Piers Morgan apologises to Jay-Z and Beyoncé over allegations made on chatshow

Piers Morgan has apologised to Beyoncé and Jay-Z following allegations made against them on his YouTube-hosted show Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Singer-songwriter Jaguar Wright made an appearance with Morgan last week to discuss the numerous sexual assault allegations against rapper and mogul Sean Combs. During the interview she referred to Jay-Z, who she once worked for as a backing singer, as a “monster”, and he and Beyoncé as a “nasty little couple”. She claimed Jay-Z had links with Combs and others, and alleged serious offences against both Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

Their lawyers contacted us to say that those claims were totally false and have no basis in fact. And we’ve therefore complied with the legal request to cut them from the original interview. Editing interviews is not something we do lightly on a show called Uncensored. But, like the proverbial cries of fire in a crowded theatre, there are legal limits on us, too. And we apologise to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

[Wright has] made claims about [Combs] for years. Those claims will receive a lot of attention in the media across many platforms for many years. And that’s the thing about platforms. The reality of the modern world is that pretty much everyone has a platform as long as they have something to say that other people want to hear. That’s why we invited her on to be interviewed. The people making these claims have an audience with or without shows like mine.

Wright has not commented on the edits to her interview.

Sean Combs faces allegations from numerous men and women that he sexually assaulted them, in incidents dating as far back as the early 1990s. Following nine lawsuits filed against him since November 2023, Combs was arrested in September on three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering, with federal prosecutors alleging “a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice”.

He was denied bail. Since his arrest, a Texas attorney, Tony Buzbee, announced he is representing 120 further alleged victims of Combs.

The case has affected the reputation of one of the most successful entertainers in the US who, as well as having numerous solo and collaborative hits as a rapper and producer, ran ventures such as Bad Boy Records (whose artists included Notorious BIG), Sean John clothing and Cîroc vodka.

Examination of his high-profile and celebrity-filled lifestyle has led to rampant conspiracy theorising online, with numerous allegations and rumours being made against A-list figures regarding supposed involvement or victimisation in his alleged schemes.

 

theguardian