Woman who accused Jay-Z of rape heard on recording saying lawyer pushed her to sue

 

The unnamed woman who alleged that Jay-Z raped her has been heard stating that he never sexually assaulted her in a new audio recording.

In a lawsuit filed last year, the rapper – real name Shawn Carter – was accused of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl at a VMAs after-party in 2000, along with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

The 55-year-old fiercely denied all allegations and the lawsuit was recently dropped, with the star now taking legal action against his accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee.

In new audio obtained by ABC News, the woman, known only as Jane Doe, appeared to be heard during an interview with two private investigators, where she detailed her allegations.

A male official clarified the alleged assault, questioning: ‘But Jay-Z, you’re saying he was definitely there? But he had no part in it? Or he was just…’

‘He was there,’ Doe interjected.

A female investigator then asked: ‘He was just there, but he didn’t have anything to do with any sexual acts towards you, it was strictly…’

‘Yeah,’ she simply replied.

In a twist, she also alleged that it was Buzbee that ‘pushed her’ towards going forward with the allegations against Carter, having previously only named Combs in her initial lawsuit in October.

‘He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z,’ Doe said.

When the investigators clarified that she was referring to Buzbee, she said, ‘Yeah’, adding that she did not know why.

Buzbee hit back at her claims, branding it a ‘blatant lie’ that he spurred her to sue Carter.

‘As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay Z – That is a blatant lie that is directly contrary to all the documentary evidence,’ he told the outlet in a statement.

The lawyer also shared his own audio footage with ABC News, in which he told his client: ‘They say they have you on tape denying that Jay-Z assaulted you. Is that true?’

Doe replied: ‘No, no. I don’t… I never said that.’

‘They also say that you told them – and they have it on tape – that I, Tony Buzbee, came up with this plan and told you to say that Jay-Z assaulted you so you would get more money,’ he responded.

‘No,’ she added.

Carter’s attorney, Alex Spiro, insisted that the first tape ‘speaks for itself’ in an interview with the publication.

‘She says in no uncertain terms Mr Carter did not do this,’ he added. ‘It’s effectively a lie and the only reason Mr Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him.’

Doe filed a lawsuit in October, alleging that Combs sexually assaulted her as a teenager, in 2000 – the documents were refiled in December to include Carter.

According to the paperwork, obtained by NBC, she claimed that a friend dropped her off at the VMAs, which was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, and she attempted to get a ticket to the ceremony, or an invite to an after-party.

She was reportedly driven to an after-party held at a white house with a U-shaped driveway, where she saw celebrities, and people doing drugs – she was offered a drink which made her feel ‘woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down.’

After consuming the drink, she claims Carter and Combs entered the room she was resting in, when the latter told her: ‘You are ready to party.’

Doe alleges Carter then removed her clothes and they both raped her while an unnamed female celebrity watched – they have denied all the allegations.

After inconsistencies were discovered in Doe’s story, Carter’s lawsuit was dropped earlier this year – he is now suing Doe and Buzbee for defamation, civil extortion, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He claimed that the allegations caused him severe financial damage, including the loss of $20million in business contracts.

NJ cop stole huge stash of drugs from evidence room and made $600K in questionable bank deposits

 

A New Jersey police lieutenant arrested for allegedly swiping narcotics from the county prosecutor’s evidence room was slapped with a 50-count indictment that detailed the fallen cop’s misdeeds — including $600,000 in bank deposits that didn’t come from his cop salary.

Kevin T. Matthew, 48, of Cedar Grove, has been suspended from his job at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office since his December 2023 arrest.

On Wednesday, the state attorney general’s office announced a wide-ranging indictment that charged Matthew with stealing cocaine, heroin and fentanyl marked as evidence — and in quantities “consistent with an intent to distribute those substances,” officials said in a statement.

Matthew’s alleged crimes — which happened between January 2019 and November 2023 — included big bank deposits that added up to about $600,000.

This money — deposited in small increments to not trip the banks’ federal requirement to report transactions of more than $10,000 daily — was “not derived from or traceable to his salary and compensation as a sworn law enforcement officer,” the statement said.

