Rihanna Opens Up About Horrifying Experience at 16 After Old Viral Video Resurfaces: Jay-Z Kept Her in Diddy’s Room Until 3 A.M., Where Diddy Threatened Her – “Sleep With Me or Climb Out of a 29th-Floor Window” – And What Happened Next Is Even More Terrifying…
Earlier this month, an anonymous woman accused Jay-Z of raping her when she was 13 years old, amending an ongoing civil suit she’d brought against Diddy in October.
The woman claims both men assaulted her at a 2000 MTV VMAs after-party that she was brought to by one of Diddy’s drivers. Although Jay-Z swiftly denied her claim, the allegation has people reexamining another years-old story about his behavior.
A resurfaced video, which started gaining traction on Reddit, shows Rihanna telling Tyra Banks about how she was signed to Def Jam as a 17-year-old in 2005, when Jay-Z was president and CEO of the label.
After auditioning for Jay-Z and Def Jam chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid at the label’s offices, she said, she was told that they were “interested.” She went on with a giggle, “Then he said, ‘There are two ways to leave here: either through the door with the deal signed or through this window, and we’re on the 29th floor.’” She told a similar story two years later in a 2007 interview with The Guardian, during which she added that Def Jam “locked me into the office till 3 a.m.” and called the whole experience “very flattering.”
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Both Jay-Z and Reid have shared similar anecdotes about that night as evidence of how impressed they were with Rihanna’s talent.
The same year it happened, Jay-Z told Sway that Def Jam was so excited about his label’s new up-and-comer that “we didn’t let her leave the office till 3 in the morning, when that contract got signed.” Years later, in Reid’s 2016 memoir, he suggested that the urgency had been his idea — after he heard Rihanna sing, Reid wrote that he told Jay-Z, “Don’t let her leave the building.”
Jay-Z has been described as a mentor of Rihanna’s; she left Def Jam in 2014 to work with his label Roc Nation, and he reportedly helped organize her 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance.
Still, as fans reevaluate what they know about Jay-Z, some think the 2005 incident sounds more sinister in hindsight.
The Cut has reached out to Rihanna and Jay-Z for comment and will update this post if we hear back.
“Move Bi**h” – New Clip Reveals What A$AP Rocky Said to the Blonde Woman Who Hugged Him the Moment the Jury Declared Him Not Guilty, Before He Dove Into a Teary-Eyed Rihanna’s Arms – His First Words After? “I’m Gonna Give Rihanna Another Baby Tonight” – See Clips and Photos
Rihanna’s beau, rapper A$AP Rocky, was declared not guilty on all counts on Tuesday by jurors in his felony criminal trial in downtown Los Angeles.
The three-time Grammy nominee, 36, was charged with a pair of felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in the November 2021 shooting in Hollywood, California of his one-time friend, A$AP Relli.
The Take A Bow songstress erupted in tears as the verdict was read, as her partner faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted in the case, and he ran over and hugged her.
‘Thanks y´all for saving my life,’ A$AP Rocky told the jury, composed of seven women and five men, as he left the courtroom, according to the AP.
The We Found Love artist took to Instagram Stories Tuesday evening with an uplifting message after the verdict Tuesday.
‘THE GLORY BELONGS TO GOD AND GOD ALONE!’ she said. ‘THANKFUL, HUMBLED BY HIS MERCY!’
A$AP Rocky is found NOT GUILTY in Los Angeles assault trial

The Take A Bow songstress erupted in tears as the verdict was read, as her partner faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted in the case
Rihanna’s beau, rapper A$AP Rocky, was declared not guilty on all counts on Tuesday by jurors in his felony criminal trial in downtown Los Angeles. The star couple pictured Tuesday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles
The musical artist, whose full name is Rakim Mayers, was emotional as he embraced his lawyers after the verdict was read.
The jury reached a unanimous decision after deliberating for about three hours following the conclusion of closing arguments in the case last week.
The Harlem, New York-born entertainer, before going into the trial, had declined an offer from prosecutors of a six-month jail sentence and probation.
Under that offer, A$AP Rocky would have had to plead guilty to one count in the case, the AP reported.
A$AP Rocky celebrated the verdict with his partner and legal team in the courtroom and after they left the building.
A$AP Relli testified in the case that he was unharmed aside form a bullet grazing his knuckle.
A$AP Rocky’s legal team said that the shots the rapper fired were actually blanks from a prop gun he obtained from the set of a music video he was working on, the AP reported.
Rihanna was emotional after the verdict was read in the felony assault trial
A$AP Rocky celebrated the verdict with his legal team in the courtroom
The Harlem, New York-born entertainer, before going into the trial, had declined an offer from prosecutors of a six-month jail sentence and probation
The SOS songstress took to Instagram Stories with an uplifting message after the verdict Tuesday
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The jury was instructed by the court that under the law, A$AP Rocky could not be found guilty, if they found him to be defending himself in the incident.
The Barbados-born superstar songstress and fashion mogul had drawn attention during her outings to the court to support her boyfriend, who she shares two children with: RZA, two, and Riot Rose, one.
Rihanna arrives at court for the trial of A$AP Rocky, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, in Los Angeles
The Barbados-born superstar songstress and fashion mogul had drawn attention during her outings to the court to support her boyfriend, who she shares two children with: RZA, two, and Riot Rose, one
Rihanna pays tribute to A$AP Rocky in raunchy Vday video
In multiple outings, Rihanna was seated between A$AP Rocky’s mother Renee Black and sister Erika B. Mayers.
The Diamonds artist had brought their young children to the court for closing arguments in the felony case.
The fashion mogul, who founded the company Fenty Beauty, was mentioned multiple times as attorneys conducted jury selection, amid speculation how her larger-than-life presence could sway jurors.
Now off the hook for the 2021 incident, A$AP Rocky can refocus on his career, which is surging despite his recent legal troubles.
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