Doe’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, of to have tried to “blackmail” him by pressuring him to reach an out-of-court settlement.

Carter’s attorney, Alex Spiro, has since filed a motion to reveal Doe’s identity or dismiss the case. He also called on Southern District of New York Judge Analisa Torres to expedite the case “due to the extremely sensitive nature of this matter and the intense media scrutiny it has generated.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Carter is completely innocent. “This is shocking,” Spiro wrote in a Dec. 9 filing. “Every day and in real time, Buzbee continues to reinforce false narratives and exploit the legal process to gain media attention and damage Mr. Carter’s reputation.”

While Combs – who also maintains his innocence in what he calls “patently false” and “unfounded” allegations made against him last year – is in prison on sex trafficking and racketeering charges and faces a possible 150 civil charges for sexual assault, it’s only natural to wonder what’s next for Carter in this case.

Could criminal charges follow? Will Doe’s identity be made public? And what happens next? Yahoo Entertainment spoke to legal experts about these questions.

Could Carter’s accuser file a criminal complaint?

In Carter’s statement denying the allegations, the rapper implored Doe to “file a criminal complaint, not a civil lawsuit.” Her attorney Buzbee told TMZ that she wasn’t ruling it out. It can, but it remains to be determined whether the alleged crime can be prosecuted.

“Prosecutors would likely evaluate whether charges can be filed based on the statute of limitations and the strength of the available evidence,” San Diego criminal defense attorney Elmira Yousufi of David P. Shapiro Criminal Defense Attorneys told Yahoo. “In New York there is no statute of limitations for first-degree rape. Therefore, if the alleged assault falls under this charge, the prosecution could proceed regardless of the time that has elapsed. However, if the case does not fall under this charge, the statute of limitations may preclude prosecution.”

Time can most likely be a factor too.

“Prosecutors are often reluctant to pursue very old rape cases because of challenges such as lost evidence, faded memories and the difficulty of meeting the high burden of proof,” Yousufi said. “Defendants may also argue that delays have impaired their ability to mount a fair defense. On the other hand, public attention and outcry in high-profile cases could put political pressure on prosecutors to pursue charges despite these hurdles.”

Why shouldn’t Doe press charges before filing a lawsuit, as Carter had suggested?

There are several reasons for this, including the skepticism that sexual assault survivors face.

“Victims of sexual violence who attempt to access the criminal justice system are often met with doubt, skepticism and then quickly discredited,” said Judie A. Saunders, a partner at ASK LLP, where she leads the firm’s Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Department . “I often receive calls from survivors who contact me only after law enforcement has dismissed their accounts with minimal investigation. Our criminal system is not designed to support survivors and disrupt abusive authority figures.”

Could Jane Does’ identity be revealed?

In his initial pleas in the case, Carter’s attorney, Spiro, asked the judge to reveal her identity to Doe or dismiss her complaint. Spiro wrote that Carter “does not have to defend himself in the brightest spotlight against an accuser who hides in complete darkness and makes allegations that describe the alleged acts occurring in front of witnesses who could refute the plaintiff’s allegations if.” only her identity would be known.” revealed.”

Doe’s anonymity is not guaranteed.

“While courts may allow plaintiffs to remain anonymous in rare cases, this typically requires substantial evidence of significant harm,” Yousufi said. “In a recent lawsuit against P. Diddy, a plaintiff requested similar anonymity, citing potential harm, but the judge ruled that the concerns were not serious enough to outweigh the importance of transparency.”

Anna Kane, who claims she was a victim of human trafficking and gang rape at the hands of Combs and his associates in 2008 when she was 17, recently refiled her lawsuit against him, citing her name, after being ordered to do so.

“Given the parallels, it is likely that the judge in the Jay-Z case will make a similar decision, finding that the plaintiff’s concerns do not meet the high hurdle required for pseudonymous action,” Yousufi said. “However, if the plaintiff can demonstrate that she has a significant privacy interest, the judge could rule in her favor.”

