Lizzo Deletes Post Discussing Jay-Z’s Involvement in the Epstein Files Following Backlash

Singer Lizzo may be one of the most impressive performers in the music industry, but, since her career boomed in 2019, she's been unafraid to discuss what's happening outside of the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. Lizzo has used her platforms to raise awareness of various civil rights and political issues.

In February 2026, the "Tempo" singer shared her thoughts on the then-newly released batch of Epstein files as part of the Department of Justice's Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Here's what she's said.

Lizzo took to her social media accounts to express her frustration over the famous names mentioned in the Epstein files. She specifically touched on the public's reaction to the mention of Jay-Z and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, in Epstein's emails. She said she wanted people to stop jumping to conclusions when they see a famous name in the files, noting that all of the disgraced financier's texts and emails had been scanned by the Department of Justice for any criminal activity.

"Every text message you sent to somebody, if you stole an apple from Walmart, and you were on trial for stealing an apple from Walmart, is every person in your phone an accomplice?" Lizzo asked in her video. "Does that make that person complicit? Does that make a person a bad guy? No. No, it doesn't."

Lizzo goes on to compare the media attention the Epstein files have received to the controversy surrounding celebrities' names being mentioned during Sean "Diddy" Combs's sexual assault case. She also continued to defend Nair, stating that the filmmaker's name was added to the files because she was invited to the premiere of a political film by Epstein's partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Lizzo further defended Jay-Z, stating that Epstein was more interested in the rapper's accomplishments than in his personal life.

"The American people in the comments, ‘I knew she was wrong. Jay-Z, I knew he was… what did it say Jay-Z did?" the "Truth Hurts" singer said. He was there in 1996? Come on, people."

“Like, y’all are falling for it," Lizzo added. "It’s the easiest, oldest trick in the book. And honestly, I’m losing faith in the average intelligence of the American person. Because, come on, just because somebody’s name is mentioned in a 3 million document file of a person’s life who’s been lived over a span of crimes who span decades, doesn’t mean that every single person isn’t an accomplice. He referenced Jay-Z once. He was like, ‘oh, we could learn from Jay-Z‘s business model.’ Why are y’all… Where’s the crime? Focus.”

Her comments about Jay-Z came soon after the mogul was mentioned in an unverified FBI crisis intake report. The report included one of Epstein's victims claiming an unknown man abducted her while she attended one Epstein's parties in 1996. She claimed that, when she woke up, she was "in the presence" of Harvey Weinstein and Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter. Weinstein is currently incarcerated in New York, facing a retrial for sexual assault charges after his 2020 conviction was overturned in 2024.

Lizzo's take on the Epstein files didn't sit well with some of the singer's fans. According to the India Times, some felt she was defending Jay-Z to remain in the rapper's good graces. Before speaking out about the files, Lizzo had long expressed her respect and admiration for both Jay and his wife, Beyoncé. The "Naked" singer has since deleted the video from her accounts, though it continues to circulate.

At this time, neither Jay-Z nor Mira has discussed their names being mentioned in the Epstein files.