Jay-Z's response to rape allegation shocked. Our reaction matters, too.

Jay-Z has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs in the early 2000s. For some, his statement in response to the allegations was more shocking than the lawsuit itself.

In an amended lawsuit filed Sunday, an Alabama woman — identified anonymously as Jane Doe — claims the billionaire music mogul, born Shawn Carter, and Combs drugged and raped her at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000.

In a statement provided by his representative Jana Fleishman and posted publicly and swiftly on X , Jay-Z called Buzbee's lawsuit a "blackmail attempt,” and attested that he is a “young man” from Brooklyn who abides by “very strict codes of honor,” which includes protecting children.

The backlash came just as fast as his response. Some people reacted with humor, others dissected the statement for tone. Many were taken aback by his self-identification as a “young man,” despite recently turning 55.

“Jay Z calling himself a young man at 55 is something.” “Not the first time a man pushing 60 has been referred to as a ‘young man’ by his legal defense.”

Jay-Z accused of raping, drugging 13-year-old girl with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in 2000

Others called out those who expressed disbelief over the allegations: "Believing every Diddy accusation except the one that includes Jay- Z is interesting."

Cognitive biases like the “halo effect” can protect a public figure's image in the face of sexual abuse allegations, according to Elizabeth L. Jeglic, a clinical psychologist and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York – leaving survivors who speak out subject to shame and disbelief.

And, our reaction to allegations of sexual assault – particularly when resorting to jokes – can impact all victims of abuse and prevent them from coming forward.

Jay-Z statement shocks: 'Did he consult anybody before releasing that?'

Spectators have recently questioned whether Jay-Z was involved in Diddy’s alleged behavior, and some people were more shocked to see Jay-Z's response than by the allegations themselves.

“This is the quickest I’ve ever seen Jay Z respond to anything,” one person wrote on X.

Others were floored by how “threatening” and "condescending" the statement came across: “Jay Z said 'think the best thing for me to do right (now) is threaten and victimize' 😭😭??? like did he consult anybody before releasing that statement oh my God.”

"My only heartbreak is for my family," Jay-Z wrote, explaining that he and his wife, Beyoncé, will have to explain "the cruelty and greed of people" to their children. "It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit."

Read Jay-Z's full statement denying rape allegation, says he and Beyoncé will have to 'sit our children down'

It's not the first time he's referred to himself as a "young man" — he also called Beyoncé a "young lady" in his Grammy's speech last year, but Nicole Bedera, author of "On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence," says word choice matters. By calling himself a "young man," it "implies that Jay-Z was the young, vulnerable party."

In situations like these, some men "invoke youth as a way to engender empathy and avoid accountability," Bedera explains. "Victims are usually denied that kind of compassion, even when they were literally children at the time of a sexual assault."

Survivors of sexual assault pay close attention to our reactions in moments like these

The #MeToo movement exposed our culture's habit of dismissing sexual violence, and it upended the idea that preparators of violence are just a "few bad men."

In reality, research shows that nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped in their lifetime, 81% of girls have experienced sexual harassment and 1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused before they turn 18. Yet, women still face hurdles and public scrutiny when coming forward.

"We still largely live in a patriarchal society, where men still largely hold a lot of the power," Jeglic previously told USA TODAY. "So, when women come forward with allegations, it's much easier to vilify them and make them out to be emotional or crazy."

Why don't we listen to survivors? These women spoke out about Diddy years ago.

The responses to the allegation against Jay-Z send a message about how we view powerful men.

A lot of survivors cope with humor, Bedera says, but it's important to "ensure that jokes aren't reinforcing rape culture."

If a survivor sees loved ones making a joke out of accusations like these, it can harm and fracture those relationships.

"We should all talk about sexual violence as if there is a survivor hearing our conversations. Most of the time, there is a survivor present," she cautions. "And if a survivor in your life asks you to stop making jokes about sexual violence at all, you should respect that boundary."

Jay-Z and Diddy's career connections: Music moguls face sexual assault lawsuit

Celebrities are rarely canceled for sexual abuse accusations

The public, Jeglic says, tends to "discount the information that is incongruent with our perception" of celebrities we admire when they are accused of abuse, especially when someone with "less status than him" speaks out.

However, when multiple women come forward with recounts of abuse, it becomes easier for the public to accept and listen to these narratives — which has been demonstrated in the public's evolving view of Diddy.

"When it comes to accountability, it means recognizing that the problem is bigger than just that one person," Laura Palumbo, Communications Director at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, previously told USA TODAY.

When did Beyoncé, Jay-Z start dating? A relationship timeline, from courtship to marriage

And while "cancel culture" has dominated the past decade, men who are accused of sexual violence are rarely "canceled," except in the most extreme cases, like with Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby.

"We really are talking about outrage for a few months. Some people might boycott a particular entertainer ... They might lose one job. But they come back so fast," Bedera explained. "It's really difficult to find an example of someone whose life was ruined, even if they deserved consequences for their actions. We mostly see injustice."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jay-Z statement on rape, Diddy lawsuit and why our reactions matter