“The alleged misconduct by the defendant represents a stunning, tremendous disservice to the public,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in the statement.

“This case highlights the corrosive effects that corruption can have on public safety and trust,” he continued. “Instead of making Bergen County safer, the indictment alleges the defendant repeatedly withdrew from the evidence vault large amounts of dangerous drugs that had already been seized by law enforcement.

“This alleged conduct was a betrayal of this officer’s colleagues, his agency, his community, and his oath, and the grand jury’s findings reflect the severity of this alleged behavior.”

The drugs Matthew allegedly stole were related to nine different criminal cases, the attorney general said.

Matthew has been charged with financial facilitation of a criminal activity, possession with intent to distribute, official misconduct, tampering with public records and other drug and financial crimes.

Chief of Police John Pelletier is accused of of helping cover up gang rape

 

Maui’s police chief has been accused in a bombshell court filing of helping to cover up a gang rape allegedly carried out by Sean “Diddy” Combs, NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. and comedian Druski.

Police Chief John Pelletier is accused of trying to conceal the violent attack on one of Combs’ accusers, Ashley Parham, after it was reported in 2018, according to an amended lawsuit filed in Northern California federal court.

The police chief and the celebrities accused of carrying out the attack have all strenuously denied the allegations.

Then a police captain in Las Vegas, Pelletier is accused of posing as a Contra Costa sheriff’s deputy when he responded to a 911 call about the alleged sexual attack at a home in Orinda, Calif., the court papers charge.

The accuser claims a neighbor — who she believed at the time was a good Samaritan — called cops after she fled the home in the wake of the alleged gang rape.

“Pelletier, falsely posing as a Contra Costa Sheriff, told [the alleged victim] and the neighbor that they had received several noise complaints prior to the neighbor’s call and instructed [Parham] to find a way to get home,” the filing states.

Pelletier allegedly didn’t offer to take the woman home, call an ambulance, take her to the hospital or help retrieve her belongings from the home she’d just fled, according to the suit.

The accuser alleges seeing the top cop hand what appeared to be an envelope to the neighbor.

“The neighbor went to a nearby room and quickly returned empty-handed,” the filing states, adding the alleged victim “believes the envelope contained cash.”

Parham’s initial lawsuit detailing the alleged assault, which was first filed last October, didn’t identify Pelletier by name. The initial suit also didn’t name Beckham Jr. or Druski.

Pelletier, Beckham Jr. and Druski have all strenuously denied the allegations now in the amended filing.

“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate these claims to be false and will expose those who are deliberately trying to manipulate the legal system to spread misleading narratives,” a spokesperson for Pelletier said.

The initial suit claimed Combs threatened her with a knife and used a TV remote to rape the alleged victim in an apparent revenge attack after the woman had suggested a month earlier that the disgraced music mogul was involved in Tupac Shakur’s murder.

She alleges in the suit that a handful of other men then took turns raping her.

The attackers allegedly referred to Beckham as “Cornelius,” the amended lawsuit states, noting the 32-year-old athlete’s middle name is Cornelious.

“[The alleged victim] has come to discover the Defendant Doe Cornelius who raped her was Defendant Odell,” the lawsuit alleges.

Beckham said in a statement on X late Tuesday that he couldn’t “even believe that my name is mentioned in that matter.”

“There is absolutely no truth to those allegations,” he stated firmly. “I do not know and have never met the person that filed the suit.”

“I have never done anything like that, and I would never do anything like that to anyone,” he added. “I’m confident that these ridiculous claims against me will be dismissed.”

Elsewhere, Druski, whose real name is Drew Desbordes, is accused of putting oil on Parham’s naked body before “treating it like a slip and slide and knocking the wind out of [Parham] due to his enormous size,” the filing claims.

Druski then stopped himself from falling off the bed and allegedly raped Parham, the papers state.

Druski called it a “fabricated lie.”

“I wasn’t even a public figure in 2018 — I was broke living with my mom without any connections to the entertainment industry at the time of this allegation, so the inclusion of my name is truly outlandish,” he wrote on X.

