CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses sexual assault.
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil has ruled that a woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs must reveal her identity if she wishes to proceed with her case.
In her decision on Wednesday, she stated that while the case is highly sensitive and Jane Doe is likely to face public scrutiny if she proceeds under her own name, her want to remain anonymous is not enough to outweigh “the customary and constitutionally-embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings”.
The judge acknowledged the sensitive nature of the case but ultimately concluded that allegations of sexual assault alone aren’t sufficient grounds for a plaintiff to proceed anonymously.
Vyskocil said the woman’s complaint didn’t have enough evidence that she would face “significant risk of harm” if publicly named.
According to PEOPLE, Diddy’s lawyers filed their court documents on October 15 asking the court to “require the government to identify its alleged victims” so Diddy “can prepare for trial”.
The attorneys claimed that Diddy’s case “is unique” due to his “celebrity status, wealth, and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit”.
They also noted that “without clarity” of the alleged victims’ names, Diddy won’t be able to identify who the accusers are.
The judge brought up possible challenges Combs would face in defending himself against anonymous allegations in her ruling.
“Defendants have a right to defend themselves, including by investigating Plaintiff, and the people have a right to know who is using their courts,” Vyskocil stated.
Judge Vyskocil was the same judge who blocked a sexual assault lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein from proceeding anonymously in 2020.
The current lawsuit in question was filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe. It alleges that Combs sexually assaulted the plaintiff in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old university student at a Manhattan hotel.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is currently facing multiple federal criminal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
These charges are linked to allegations that span from 2008 to the present, with prosecutors accusing Combs of running a “criminal enterprise” that involved coercing women into fulfilling his sexual demands.
This Jane Doe case is one of six cases filed by Attorney Tony Buzzbee on October in the Southern District of New York, all anonymously.
Judge Vyskocil has given Jane Doe until November 13 to file a complaint in her own name or “this case will be dismissed”.
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
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