Jay-Z has spoken out about the “really hard” impact of a sexual assault lawsuit, describing the experience as “heartbreaking” in a rare interview.
The 56-year-old hip-hop mogul, real name Shawn Carter, was named in a civil lawsuit in 2024. He denied the claims. The case was later dropped the following year, with no criminal charges brought.
Reflecting on the ordeal, the 56-year-old said it “took a lot out of me” and left him dealing with intense anger.
“It was hard. Really hard. I was heartbroken,” he told GQ. “That whole [lawsuit thing], that s*** took a lot out of me. I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger.
“You don’t put that on someone—that’s a thing that you better be super sure…”
Jay-Z reiterated his position, adding: “I knew that we were going to walk through that because, first of all, it’s not true. And the truth, at the end of the day, still reigns supreme.”
He also suggested that the speed of modern culture has affected how serious accusations are processed.
“We’re in a space now where it’s almost like consequence is not thought about enough,” he said. “Because everything is so instant.”
The comments come as he prepares to mark 30 years since his landmark debut album Reasonable Doubt, with a special anniversary project and two newly announced shows at New York’s Yankee Stadium.
The wide-ranging interview – his first cover story in nearly a decade – also sees him reflect on his personal life, including fatherhood, which he said gives “everything meaning”.
“I’ll go cross-country, do what I have to do, and I’m back on the plane that night,” he said. “I love taking them to school. I love picking them up. Everything means so much more.”
He also briefly addressed watching eldest daughter Blue Ivy step into the spotlight during her mother Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, saying he was proud to see her work hard and “fight” to grow as a performer.
The interview forms part of a global special issue set to roll out across multiple editions, including British GQ, from March 31, alongside further features exploring his three-decade career.
Read the full feature “The Life of JAŸ-Z in the Words of Shawn Carter” by Frazier Thorpe in GQ’s spring issue and on GQ.co.uk
