A woman known as Jane Doe, who has accused Sean “Diddy” Combs and former Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre, could beunmasked thanks to a judge overseeing the case.
Diddy, Pierre, and an unidentified third man were accused of gang rape and trafficking in 2003. The alleged incident occurred when she was just 17 years old and took place at Diddy’s New York City recording studio, Daddy’s House.
Jane Doe’s legal team argued for her to proceed under the pseudonym to protect her from further trauma and ensure her safety, given the high-profile nature of the defendants and the media attention surrounding the case.
Despite these arguments, Diddy and Pierre’s legal teams opposed the motion for her to remain anonymous, and they emerged victorious in a ruling handed down by Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke today.
The court pointed out Doe’s lack of specific evidence or professional medical corroboration to show the potential harm of disclosing her identity, viewing this as a failure to demonstrate a particular risk from being named publicly.
Despite Doe being a minor at the time of the alleged crimes, her current adult status and absence of any present vulnerabilities that might necessitate anonymity led the court to view this negatively in her bid for anonymity.
The importance of public access to judicial proceedings and the interest in the transparency of legal actions, mainly when they involve private entities rather than government actions, were factors that the court believed worked against allowing Doe to remain anonymous.
After weighing all factors, the court decided against permitting Jane Doe to use a pseudonym in the lawsuit.
The court’s denial of Doe’s request for anonymity will be put on hold until a decision is reached on a separate motion for judgment on the pleadings. Depending on the outcome, if the case proceeds, Doe might be compelled to continue the lawsuit under her legal name.
The legal victory is a bright spot for Diddy. In addition to fighting off lawsuits by another Jane Doe accuser and two women who have accused him of sexual assault, the mogul was hit with a $30 million lawsuit claiming he groped and assaulted a male producer named Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones.
Diddy and his legal team have maintained his innocence and said the Bad Boy mogul was the victim of a “cancel culture frenzy” in the court system.