A Manhattan judge has harshly criticized Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, for his aggressive legal tactics and inflammatory rhetoric in the ongoing lawsuit involving allegations of rape against Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The case, which involves a woman who claims she was raped by both men when she was 13, has drawn significant attention, especially as Spiro’s actions in court have raised concerns.
Judge Analisa Torres, who is overseeing the high-profile case, reprimanded Spiro for repeatedly submitting combative motions and using “inflammatory language” directed at the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee.
The judge described Spiro’s conduct as inappropriate, calling it a “waste of judicial resources.”
Spiro had attempted to discredit Buzbee by accusing him of failing to follow legal procedures and even pushed for the plaintiff, known as “Jane Doe” to reveal her identity, which the judge denied.
The woman’s lawsuit, which stems from an alleged rape incident after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, is part of a larger series of legal battles involving Combs, who is also facing federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Combs has denied all charges. Meanwhile, Jay-Z’s lawyer had also sought to dismiss his client from the lawsuit, arguing that the plaintiff’s statements, including an NBC interview where she admitted some inconsistencies, did not support her claim.
However, the plaintiff has consistently maintained the truth of her allegations.
Judge Torres made it clear that Spiro’s aggressive filings were unlikely to benefit his client and warned that further “unacceptable” behavior would not be tolerated.
She also criticized Spiro’s attempt to undermine Buzbee, calling it an unprofessional strategy that had no place in the courtroom.
In related developments, Combs is facing new allegations in a separate lawsuit filed on December 20.
The suit accuses him of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2006 after she attended a party in New York. Combs strongly denied the new allegations, dismissing them as “pure fiction.”