Jay-Z Finally Addresses Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Lawsuit: ‘That S–t Took a lot Out of Me’

Jay-Z is breaking his silence.

The 54-year-old was left “heartbroken” over the sexual misconduct lawsuit filed against him by an anonymous accuser at the end of 2024.

The “Empire State of Mind” rapper finally opened up about the shocking sexual assault allegations during a cover interview with GQ published Tuesday.

The issue will be available on newsstands on March 31.

The special issue includes multiple features to mark his 30th anniversary in the music industry since Reasonable Doubt, including private interviews with collaborators and peers, as well as Jay-Z himself, in which addresses everything from sexual misconduct allegations to picking acts for the Super Bowl.

Check out all the highlights from the interview below...

On last year, when he was named in a civil lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct:

“It was hard. Really hard. I was heartbroken. I’m glad we got right to that so we could just get that out the way. Like I was really heartbroken by everything that occurred. We’re in a space now where it’s almost like consequence is not thought about enough. Because everything is so instant, you know what I’m saying? That whole [lawsuit thing], that s–t 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… I took that really hard. 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.”

On his relentless pursuit of success, and enduring the ups and downs of the industry:

“But the wins are so big that I can see where that can dominate a person’s memory, that you forget the losses. I do say: ‘I will not lose.’ So I could add to the perception, as well.”

On prioritizing fatherhood:

“It gives everything meaning, everything. I’ll go cross-country, do what I have to do, and I’m back on the plane that night. I love taking them to school. I love picking them up. Everything means so much more.”

On seeing daughter Blue Ivy perform and come into her own during the 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour:

“That was amazing. On the first tour there was a lot of conversation around her first performance, and she worked really hard to get to that point, but she still wasn’t going for it. She still was going through the motions. And then she just started fighting back. I saw her fight maybe for the first time in her life—like, not everything is just given to her and everything is easy. She fought for it. She’s almost on every number … She worked at this, and it makes me proud that she fought for something that she really wanted to do. I don’t think we’re going to be able to get her off that stage now.”

On his vision to revolutionize the Super Bowl halftime show when taking over with Roc Nation in 2019:

“I think everyone should experience music in its totality. And for a lot of years, it was only one side of music that was being represented for whatever reason. We got the opportunity to create a more balanced idea of what popular music is today. I’m not going out on a limb. These are the most famous people in the world. I didn’t pick the indie artist that I really like from Portland. [This was] the number one streamed artist in the world. “I got an idea, let’s let him [Bad Bunny] play.” [Laughs.] It’s Rihanna!”

On the pillars of hip hop, and their evolution in today’s culture:

“There are four pillars of hip-hop. There’s breakdancing, graffiti, there’s DJ’ing and battling. Breakdance is not at the forefront of rap anymore. It’s actually an Olympic sport. So that’s dead [laughs]. Graffiti, beautiful in certain places. It’s not part of hip-hop. The DJ was in the forefront. It was Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Eric B. and Rakim. You don’t even know the DJ for half of the artists anymore. And the last pillar is battling. We love the excitement and I love the sparring, but in this day and age there’s so much negative stuff that comes with it that you almost wish it didn’t happen.”

On the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef going too far:

“I love the sparring and the music you get, but in this day and age, it’s so much negative stuff that comes with it, you almost wish it didn’t happen,” he said. “Now people that like Kendrick hate Drake no matter what he makes … It’s like an attack on his character and I don’t know if I love that, I don’t know if it’s helpful to our growth, where the fallout lands … It’s too far.”

“Maybe I’ve grown in a space where I sound like the old guy wagging the finger,” Jay said. “I think we can achieve the same thing, as far as sparring with music, with collaborations more so than breaking the whole thing apart.”

On battling between hip hop performers losing its significance:

“It takes up so much oxygen. It’s like trying to tear down people’s lives. I don’t know if it’s worth it at this point. I love the idea that we got so much music in such a short period of time. Just everything around it was like, ‘Man, this is taking us a couple steps back.’ We’ve just grown so much that—I guess I’m going to say it—I don’t know if battling needs to be part of the culture anymore.”

On stan culture, and its negative impact on the hip hop community:

It’s too far. It’s bringing people’s kids in it. I don’t like that. I sound like the old guy wagging his finger, but I think we can achieve the same thing, as far as sparring with music, with collaborations more so than breaking the whole thing apart.”

On decades of experience creating a sense of cynicism toward fame:

I didn’t trust the music business. People would tell you something, do something else, and then hide behind paperwork and lawyers. That made me super cynical. And as you grow, you learn that you don’t have to place yourself in certain circles. So [I’m] maybe less cynical [now] because my life is edited better.

On learning the hard way about relationships and loyalty:

“There are people in your life that’re going to be there for a minute that are not necessarily going to be there for the whole ride. That happens. Some friends are for life. Some friends are for those moments. And you got to know when to move. Because these ideas of loyalty will hold you in places that you don’t belong, because it’s not really loyalty. Loyalty is for life. So even if we fall out and [now] you’re going on about me, I know that I made the right decision. You wasn’t my friend because loyalty is forever.”

On what makes a great Jay-Z album today:

“I don’t know yet. I don’t know. But I know that we have enough negativity currently. Forget the landscape of music. I don’t know what I need to create currently that’s going to fulfill me and make me happy because that’s most important. I know I just got to be honest about what I feel and where I am. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe I’m stopping myself from just creating. Whatever it is, it just needs to be a true representation of how I feel. Trying to create something that people like is where I think a lot of artists get jammed up. And people can feel that because it’s not authentic. I just got to make something timeless that I really love and that’s really honest and true to who I am.”

For the full story, head to GQ.com.