Rihanna's Nostalgic Memories With Jay-Z at 16 Resurfaces: 'Sign the Deal or Leave Through the 29th-Floor Window'

Rapper Jay-Z is facing intense scrutiny after a civil lawsuit further accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl at an MTV afterparty in 2000.

The complaint filed by an anonymous Jane Doe alleges the incident occurred when Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and an unnamed female celebrity were also in the room.

According to The Mirror, the allegations emerged as a video of pop star Rihanna talking about her early career with Jay-Z has circulated again, bringing fresh scrutiny to their musical partnership.

Rihanna told The Tyra Banks Show in 2006 that she was nervous to meet Jay-Z when she was auditioning for a record deal with his label, Roc Nation. "I was so nervous," she said, looking back on the moment.

She went on to quote Jay-Z, "There are two ways to leave here. Either through the door with the deal signed or through this window, and we're on the 29th floor."

Audience members responded with audible disbelief as the video of the clip circulated online.

Elsewhere, in a clip that recently surfaced, Jay-Z recalled holding the then 16-year-old singer in his office until 3 a.m. to seal her record deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2005, where he was president.

That year, Rihanna's debut album, Music of the Sun, was released shortly after the success of her first single, "Pon de Replay."

According to The Atlanta Black Star, critics pointed to Jay-Z's comments, questioning how he should be speaking to a minor.

One user commented, "Imagine you have a 16-year-old daughter and an older man said this to her... would you be ok with it?" Another viewer remarked on the lack of adult supervision during the meeting, saying, "Whether Jay was joking or not, to say that to a young impressionable teenage girl... is unacceptable."

In an MTV interview from that same year, when Jay-Z was asked about Rihanna, he gushed over her talent, saying he knew from the start she wouldn't be a one-hit, flash-in-the-pan wonder. They signed her that night, he said, after holding her in the office for several hours.

As some argue the merit of Jay-Z's comments and the general necessity for adult supervision in the music industry, the backlash continues.

Jay-Z left as president of Def Jam in 2009 after signing Rihanna to a seven-album deal. She later signed with Roc Nation, the entertainment company he started in 2008.

Renewed interest in Jay-Z and Rihanna's relationship also resurfaced in light of Jay-Z's legal drama.

The lawsuit alleges that Jay-Z raped Doe at the afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards. After the attack, P. Diddy also raped her, the lawsuit said. Jay-Z and Diddy have denied the allegations.

Jay-Z called the lawsuit a "blackmail attempt" and attacked Doe's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, in a statement released through Roc Nation. "My wife and I will have to sit our children down... and explain the cruelty and greed of people," he added.

Keeping Diddy's legal team has also issued a response, describing the accusations levied against him as part of "shameless publicity stunts" intended to squeeze payments out of celebrities. Diddy has been behind bars since September on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering that he denies.

Buzbee has denied extortion claims and said his firm "won't allow the powerful and their high-dollar lawyers to intimidate or silence sexual assault survivors."

Jay-Z's legal representatives have not responded on the issue so far.

Tags

Rihanna, Jay-Z, Diddy