Jay-Z joins Beyoncé and Blue Ivy on red carpet amid explosive allegations
Los Angeles, California - Jay-Z joined his wife, Beyoncé, and daughter, Blue Ivy, on the red carpet at the premiere of Disney's Mufasa on the heels of explosive allegations against the rap mogul.
The Carters put on a united front at Monday's premiere to celebrate 12-year-old Blue Ivy's role in the Lion King prequel flick.
Jay-Z was all smiles as he posed with his family, which also included mother-in-law Tina Knowles.
Beyoncé, who lent her voice to the new movie as well, wowed in a black-and-gold polka-dot gown as she posed for photos alongside her husband and eldest daughter.
But the A-list family's appearance was undoubtedly overshadowed by the recent explosive allegations against Jay-Z, which accuse him of raping a 13-year-old girl at a party in 2000.
The 99 Problems artist quickly fired back at the allegations, calling them a "blackmail attempt."
"These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?" he wrote.
He added that his "only heartbreak" was for Beyoncé and their three kids, adding, "My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people."
On Monday, Jay-Z filed a new motion demanding that the accuser reveal her identity to the public or have the lawsuit thrown out, per NBC News.
Jay-Z calls for rape accuser to reveal her identity
The accusations stem from a lawsuit initially filed in October against rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, where the Jane Doe alleged she was given drugs and horrifically assaulted by Combs and the then-unnamed "Celebrity A" at the party.
On Sunday, Jay-Z was revealed to be Celebrity A. The lawsuit also identified a female "Celebrity B," who is said to have watched the assaults take place.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing Jane Doe, hit back at Jay-Z's statement deny the claims with a message of his own.
"When an alleged perpetrator behaves in this manner, wildly asserting that a basic demand letter is 'extortion,' and aggressively using the media to attack the opposing lawyer while at the same time ignoring the allegations being made by the alleged victim, it reminds me of a famous line from Shakespeare: 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks,'" he wrote.
"We intend to address all of these issues with the court in due course. Let me be clear: We will not be bullied or intimidated by these shenanigans. And our clients won't be silenced."
Cover photo: LISA O'CONNOR / AFP