Tina Knowles, at the age of 70, made a significant claim on Monday, December 9. A verified Instagram account under her name "liked" an Instagram post from ABC 7 Chicago that disclosed details of the allegations against her son-in-law Jay-Z. Just a few hours later, Knowles shared a screenshot on Instagram along with a note stating, "I was hacked! As you all know, I do not play about my family. So if you see something uncharacteristic of me. Just know that it is not me!" She further captioned the post, "Please stop playing with me!!!! 'No weapon formed against my family shall prosper,' " referring to a passage from the Bible.

Jay-Z's Response to Allegations

Jay-Z, who is 55 years old and married to Beyoncé since 2008, released a statement addressing the accusations. He dismissed them as a "blackmail attempt." In his post shared on the official Roc Nation X (formerly Twitter) account, he said, "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? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case." He continued, "You have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all 'celebrities' are the same. I'm not from your world. I'm a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don't play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor."

Impact on Family

Jay-Z, who shares daughter Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, 7, with Beyoncé, expressed his heartbreak. He wrote, "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 questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of young people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit."

Details of the Alleged Incident

The suit originally only named Combs as a defendant but alleges that a woman identifying herself only as Jane Doe was trying to enter the VMAs in New York City on the night of the assault. The lawsuit claims that a limo driver for one of the approaching limousines said he worked for Combs and invited her to an afterparty. She was allegedly asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon arriving at the residence and was later drugged after being served a drink. She then claims in her filing to have been "held down by Carter as he vaginally raped her, while Combs and Celebrity B watched. After Carter finished, he stepped back toward the wall. Combs then stepped forward and vaginally raped Plaintiff while Carter and Celebrity B watched." Combs is currently in jail on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking and has been denied bail while awaiting trial.