A judge has ruled that a woman who recently filed a lawsuit accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs of rape must reveal her name or face dismissal of her case. Filed under the alias “Jane Doe” in New York’s Southern District, her complaint accuses Combs of raping her in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student at a Manhattan hotel.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil emphasized the need for openness in judicial proceedings and said her desire for anonymity doesn’t outweigh the rights of Combs and the public.
The judge noted that Doe’s lawyers did not provide enough evidence of potential harm if her identity were made public.
The complaint indicated that Combs had allegedly threatened Doe’s life at the time of the incident, but that there had been no contact between them since.
Additionally, no mental health professional’s testimony or Doe’s affidavit was provided to support claims of potential mental harm if her identity was revealed.
Judge Vyskocil also highlighted the challenge for Combs to defend himself against claims from two decades ago without knowing the accuser’s identity. The ruling gives Doe until November 13 to refile under her real name or face dismissal.
Doe’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, filed the suit under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows a two-year window to file older claims until March 2025. This lawsuit, filed alongside five others against Combs in October, targets Combs, several of his businesses, and Marriott International.
Doe claims that Combs invited her and another student to his hotel after a photoshoot in 2004, where he allegedly forced them to drink, use cocaine, and threatened to kill them. She alleges he later raped her, while a friend managed to escape.
Combs, who faced recent accusations of sexual assault following lawsuits from others, including a recent settled suit from ex-girlfriend Cassie, denies all allegations.
