TLDR:
- Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that a Tennessee woman must reveal her identity in her sexual assault lawsuit against P Diddy
- The alleged incident occurred in 2004 when the accuser was a 19-year-old college student in Brooklyn
- Accuser must file complaint under her real name by November 13 or case will be dismissed
- This is one of approximately 120 lawsuits being prepared by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee against Diddy
- Diddy has consistently denied all allegations of sexual assault
A federal judge in New York has ruled that a woman from Tennessee who accused Sean “P Diddy” Combs of sexual assault must reveal her identity to proceed with her lawsuit. Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil set a deadline of November 13 for the accuser to file a complaint under her real name, or the case will face dismissal.
The lawsuit stems from allegations of a sexual assault that reportedly took place in 2004 when the accuser was a 19-year-old college student in Brooklyn. The woman, currently proceeding as Jane Doe, claims she was invited to a party hosted by Combs, where the alleged incident occurred.
According to court documents, the woman alleges that upon arriving at the party, she and a friend were grabbed by someone she believed to be a security guard and taken to a private room. The documents state that they were told, “You know what you are here for,” and were allegedly forced to take cocaine.
The accuser claims that Combs began to “forcibly touch” them. While her friend managed to escape the situation, the woman alleges she was pinned down by Combs. The 54-year-old rapper has strongly denied these accusations.
In her ruling, Judge Vyskocil addressed the plaintiff’s concerns about potential harm if her identity was revealed. The judge noted that “Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for the approximately 20 years since the alleged rape,” and determined there was no evidence of a present threat of physical harm.
The court acknowledged that while sexual assault allegations are sensitive, this alone does not justify anonymous proceedings. “Simply put, allegations of sexual assault, by themselves, are not sufficient to entitle a plaintiff to proceed under a pseudonym,” Judge Vyskocil wrote in the filing.
This case represents just one piece of a larger legal challenge facing Combs. Texas attorney Tony Buzbee has stated he is preparing approximately 120 lawsuits against the music mogul. Buzbee’s client was the first to file suit in this wave of legal actions against Combs.
The judge emphasized that Combs has the right to investigate his accuser and her credibility. While recognizing that the public scrutiny might be challenging for the plaintiff due to Combs’s celebrity status, the court determined that this concern does not override the constitutional principle of open judicial proceedings.
Combs’s legal team has responded to the allegations with firm denials. In a statement, his attorneys said, “The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity.”
The statement continued, “Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.”
As of October 31, 2024, the accuser has approximately two weeks to decide whether to reveal her identity and continue with the lawsuit. The case has drawn attention to the broader debate about anonymity in sexual assault cases involving public figures.
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