Judge Rules 'Jane Doe' Must Be Named in Diddy Assault Lawsuit

A federal judge rules that the Jane Doe who accused Sean 'Diddy' Combs of sexual assault cannot proceed under a pseudonym.

Federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that an anonymous woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs must file under each real name by November 13, or the lawsuit will be dismissed. The Tennessee woman filed her suit as a Jane Doe against Combs earlier this month with allegations that he raped her in 2004 when she was 19 years old.

Lawyers representing the woman have argued that the case should be allowed to proceed as-is due to the plaintiff's fear that Combs would harm her. But the judge disagreed.

“The fundamental question is whether Plaintiff has a 'substantial privacy' interest that 'outweighs the customary and constitutionally embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,'” wrote Judge Vyskocil on Wednesday. “Defendants have a right to defend themselves, including by investigating the Plaintiff, and the people have a right to know who is using their courts.”

“As Plaintiff's own submissions make clear, however, Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for approximately twenty years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently detained pending trial,” the judge continued. “As such, counsel has not identified any present threat of physical harm to Plaintiff.”

The lawsuit is one of over a dozen that have been filed by Jane or John Does since Combs was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. All are represented by the same attorneys, which includes Tony Buzbee, who promised an onslaught of over 120 similar lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks.

“The Court appreciates that Combs is a public figure, and therefore, Plaintiff is likely to face public scrutiny if she proceeds in her own name,” Judge Vyskocil pointed out. “However, Plaintiff's interest in avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in 'the customary and constitutionally embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings.'”

Therefore, the judge said Combs is entitled to know the identity of his accuser so his defense can investigate her claims.