The NFL is considering whether to scale back its $25 million, multi-year deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company after the rapper was named in a sexual assault lawsuit. According to a well-placed NFL source, the organization is worried about “negative publicity” following the allegations.
The lawsuit, which was filed in October, alleges that Jay-Z, along with his friend and fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl at the MTV VMAs in 2000. Combs is currently in jail, awaiting trial on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
The NFL employee said that there have already been discussions about reducing the use of Roc Nation music and possibly removing Jay-Z’s name from communications. If the case goes to court and Jay-Z is found guilty, the collaboration with him will be immediately cut off, the source predicted.
The NFL signed a five-year, $25 million deal with Roc Nation in 2019, hoping to improve the league’s image on social justice issues. Jay-Z was tasked with helping to produce music for the league, and his company’s involvement was seen as a major coup for the NFL.
However, the allegations against Jay-Z and Combs have rocked the music industry, with one employee at Roc Nation describing the news as an “earthquake” that left the workforce “shocked.” The employee said that the allegations have also raised fears for the company’s future, particularly if Jay-Z is found liable.