“My heart breaks for actual victims of abuse, but I’m fully confident that the evidence will expose this falsehood and the individuals who are maliciously trying to game the legal system to peddle false narratives.”

Combs, for his part, has long denied the numerous claims leveled against him.

“This new complaint — brought by an attorney who has already been sued for defaming Mr. Combs — demonstrates the depraved lengths plaintiffs will travel to garner headlines in pursuit of a payday,” the rapper’s attorneys said in the wake of the amended suit.

“Mr. Combs was nowhere near Orinda, California on the day Ms. Parham claims she was assaulted there, and the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department has already confirmed Ms. Parham’s claims were determined to be unfounded following a thorough investigation.”

“In an attempt to salvage her claims following the investigation debunking them, Ms. Parham has now invented an even wilder narrative, alleging a vast [and facially implausible] conspiracy between law enforcement, local civilians, and media industry players,” the attorneys added.

“Mr. Combs looks forward to having his day in court where these lies — and the perverse motives of those who told them — will be revealed.”

Showing Her True Colors ...Letitia James ‘Extremely Concerned’ About Arrest of Man Accused of Leading Jew-Hatred at Columbia

Letitia James, the New York attorney general, defended the former Columbia University student, whom federal agents arrested on Saturday night for allegedly supporting Hamas and who reportedly let anti-Israel protests on the Ivy League campus.

“I am extremely concerned about the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an advocate and legal permanent resident of Palestinian descent,” James stated on Monday.

She added that her office “is monitoring the situation” and has been in contact with Khalil’s lawyer.

Missing Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki’s hometown sheriff names person of interest five days into search

 

Authorities in Virginia have identified a 24-year-old man as a person of interest in connection to University of Pittsburgh student SudikshaKonanki’s mysterious disappearance last week in the Dominican Republic, according to a report.

The sheriff’s office in Loudoun County, where the missing college student is from, told Fox News Digital that Iowa resident Joshua Ribe “has been interviewed at length” but has not been accused of foul play in what remains a missing persons case.

“Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques,” a spokesperson for the sheriff, Thomas Julia, told Fox News Digital.

“We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police.”

The 20-year-old pre-med student was on spring break with five friends at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana on March 6 when she vanished. She was last seen on the beach and Ribe is believed to be the last person to see her alive.

The pair was last captured on surveillance footage walking with a group of friends toward the beach area around 4:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Dominican Republic National Police.

Footage obtained by Noticias SIN showed Konanki seemingly clinging to Ribe, a fellow guest at the Caribbean resort, as the group walked onto the beach.

Konanki and several friends were on the beach before most of the group called it a night and headed back to their hotel, leaving the young woman on the sand along with her male companion, according to Dominican media.

Ribe, who traveled to the Dominican Republic from Iowa, gave authorities three different accounts of what happened after the two were alone on the beach, first telling cops he threw up from the rough surf and went back to shore — but asked Konanki if she was OK, according to local reports.

In the second version, he allegedly said he felt sick to his stomach and left the water, at which point he last saw the missing woman in knee-deep surf before he passed out.

He then told authorities he saw the Indian citizen and permanent US resident walking along the shore before he passed out on the sand.

Dominican police have not said if they suspect foul play, but said Ribe is cooperating with their investigation.

Local authorities have speculated that the spring breaker from Chantilly, Virginia, likely drowned after jumping into the ocean.

Jes Staley admits Jeffrey Epstein ‘became a friend’

 

The former bank boss Jes Staley pushed JP Morgan to keep Jeffrey Epstein as a client despite human trafficking concerns and told him suspicious withdrawals from his account were being investigated, a court has heard.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) put the allegations to the ex-chief executive of Barclays during his second day of witness testimony at the upper tribunal in London.

Staley, who resigned from Barclays in 2021, is trying to overturn the regulator’s decision to ban him from taking any senior roles in the UK financial sector after claiming he lied about the depth of his relationship with Epstein. Barclays declared to the regulator in a letter in 2019 that the two men “did not have a close relationship”.

