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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ accuser cannot remain anonymous, judge rules – News
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ accuser cannot remain anonymous, judge rules – News

A woman who accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her two decades ago cannot sue him without revealing her identity, a federal judge ruled in a ruling Wednesday that would could apply to other civil suits against the music mogul.

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in Manhattan said “the balance of interests at stake weighs heavily” against the plaintiff known as Jane Doe continuing to use a pseudonym.


Vyskocil’s reasoning could apply to other civil suits that have been or may be filed in federal court in Manhattan against Combs, 54, who also faces criminal sex-trafficking charges there.

He pleaded not guilty in the criminal case and denied wrongdoing in the civil cases.




Doe, a Tennessee resident, said Combs raped and threatened her life at a Manhattan hotel in 2004 when she was 19.

Her lawyers argued that the use of a pseudonym was justified because the allegations were extremely sensitive, she could suffer physical and mental harm if named, and Combs’ alleged violent behavior “created the very conditions” that warranted anonymity.

Vyskocil, however, noted that several accusers, including singers Dawn Richard and Cassie, whose name is Casandra Ventura, have sued Combs under their own names.

She also said the Bad Boy founder had the right to investigate Doe’s background and credibility and that there was an “indisputable public interest” in identifying Combs’ accusers.

“Plaintiff’s interest in avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in the ordinary and constitutionally embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,” Vyskocil wrote.

“Indeed, this is the kind of case that promotes public interest in the enforcement of legal and social norms,” ​​she added.

Tony Buzbee and other attorneys representing Doe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Buzbee also represents many other male and female accusers who are suing Combs anonymously and said they represent more than 150 victims.

Representatives for Combs declined to comment.

In the criminal case, Combs’ lawyers also want federal prosecutors to identify his alleged victims, saying that would help Combs answer to other accusers and make it easier to prepare for his trial scheduled for May 5, 2025.

They also said Combs shouldn’t have to “play a guessing game — one made all the more challenging by the onslaught of baseless allegations that desperate plaintiffs are filing (mostly anonymously) in lawsuits civil actions intended to obtain a reward”.

Combs was arrested on September 16 and is being held in Brooklyn. He is appealing his detention. Reuters

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