Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles liked an Instagram post reporting that son-in-law Jay-Z was accused of gang-raping a 13 year-old girl with Diddy.
The post she liked was shared on Instagram by abc7Chicago and was captioned: 'Breaking news: Jay-Z, Diddy named in lawsuit alleging rape of girl, 13.'
Knowles social media move was spotted by eagle-eyed followers. 'Not Ms Tina Knowles liking the post!' one person wrote, sparking a frenzy of speculation.
'Tina most likely doesn't even like him bc of what he did to her daughter,' one person mused, in an apparent nod to Jay-Z's past admission that he'd cheated on Beyonce. Others pointed out that the 'like' could have been a mistake.
Knowles, 70, has not commented in public about the bombshell accusation against Jay-Z, real name Shawn Corey Carter, who is the father of her three grandchildren.
Jay-Z has denied the attack the victim claims took place at a VMA's afterparty in September 2000, while an unidentified female celebrity watched.
The anonymous victim previously referred to Jay-Z as 'Celebrity A' in the bombshell filing, with the female star accused of watching anonymized as 'Celebrity B.'
This made Jay-Z the first celebrity to be named alongside Diddy in one of the myriad lawsuits filed against Combs. Both rappers have denied all allegations.
Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles has quietly responded to Jay-Z being unmasked as the first celebrity to be named in a Diddy lawsuit with a subtle move on social media. (Pictured: Beyonce, Tina Knowles and Jay-Z at the 46th Grammy Awards in October 2002)
The 70-year-old 'liked' an Abc Instagram post (shown above) announcing the news that son-in-law had been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl with Sean Combs
Beyonce and Jay-Z married in 2008 and share three children: Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, seven. The family are pictured in 2021
The accuser said she was assaulted at a party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place September 7, 2000 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall.
In the lawsuit, she said she took a drink at the afterparty which had 'a reddish-yellow mixture that tasted like orange juice, cranberry juice, and something bitter' and 'began to feel woozy and lightheaded, making her need to lie down.'
She said she laid down in 'what appeared to be an empty bedroom', until Combs, Jay-Z and a female celebrity referred to as 'Celebrity B' entered the room.
'Combs aggressively approached Plaintiff with a crazed look in his eyes, grabbed her, and said, "You are ready to party!"' legal documents read.
The accuser said Combs threw her 'toward a wall,' leading her to fall, then 'grabbed her again and threw her on the bed.'
She said Jay-Z began stripping her down 'as she grew more and more disoriented' and held her down as 'he vaginally raped' her, while Combs and Celebrity B watched.
'After [Jay-Z] finished, he stepped back toward the wall. Combs then stepped forward and vaginally raped Plaintiff while Carter and Celebrity B watched,' the document reads.
The lawsuit had initially been filed in New York's Southern District this past October against Combs, with a refiling on Sunday which identified Jay-Z.
Jay-Z has been unmasked as the mystery celebrity accused of gang-raping a 13-year-old girl with Diddy at a 2000 VMA's afterparty, according to a lawsuit. (Pictured: Jay-Z and Sean Combs at Puffy's Fourth of July Party at Sean Combs' House on July 2, 2000)
The anonymous victim previously referred to the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, as 'Celebrity A' in the bombshell filing. Jay-Z has denied the allegations. (Pictured: Diddy and Jay-Z during "S.O.S" The BET Telethon Relief Show at CBS Studios in 2005)
Tony Buzbee, who is representing more than 100 alleged Diddy victims, has now also named Jay-Z as the celebrity who allegedly 'filed a frivolous case under a pseudonym' against the accuser's legal team
Beyonce and Jay-Z have been an R&B power couple for more than 20 years. They got married in April 2008, and by April 2014, they had sold a combined 300 million records together.
They share three children together - Blue Ivy, 12, and six-year-old twins Rumi and Sir Carter.
But their relationship was rumbled in the early days by rumors that Jay-Z had cheated on her with his protege, Rihanna, and there was speculation that they went on a break for a time in 2005.
Jay-Z admitted to cheating on Beyonce in a New York Times interview published in 2017, but didn't say who the betrayal was with.
Beyonce has not been implicated in any of the Diddy lawsuits.
Jay-Z, 55, issued a blistering response to the lawsuit via DailyMail.com, accusing the victim of attempting to 'blackmail' him.
The rapper claimed he feared that his three children with Beyoncé would have to 'endure' harassment in the wake of the allegations.
Jay-Z said he is especially worried about Blue Ivy. He is afraid she will face questions from her friends about the lawsuit. The couple also share twins Rumi and Sir, seven.
'My only heartbreak is for my family,' Jay-Z told DailyMail.com on Sunday.
Jay-Z pictured during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in NYC
Jay-Z issued a lengthy statement Sunday denying the claims made in the re-filed lawsuit
'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 people.'
Jay-Z said he mourned 'yet another loss of innocence' and declared that his 'children should not have to endure' the graphic accusations at their young age.
'It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit,' he said.
Tony Buzbee, who is representing the alleged Diddy victim from the 2000 VMA's afterparty along with more than 100 others, also named Jay-Z as the celebrity who allegedly 'filed a frivolous case under a pseudonym' against their legal team.
The Texas-based attorney claimed Jay-Z has 'tried to bully and harass' him and his client over the incident said to have happened at a 2000 VMA's afterparty - but this has backfired by 'emboldening' them to take the case to court.
'Regarding the Jay Z case and his efforts to silence my clients: Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm,' Buzbee said in a statement.
'He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him.
'Instead, she only sought a confidential mediation. Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff.
'His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve. As far as the allegations in the complaint filed, we will let the filing speak for itself and will litigate the facts in court, not in the media.'