Singer Lizzo has sparked online debate following the circulation of a TikTok video in which she appears to "defend" rapper Jay-Z and suggest that the recent tranche of Epstein Files may not be a reliable.
The video has circulated widely across platforms, though HT has not independently verified its authenticity. Several social media users have claimed the clip was later deleted amid backlash, but this has not been confirmed.
Lizzo's viral video: “Where's the crime?”
In the video, Lizzo appears to express frustration with what she describes as people drawing conclusions about public figures based solely on their names appearing in the so-called “Epstein Files.”
The singer suggests that mentions alone should not be treated as proof of criminal wrongdoing and urges viewers to consider context.
In the video, Lizzo questions how Jay-Z’s name is being interpreted in connection with the Epstein-related documents.
{{/usCountry}}In the video, Lizzo questions how Jay-Z’s name is being interpreted in connection with the Epstein-related documents.
{{/usCountry}}She asks, “What did it [Epstein Files] say Jay-Z did? He was there in 1996. Come on, people, you are falling for it!”
She further "defends" Jay-Z by saying, “He [Jeffrey Epstein] referenced Jay-Z once. He was like ‘Oh, we can learn from Jay-Z’s business model.'”
Lizzo also challenges what she sees as a lack of specific allegations tied to many of the names circulating online. “Where’s the crime? Focus,” she says in the clip.
In addition, she appears to push back against criticism related to Diddy’s parties and mentions filmmaker Mira Nair, the mother of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, suggesting that attention is being unfairly directed toward certain individuals
"You're distracted! You just want Mamdani to be the bad guy," she says.
She further implies that just because a person's name is mentioned in the Epstein Files does not make them an “accomplice.”
She says, “Just cause somebody's name is mentioned in a three-million-document file of a person's life who has lived over a span of crimes and decades, does not mean every single person is an accomplice.”
Read more: Jay Z in Epstein Files: Kanye West slams him in old video, 50 Cent shares quip
“Here's the crime @lizzo”
An X user attached the document with an FBI complaint against Jay-Z, which was released among the 3 million Epstein Files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on January 30.
According to the Jay Z complaint document that was filed with the FBI, the incident happened in 1996. The victim claimed, “she later awoke in the presence of Harvey Weinstein and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) while Weinstein had inserted his fingers…”