Staley originally met Epstein in 2000 after he became head of JP Morgan’s private bank, where Epstein was a client, and continued their relationship after Staley was appointed to lead the investment bank in 2009.

The FCA’s lawyer Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC presented the tribunal with a series of internal emails and notes from JP Morgan bosses, who were considering dumping Epstein as a client in 2011. The financier had been released from prison after being convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor.

In one, a senior boss in the compliance team said he had held a meeting with colleagues “to determine how to approach the issue with Jes Staley who is friends with Mr Epstein. He needs to understand the potential backlash to the firm given all the work done to root out clients involved in human trafficking”.

The court was also showed another note produced by JP Morgan bosses which said Staley had asked the bank’s top lawyer, Stephen Cutler, to “hear [Epstein] out”.

Mulcahy put to Staley that others at JP Morgan “appeared to be of the view … that you were the one pushing to retain Mr Epstein as a client”.

Staley denied the allegations saying “I don’t think that’s fair”, adding that while JP Morgan knew the two men had a relationship, the decision to exit a client such as Epstein was not his to make.

He admitted to putting Cutler in contact with Epstein’s lawyer, but said that if JP Morgan’s top lawyer “had wanted to let Epstein go as a client he had full latitude to do that and I would never stand in his way”.

Mulcahy also accused Staley of sharing confidential information with Epstein, particularly about how JP Morgan had concerns over human trafficking allegations against the financier and suspicious cash withdrawals from his account. She pointed to an email that Epstein subsequently sent to a senior boss in the private bank in September 2011, saying “Jes told me that there was [an issue] with reg cash with drawals [sic].”

Staley said that while he “was not part of managing the account” he did not deny that he told Epstein there were concerns about cash withdrawals.

Epstein died in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial over charges on trafficking underage girls for sex.

Canada Prime Minister-elect Mark Carney looks chummy with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell

 

Canada’s incoming prime minister, Mark Carney, has some photos with Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell that he’d rather you not see.

Opponents are circulating the 2013 photos, which show Carney smiling alongside Maxwell — who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. The shots were taken at a music festival in the UK.

Carney’s camp says that the images are nothing more than a political ploy ahead of the Canadian federal election later this year.

In the photos, the 59-year-old was joined by his wife and another man, all of whom appeared friendly with Maxwell as they laughed and gestured at the stage.

The images first recirculated online in January after Carney —a former governor of the central banks for both Canada and the UK — announced his bid to replace outgoing Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

They got a fresh airing after he was picked to lead the Liberal Party on Sunday and become the next prime minister.

But Carney’s camp insists there’s nothing to see in the photos, claiming he and Maxwell barely know each other.

“This is another example of how [Conservative leader] Pierre Poilievre and [his PR head] Jenni Byrne have always played politics and it shows again how terrified they are to fight Mark Carney,” a source told the Toronto Sun in January.

Carney’s connection to Maxwell was extremely removed, the source said, explaining she went to high school with his sister-in-law.

“They have bumped into each other in public settings,” the source said. “They are not friends.”

Bob Levinson's South Florida family marks another year without answers on his birthday

 

The South Florida family of Bob Levinson, the retired FBI agent and Coral Springs resident who was abducted in Iran 18 years ago, continues to search for answers as they mark another difficult milestone.

Levinson's son, Daniel, reflected on the pain of his father's disappearance, which happened just one day before his birthday.

"Today would be my dad's 77th birthday," Daniel Levinson said. "Back in 2007, we were going to have a big celebration, but we never heard from him again. This time of year is always difficult."

Family keeps Levinson's memory alive

Levinson was working with a private company in Iran when he was taken and he is now presumed dead. Despite the years of uncertainty, his family continues to honor him.

"We always make sure to have a family FaceTime where everyone gathers," Daniel said. "We have a quick toast in honor of my dad."

FBI pledges to keep investigating

The FBI has vowed to continue its efforts to determine what happened to Levinson. Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Miami field office, said the case remains a priority.

"There are cases we're famous for staying on until we get answers," Skiles said. "Don't think for one minute that we're going to rest or let this go."

