Jay-Z and Beyoncé join daughter Blue Ivy on red carpet after rapper is accused of sexual assault
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — Jay-Z and Beyoncé made a rare red carpet appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of “Mufasa: The Lion King” on Monday night alongside their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, a day after the rapper and businessman denied allegations he sexually assaulted a teen in 2000 with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In videos posted on YouTube by E!News, the chart-topping rapper and singer cheered on their 12-year-old daughter, who stars in the movie, before posing for photos alongside her, as well as with Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles.
Blue Ivy voices Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala (voiced by Beyoncé), in the movie that is a prequel to “The Lion King,” telling the origin story of Mufasa.
The couple’s red carpet appearance came a day after allegations against Shawn Carter, the rapper and businessman known as Jay-Z, emerged when a woman who alleges she was also assaulted by Combs amended her lawsuit to include Carter.
The woman, who is identified as a Jane Doe, says she was 13 years old at the time she was allegedly assaulted by Combs and Carter at an after party following the Video Music Awards in 2000.
The woman alleges she began to feel woozy after consuming a drink at the party and wandered into a nearby bedroom. The woman alleges Carter raped her first, followed by Combs. The woman says she hit Combs and ran out of the party, according to the amended lawsuit.
In a statement addressed to CNN, Carter called the allegations “so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?”
Carter is the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault in connection to Combs, who was indicted in September on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution related charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied all wrongdoing in roughly 30 civil lawsuits that have been filed against him.
On Monday, Carter’s attorneys filed a motion asking the judge to require Doe to reveal her identity or dismiss the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Doe’s attorneys reached out to Carter to request a mediation but alleges Carter “responded to said letter by not only filing an utterly frivolous lawsuit, but by also orchestrating a conspiracy of harassment, bullying and intimidation against Plaintiff’s lawyers, their families, employees and former associates in an attempt to silence Plaintiff from naming Jay-Z.”
“This effort was meant to scare Plaintiff and to discredit her counsel. That effort failed. Indeed, Plaintiff chose to file this amendment as a result of the egregious conduct perpetuated by Carter,” according to the lawsuit.
In his response sent to CNN on Sunday, which was addressed to Doe’s attorney Tony Buzbee, Carter called the mediation request a “blackmail attempt.” Carter also said this lawyer, “who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics!”
In a statement from Houston-based Buzbee, he wrote, “The pleading speaks for itself. This is a very serious matter that will be litigated in court.”
Carter added in his statement that his “only heartbreak” is for his family. “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age,” he said.
CNN has also reached out to Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé Knowles for comment.
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CNN’s Kara Scannell and Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed reporting.
