Carmen Bryan, 52, has reignited public scrutiny of Jay-Z amid allegations he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 2000. Sharing her thoughts on Instagram, Carmen wrote: “These days people don’t defend what is right, they defend who they like! And that’s why we call you ‘groupie.’”

Carmen, who described herself as the “hip hop Helen of Troy” in her memoir, highlighted past controversies, posting lyrics from Kanye West’s Monster where Jay-Z rapped: “I Rape and pillage your village, women and children.” Jay-Z denies the allegations, claiming they are part of a “blackmail attempt.”

Carmen’s relationship with Jay-Z, spanning 1995 to 2004, was fraught with scandal. During their affair, she fell pregnant but miscarried. She ended the relationship after Jay-Z’s track Supa Ugly detailed intimate moments between them, including a reference to used condoms in her daughter’s car seat. Reflecting on this, Carmen stated: “Wrong move! That was the moment I lost all respect for SC.”

Carmen’s affair with Jay-Z caused friction with her then-fiancé, Nas, the father of her daughter Destiny. After the release of Is That Your Chick, Nas confronted her, prompting Carmen to admit to the five-year affair.

In her memoir It’s No Secret, Carmen recounted the painful fallout, including a late-night confession to Nas: “The rumors are true. I have been seeing Jay-Z.”