The FBI is currently searching for two Iranian intelligence officers believed to have played a role in Levinson's kidnapping.

Push for justice continues

Despite nearly two decades without closure, the Levinson family remains determined to hold those responsible accountable.

"We're going to keep trying to find out who was ultimately responsible, how we can get justice for my dad and how we're going to hold the Iranians accountable," Daniel said.

Members of the Levinson family recently met with new FBI Director Kash Patel, who assured them that the agency remains committed to the case and continues to pursue new leads.

 

Russian billionaire Vlad Doronin has sold his Miami home

 

A Russian billionaire has set a new record for Miami-Dade county with the $120 million sale of his Star Island estate — but the home may not be around for much longer.

The residence, which once belonged to retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, is rumored to be a teardown purchase.

Developer Vladislav Doronin bought the home from O’Neal for $16 million in 2009. The Real Deal and the South Florida Business Journal reported news of the sale.

The rare slice of Miami Beach’s Star Island takes up a coveted corner lot.

A small part of it was built in 1924, the South Florida Business Journal reported, but a majority of the home went up in 1992. Doronin’s company made renovations nearly 20 years later in 2011.

The sprawling abode includes eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms and three half-bathrooms, not to mention a pool, a private dock and a tennis court.

But despite the luxurious digs, The Post has learned that the next owner may be planning to tear down the waterfront estate, which sits on increasingly valuable land.

Star Island, a man-made isle in Miami Beach, is a star-studded locale with little more than 30 properties that rarely list. Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias are among those who have called the small island home over the years. Star Island became the country’s most expensive neighborhood in 2023.

'Ghost Adventures' Aaron Goodwin's Wife Victoria, Arrested, Allegedly Tried to Hire Hitman

 

In a shocking turn of events, Ghost Adventures star Aaron Goodwin's wife, Victoria Goodwin, has been arrested on charges of plotting to have him murdered. The 48-year-old paranormal investigator was reportedly the target of a disturbing scheme involving an inmate in a Florida prison, authorities confirmed.

Victoria, 31, was taken into custody last week following an investigation that uncovered her attempts to hire a hitman to kill her husband. According to reports from TMZ, Victoria sought out a prison inmate in October 2024 to arrange for the murder, offering a total payment of $11,515 for the job.

Police also discovered a disturbing exchange of text messages, where Victoria allegedly asked, "Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce."

The authorities uncovered the plot when prison officials discovered messages on the inmate's phone. Victoria was arrested on charges of solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder. At the time of the arrest, she was being held on $100,000 bail.

Victoria allegedly initiated the discussions about ending her marriage after it became apparent she was unhappy with her relationship. In one message, she admitted to the inmate that her marriage was in distress, and said, "I told him I was unhappy, but I just want out."

Victoria’s shocking plan came to light while Aaron was filming Ghost Adventures in California, and she had provided the inmate with details of his whereabouts during his travels. The alleged plot involved Victoria sending a down payment of $2,500 to the hitman. Police are investigating further as they piece together the details of the scheme.

While the situation unfolded, Aaron had no knowledge of his wife’s alleged intentions. In fact, he appeared to be enjoying a happy marriage, recently sharing a picture on Instagram from a Valentine’s Day outing with Victoria. Fans were left stunned as they speculated over the irony of his post amidst the unfolding news.

“Sending you love and light Aaron you’re a great guy,” one user commented on his Instagram, while another expressed shock saying, “What an awful thing for your wife to do. I’m so sorry.”

Victoria has denied the accusations, claiming the messages were the result of "daydreaming or fantasizing about being without her husband." She insists she never had any intention to follow through with the plot and attributed the communication to moments of distress.

As the investigation continues, fans and loved ones have rallied behind Aaron, with many expressing their disbelief and offering support through social media.

Victoria's arrest has shaken the Ghost Adventures community, and Zak Bagans, Aaron's co-host, has stated that the situation has been emotionally taxing for the TV star, adding that he is “trying to give him love and support.”

Fans are left reeling as this unsettling story continues to unfold, leaving many to wonder what the true nature of the couple’s relationship was like behind the scenes.