By Rory Caroll
(Reuters) – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday the league is aware of a lawsuit accusing musician Jay-Z of rape, but said it does not affect the NFL’s partnership with the Roc Nation label from the rap mogul, which produces the Super Bowl halftime show. .
An amended civil lawsuit filed in federal court on Sunday alleges that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs raped a 13-year-old girl at a party in New York in 2000. Jay-Z and Combs have denied the allegations.
“We are aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z’s strong response to them,” Goodell said after the league’s winter meetings in Texas.
“We know the lawsuit is ongoing now. From our perspective, our relationship with them does not change, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl.”
Roc Nation has helped produce the past five Super Bowl halftime shows and Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce, will perform at halftime of the upcoming Ravens vs. Texans game on Christmas Day in Houston.
The lawsuit was originally filed in October in the Southern District of New York and at that time Jay-Z was not named as a defendant, although the amended lawsuit states that Jay-Z was identified as “Celebrity A” in the original complaint.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has dismissed the lawsuit, calling it part of a “blackmail attempt” by the plaintiff’s attorney.
Tony Buzbee, the Texas attorney representing the girl who filed Sunday’s lawsuit, has filed at least 20 civil lawsuits against Combs accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Buzbee said Jay Z’s relationship with the NFL had nothing to do with him.
“My job is to represent my clients diligently and ethically. And that is what I intend to do,” he said in response to a request for comment.
Combs has denied all allegations against him. He is currently in prison on federal sex trafficking charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The lawsuit alleges that the unnamed girl was drugged and raped by both Jay-Z and Combs at a party hosted by Combs after the 2000 MTV Music Awards, which was held in New York.
