NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the league’s partnership with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, “will not change” amid a civil lawsuit filed against Jay-Z. 13-year-old girl accused of sexual assault.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was charged Sunday with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000.
“We are aware of the civil allegations and Jay Z’s strong response to them,” Goodell said at a news conference following the league’s meeting in Irving, Texas. “We are clearly aware that litigation is ongoing. “But from our perspective, our relationship with them doesn’t change, including as we prepare for the next Super Bowl.”
The NFL and Roc Nation formed a partnership in 2019 for the company to serve as the league’s “live music entertainment strategist.” Roc Nation has produced halftime shows at the Super Bowl every February since, including a performance by Kendrick Lamar in New Orleans.
The partnership was extended by both parties in October.
“I think they are becoming incredibly comfortable with not only the Super Bowl, but other events that they have advised and helped us with,” Goodell said Wednesday. “They have helped us many times in the area of social justice. They have been a great partner that has provided us with a lot of value.”
Carter, 55, strongly denied the accusations in a statement Sunday.
“These allegations are so extreme in nature that I hope they file criminal charges rather than civil lawsuits!! Anyone who commits such crimes against minors should be imprisoned. Wouldn’t you agree?” Carter said. “Then these alleged victims deserve real justice.”
He continued, “I made a big error in judgment by thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I am not from your world. I am a young person who succeeded through the Brooklyn Project. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict rules and honor. We protect our children.”
The suit was originally filed in federal court in October, listing Combs as the only defendant, and was refiled Sunday with Carter included. Combs denied these claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Combs and Carter raped her at a house party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in New York when the accuser was 13 years old.
In addition to the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, Carter’s wife, Beyonce, will perform at halftime of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans on Netflix on Christmas Day.
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