Jay-Z has spoken publicly for the first time about the dismissed sexual assault lawsuit that he says left him heartbroken and consumed by a level of anger he had not experienced in decades, in a wide-ranging cover interview with GQ published on Tuesday.
The interview, conducted over two separate two-hour sessions in January 2026 and published on March 24, marks the rap mogul’s first major sit-down in years and arrives as he prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt later this year.
“It was hard. Really hard,” he told GQ. “I was heartbroken. I’m glad we got right to that so we could get that out the way. I was really heartbroken by everything that occurred. We’re in a space now where consequence is not thought about enough, because everything is so instant.”
An anonymous woman filed an amended civil lawsuit against Jay-Z in New York federal court in December 2024, alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by him and Sean Combs at the age of 13, following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000. Jay-Z denied the allegations. The accuser voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice in February 2025.
Jay-Z told GQ he never considered settling the matter. “I can’t take a settlement it ain’t in my DNA. First of all, first I had to tell my wife. I know the weight that this is going to bring on our family. I can’t do it. I would die. If I settled make that thing go away. And for me, it would’ve been cheaper? Yes. Cheaper, quicker, move on with your life. I knew what was coming. I wasn’t naive.”
The 56-year-old said the crisis affected his ability to make music, which is normally where he channels intense emotion. “I’m not sure with the amount of negativity in the world that people needed me to add to that with my feelings because it would have been harsh, and it would have been harsh on everybody. I don’t know how to make music that’s not reflective of how I’m feeling at the moment. It would have been fiery.” He added that the few ideas he sketched out during that period were, in his own words, all bad.
Jay-Z spoke warmly about his family’s support during the ordeal, noting that his daughter Blue Ivy wore a jersey bearing his name to school during the height of the controversy. He also addressed fatherhood, describing it as something that gives his life deeper meaning.
Looking ahead, Jay-Z said he is preparing for a return to the stage, with sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July celebrating both the Reasonable Doubt anniversary and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, as well as a headline slot at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in May. On the prospect of a new solo album his first since 4:44 in 2017 he was candid but non-committal, saying the music would have to be a true representation of how he feels and nothing less.
“We played enough defense,” he said. “2026 is all offense.”
