The public naming of Jay-Z as the mystery celebrity accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in an anonymous civil lawsuit involving Sean “Diddy” Combs came after weeks of behind-the-scenes battles between the star’s lawyer and the Texas lawyer representing him the woman.

Since Combs was charged by federal prosecutors as part of a raunchy sex trafficking investigation, numerous civil lawsuits have been filed by people claiming they were victims of the entertainer. There have also been suggestions that other big names are being implicated in the scandal.

But the Jay-Z case offers a glimpse into the machinations and big money behind such cases, and could be a foretaste of the potential consequences of other civil lawsuits filed against Combs.

In October, Jay-Z received a demand letter from Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee alleging misconduct and suggesting a meeting. Legal experts said such letters are a common way to begin settlement discussions.

But that letter contained a picture of a ticking clock and Jay-Z came out swinging.

The music mogul responded by filing his own anonymous lawsuit against the lawyer in Los Angeles. On Sunday, Jay-Z’s name was released as a celebrity in the suit and he responded by calling Buzbee a “deplorable human being” and an “ambulance chaser in a cheap suit” on social media. Jay-Z has denied any wrongdoing and called the claims “idiotic.”

Buzbee told the Times on Monday that he would “not be deterred or intimidated” but would not commit to whether other celebrities might be named. Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, sent a letter to a judge in the case on Monday asking that he either dismiss the allegations against his client or reveal the identity of the accuser.

Federal prosecutors have not named any co-conspirators. However, they have repeatedly stressed that their investigation is ongoing.

In a sprawling indictment released earlier this year, they allege Combs used his empire for decades to force his victims to have sex in gatherings known as “freak-offs.” Combs, who has denied any wrongdoing, was arrested in September after a nearly year-long investigation by federal authorities.

Jay-Z has not been accused of any crimes and it is unclear whether federal authorities are investigating this allegation.

Legal experts said it would be difficult to assess the claims without knowing more about the plaintiffs’ evidence and how Jay-Z and all the other celebrities ultimately named can refute the allegations.

“I think (Buzbee) knew there was going to be a fight,” added Laurie L. Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School. “By the time he names her, he better have all his witnesses and all the evidence in order, because the moment the name comes out, the fight really escalates.”

The war between Jay-Z and Buzbee began in October when the lawyer filed a lawsuit in New York on behalf of a woman identified only as Jane Doe who said she was 13 years old when she was killed by Combs and an anonymous Male celebrity was raped at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.

The woman, who had been outside Radio City Music Hall in New York City on September 7, 2000, trying to talk her way into the awards ceremony, was invited to an afterparty hosted by Combs. A driver took her to a large white house with a gated U-shaped driveway, and once inside, she was told to sign a nondisclosure agreement, the lawsuit says. A luxurious party was taking place inside. Waiters carried trays of drinks, loud music played throughout the house and partygoers snorted cocaine and used marijuana, the lawsuit says.

After drinking a drink – a mixture of orange juice, cranberry juice and something bitter – she began to feel dizzy and found an empty bedroom to rest. Combs entered the room with two celebrities, a man and a woman. He approached her “with a crazy look in his eyes, grabbed her and said ‘You’re ready to party!'” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges that the male celebrity — identified by Buzbee on Sunday as Jay-Z — raped the girl while Combs and an unidentified female celebrity allegedly watched. Combs then raped the girl while the two other celebrities watched, the lawsuit says.

Before filing the lawsuit, Buzbee wrote Jay-Z a warning letter accusing the celebrity of raping “multiple minors, both men and women, who were drugged at parties hosted by Combs,” it says in a lawsuit filed by Jay-Z. The lawyer said if Jay-Z didn’t agree to confidential mediation, he would “take a different path,” a lawsuit says.

Jay-Z responded by filing his own anonymous lawsuit against the lawyer last month, claiming the lawyer tried to extort a payout for failing to identify him as a sexual predator with ties to Combs. Lawyers representing Jay-Z said the demand letters contained “completely false, terrible allegations.”

Buzbee hit back by amending his October civil lawsuit on Sunday to add Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, as a defendant. Jay-Z’s lawyer then sent a memo to the judge asking her to either dismiss the case or reveal the identity of the accuser.

“Mr. “Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is accusing him – in a sensationalistic and high-profile manner – of criminal behavior, demanding massive financial compensation and tarnishing a reputation built over decades,” Spiro wrote in the memo.

David Ring, a lawyer who has represented sexual assault victims in high-profile civil cases, including against Harvey Weinstein, said it is not unusual for lawyers to send letters to negotiate with a defendant before filing a lawsuit.

“Jay-Z called the lawyer’s bluff and that’s what the victim’s lawyer called him in the court filing,” Ring said.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said Buzbee was either trying to exploit his belief that Jay-Z wanted to keep the allegations secret or his client did not want to be the first person to accuse such a prominent public figure.

“That’s why I don’t like warning letters in such cases and prefer to file a lawsuit immediately. Don’t bark if you don’t want to bite,” Rahmani said.

Still, Rahmani said celebrities with ties to Combs are likely nervous.

“If I were a celebrity attending one of Diddy’s ‘Freak-Offs,’ I would… have my lawyer on speed dial,” Rahmani said.

In a statement released Sunday by Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, he addressed Buzbee directly, saying the lawyer “made a terrible error in judgment because he thought all celebrities were the same.”

“I don’t come from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of Project Brooklyn. We don’t play games like that. We have very strict rules of conduct and honor. We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain,” he wrote.

Buzbee responded on Instagram by posting a picture of himself in the Marines and saying that despite what he called a “coordinated and aggressive” effort to intimidate and harass him by people who followed him and his family and contacted his customers and former employees. Don’t back down.

“I will also not allow anyone to silence my clients,” he wrote. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant and I’m pretty sure the sun is coming.”