A woman who anonymously sued Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for rape earlier this month has been told she must reveal her name or her lawsuit will be thrown out.
Per NBC, the woman’s complaint was filed under “Jane Doe” in the Southern District of New York and alleged Combs raped her in 2004 at a Manhattan hotel when she was a 19-year-old student.
Texan lawyer Tony Buzbee – who revealed that he was working with 120 people who have come forward with new claims against the disgraced rapper – filed the lawsuit under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows victims to file older claims within a two-year window (ending in March 2025).
The suit in question was one of six Buzbee filed on October 14, all of which were anonymous.
The complaint alleged that Jane Doe had been invited to one of Comb’s photo shoots in Brooklyn in 2004, after which she and her friend attended an after-party where they were invited to a “more exclusive party” by Combs.
Her complaint said she and her friend agreed and were taken to a Marriott hotel in the Manhattan area by a member of Combs’ entourage. Doe and her friend were allegedly grabbed and taken to a separate bedroom separate from the main party, and locked inside with the rap mogul.
According to the filing, Combs allegedly gave them drinks, ordered them to use cocaine, and forcibly touched them. He allegedly ordered Doe’s friend to perform oral sex “or else he would have them both killed,” and raped Doe.
A security guard opened the door at one point and Doe’s friend rushed out, but Doe was ordered to stay and waited for about half an hour until another security guard came and told her she could leave, the complaint said.
In a ruling on Wednesday (October 20), U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said that although the case is highly sensitive and likely to invite high levels of public scrutiny if Doe proceeds under her own name, her want to remain anonymous did not outweigh the interests of Combs and the public “in the customary and constitutionally-embedded presumption of openness” in judicial proceedings.
Judge Vyskocil went on to say the woman’s complaint provided insufficient evidence that she would face “significant risk of harm” if publicly named, and that her lawyers offered “no support for this assertion” – beyond the fact that 20 years ago, Combs had purportedly threatened Doe’s life if she fled at the time of the alleged assault.
The complaint noted that Combs had no contact with Doe in the years since the alleged incident and that Combs is currently detained.
Combs was arrested in New York in September and subsequently charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transporting for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was later denied bail after offering a $50million (£38.4m) bond and was reportedly placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial. The artist has since appealed against the bail denial. His trial date is scheduled for May 5, 2025.
He remains in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York City. Combs is next expected to appear in court on December 18. According to Rolling Stone, he could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The judge has now given Jane Doe until November 13 to file a complaint in her own name “or this case will be dismissed”. She said Doe’s lawyers had not provided sufficient evidence revealing her identity would cause mental harm, and said the prospect of “public humiliation” was not enough.
Buzbee, in a statement given to CNN, said: “We have great respect for the court and its rulings. Our job as counsel for these victims is to protect their safety the best we can, which is what we were trying to do by filing the cases anonymously. Anonymous or not, this case will proceed, period.”
Following the recent accusation that alleged Diddy had sexually assaulted and drugged a 10-year-old boy, Combs’ attorneys denied the latest wave of accusations and criticised Buzbee in a statement (via Complex).
“As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false,” it read.
“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.