NEW YORK – A woman from Alabama, who claims she was sexually assaulted by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs at the age of 13, has been granted permission to remain anonymous in her ongoing lawsuit against the two artists, as determined by a judge on Thursday.
Judge Analisa Torres expressed her disapproval of the aggressive tactics employed by Jay-Z’s attorney, describing his recent motions and the “inflamed rhetoric” directed at the plaintiff’s legal representative as unsuitable.
The judge’s ruling allows the plaintiff to use an alias at this preliminary stage of the legal proceedings. However, she noted that there could come a time when revealing her identity may be necessary for the case to move forward, enabling the defense teams to gather essential information for their preparations ahead of trial. Judge Torres highlighted the significant public interest surrounding the case.
Currently, Combs is in custody in New York as he awaits his criminal trial on federal charges related to sex trafficking. In addition, he is facing numerous sexual assault lawsuits, a majority of which have been filed by attorney Tony Buzbee from Texas. His firm reportedly represents over 150 individuals, both male and female, who accuse Combs of various forms of sexual misconduct and exploitation.
The allegations in these lawsuits claim that numerous victims were subjected to assault at parties hosted in New York, California, and Florida—often after being given drinks laced with drugs.
In defense of Combs, his legal team has labeled Buzbee’s lawsuits as “disgraceful attempts at gaining publicity,” claiming they are merely efforts to extract financial settlements from celebrities who are anxious about untruths being disseminated about them. Jay-Z, meanwhile, has publicly accused Buzbee of seeking to extort him concerning the allegations made by the Alabama woman.
Buzbee has indicated through an email that his firm refrains from making comments regarding court decisions.
In the lawsuit, the woman goes by the pseudonym “Jane Doe” and recounts her experience of being assaulted at 13 years old. According to her, she was living in Rochester in 2000 and traveled to New York City, where she befriended a limousine driver who took her to an after-party following the MTV Music Awards, at which she alleges Jay-Z and Combs attacked her.
Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, requested that the judge dismiss his client from the lawsuit and called for a hearing the day after his written submissions on December 18.
Referencing an interview that the plaintiff provided to NBC, Spiro pointed out what he regarded as “clear inconsistencies and outright impossibilities” in her account. For example, she claimed to have journeyed for five hours from Rochester to witness the music awards on a jumbotron, even though permits and available photos from the event indicate that no such jumbotron was present.
Additionally, Spiro mentioned that the plaintiff’s father has stated he has no recollection of driving his daughter to New York City, contradicting her assertion of his involvement.
The plaintiff has acknowledged that some inconsistencies exist in her narrative.
In her order issued on Thursday, Judge Torres noted Spiro’s performance in the case, indicating that despite being involved for less than three weeks, he had submitted numerous motions and letters aimed at discrediting the plaintiff’s attorney, many of which discussed the supposed “urgency” of the matter.
Referring to Jay-Z by his last name, Carter, the judge remarked that the lawyer’s continuous filing of assertive motions filled with incendiary language and personal attacks is inappropriate, constitutes a misuse of judicial resources, and is a strategy unlikely to favor his client. “The Court will not expedite the judicial proceedings merely because of counsel’s insistence,” she stated.
A message requesting a statement from Spiro was left on Thursday.
