Judge allows anonymous lawsuit against Jay-Z, Diddy over rape allegations to continue

NEW YORK – An Alabama woman who says 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, a judge ruled Thursday.

In her written order, Judge Analisa Torres also chastised the attorney representing Jay-Z for what she described as his combative motions and “inflammatory language” against the plaintiff’s attorney, deeming them inappropriate.

Judge allowing anonymity in the early stages of the case

The Manhattan lawyer said the woman can proceed anonymously at this early stage of the litigation, but could be asked to reveal her identity at a later date if the case proceeds. This would allow defense attorneys to gather the facts needed to prepare for trial. Torres also cited “substantial interest” from the public.

Combs remains incarcerated in New York, awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. It also faces a wave of sexual assault processesmany of which were filed by the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who says his firm represents more than 150 people, both men and women, who allege sexual abuse and exploitation by Combs.

The lawsuits allege that many people were abused at parties in New York, California and Florida after being given drugged drinks.

Combs’ lawyers have dismissed Buzbee’s lawsuits as “shameless publicity stunts designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear that lies will be spread about them, as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.” Jay-Z said in a statement that Buzbee is trying to blackmail him into settling the Alabama woman’s allegations.

Buzbee said in an email that his firm does not comment on court rulings.

In her lawsuit, the woman who says she was raped at age 13 identifies herself as “Jane Doe.” She said she was living in Rochester in 2000 when she left for New York and befriended a limo driver who drove her to an MTV Music Awards after-party, where she says she was eventually attacked by Jay- Z and Combs. .

The defense highlights the woman’s alleged inconsistencies

Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s lawyer, asked the judge to dismiss the entertainer from the woman’s lawsuit and requested a hearing on the case for the next day after making his written requests on December 18.

Citing an interview the plaintiff did with NBC-TV, Spiro wrote that the broadcast revealed “glaring inconsistencies and outright impossibilities” in the plaintiff’s story. First, the woman said she traveled five hours from Rochester to watch the music awards show on a jumbotron outside the VMAs, even though permits and footage show there was no jumbotron at the event.

Spiro also noted that the woman’s father said he did not remember driving from Rochester to pick up his daughter in New York, as she says she did.

The woman admitted to inconsistencies in her story.

Torres wrote in her Thursday order that Spiro, who has been on the case for less than three weeks, has filed “a series of letters and motions seeking to challenge the character of plaintiff’s counsel, many of which set forth the purported ‘urgency’ of this fact. case.”

Referring to Jay-Z by his legal last name, the judge added: “Carter’s counsel’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources and an unlikely tactic to benefit his client. The court will not expedite the judicial process just because the lawyer asks for it.”

A message was left seeking comment from Spiro on Thursday.

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