How common are reminder letters?

Carter, in both his deposition and legal filings, accused Doe’s attorney, Buzbee, of trying to “extort” him out of “millions” after he sent him a demand letter requesting private arbitration. When he didn’t agree, they refiled Doe’s lawsuit naming Carter, who was not named in the first lawsuit but referred to as “Celebrity A.”

“It is not unusual for the plaintiff’s attorney to send a demand letter, as Mr. Buzbee did,” said Saunders, a former New York prosecutor. “Demand letters are commonly used by litigators in many areas of law such as personal injury, breach of contract, bankruptcy, etc.”

She added: “Potential defendants who feign outrage after receiving a demand letter” may be doing so to “elicit sympathy and strike a pose.” A potential defendant has the option to reject the proposed claim or ignore the letter altogether.”

Could the as yet unidentified “Celebrity B” be prosecuted?

If Doe files criminal charges against Carter and Combs, what about “Celebrity B,” described in the lawsuit as a female celebrity who witnessed the alleged attack?

“It is unlikely that ‘Celebrity B’ will be charged for her alleged role as much time has passed since the alleged incident,” Yousufi said. “Prosecutors typically focus their efforts on those accused of directly committing the attack. Even when witnesses or bystanders are called to testify, it is rare for them to be charged unless there is evidence of active involvement or attempts to obstruct justice.”

There’s still a chance that “Celebrity B” will be added as a defendant in this civil suit at a later date – like Carter.

There’s also the possibility that, similar to Doe’s legal team attempting to mediate with Carter before including him in the lawsuit, Doe’s legal team also did the same with “Celebrity B” and reached some sort of private settlement.

How many lawsuits did Buzbee file against Combs?

In his statement, Carter called Doe’s Texas-based attorney an “ambulance chaser.” In the wake of criminal charges against Combs, Buzbee and a team of attorneys, including Andrew Van Arsdale of AVA Law Group and Antigone Curis of Curis Law, used a 1-800 hotline to search for clients with allegations against Combs.

Buzbee announced at a press conference in October that he and his co-counsel would file 120 individual lawsuits alleging sexual assault and exploitation against Combs. This number has grown.

“I think the potential (number of) cases is probably in the range of 300,” Buzbee told the BBC, “but I think realistically it will ultimately be around 100 to 150,” due to the statute of limitations on some of these allegations .

He said his team has received around 3,000 calls so far and the calls continue to come every day.

He has already filed 20 lawsuits, representing both female and male plaintiffs. Her allegations span a period of 20 years.

Combs’ legal team has called Buzbee’s lawsuits “shameless publicity stunts” designed to extort payments from celebrities who fear lies are being spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.

In his statement, Carter called Buzbee a “deplorable human being” and vowed to expose him as a “fraud…in a VERY public way.”

Buzbee wrote on Facebook that he “will not be bullied or intimidated” and that sunlight “is the best disinfectant and I’m pretty sure the sun is coming.”

Is Carter still suing Buzbee?

Carter anonymously filed a lawsuit against Buzbee in Los Angeles Superior Court in November – as the celebrity “John Doe” – accusing him of extortion in connection with Doe’s allegations. This case is ongoing and will be dealt with separately. A hearing is scheduled for May 16, 2025 at the Santa Monica Courthouse.

How does Carter deal with this publicly?

Carter, who said Buzbee made a “terrible error of judgment” when he sued him, isn’t hiding.

After posting his statement on the Roc Nation X account on December 8, he made a surprise appearance on the red carpet Mufasa: The Lion King Premiere in Los Angeles on December 9th with his wife Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who have voice roles in the film.

The family did not speak to reporters at the event, Inside Edition reported. They actually came together as a family and gave the impression of a united front.

What happens next in this case?

No deadlines or hearings have been set for this case. Spiro called for the lawsuit to be expedited, saying the “false narratives” had damaged Carter’s reputation.