A New York judge has ruled that an Alabama woman alleging she was raped by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 can proceed anonymously, for now, in her lawsuit against the rap moguls, The Associated Press reports.
Judge Analisa Torres’s order, issued Thursday, also included a sharp rebuke of Jay-Z’s lawyer for his “combative motions” and “inflammatory language” against the plaintiff’s legal counsel.
The judge’s decision allows the woman, who is currently using the pseudonym “Jane Doe,” to remain anonymous during the early stages of the litigation. While acknowledging the public’s “substantial interest” in the case, Torres noted that the woman may be required to reveal her identity at a later point to allow defense lawyers to gather necessary facts for trial preparation.
Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, also faces a barrage of other sexual assault lawsuits, many of which were filed by the same attorney representing the Jane Doe, Tony Buzbee. Buzbee’s Texas-based firm claims to represent over 150 individuals who allege sexual abuse and exploitation by Combs. These lawsuits allege widespread abuse occurred at parties in various locations, where victims were allegedly given drug-laced drinks.
Combs’ lawyers have dismissed Buzbee’s lawsuits as “shameless publicity stunts” designed to exploit celebrities’ fear of false allegations. Jay-Z has also accused Buzbee of attempting to blackmail him into settling the allegations.
While Buzbee stated in an email that his firm does not comment on court rulings, the details of Jane Doe’s suit allege that she was living in Rochester in 2000 when she traveled to New York City, met a limousine driver, and attended an after-party for the MTV Music Awards where she says the attacks occurred.
Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s lawyer, had requested that the judge dismiss his client from the lawsuit, citing “glaring inconsistencies and outright impossibilities” in the plaintiff’s story, revealed in an NBC-TV interview. He pointed to claims that she traveled to see the MTV awards on a jumbotron, despite the lack of evidence of one at the event, and that her father drove her from Rochester to New York, despite his denial of it. Jane Doe has admitted to some inconsistencies in her account.
In her order, Judge Torres criticized Spiro’s actions, stating his “litany of letters and motions” aimed at impugning the plaintiff’s lawyer were inappropriate and a waste of judicial resources. She specifically noted the “relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks,” and that the court would not fast-track the process simply because counsel demands it. Torres made it clear that the court was not going to be moved by such tactics.
A message left seeking comment from Spiro on Thursday has not been returned.
