Diddy Accuser Ordered to Reveal Her Identity in Sexual Assault Case

A federal judge has ruled that a woman who accused Diddy and two associates of sexually assaulting her in 2003 must proceed with her lawsuit under her real name. The woman, previously identified as Jane Doe, filed her case in December 2023, alleging that the assault occurred at Diddy's New York recording studio when she was 17 years old.

Doe's lawsuit, which also names former Bad Boy Records executive Harve Pierre and an unidentified third individual, claims that the assault happened after she was flown out on a private jet to New York City. The lawsuit was filed under New York City's Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law (VGMVPL).

The legal team for Diddy, the hip-hop mogul otherwise known as Sean Combs, had sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the VGMVPL was invalidated by the expiration of other statewide laws, such as the Child Victims Act, which ended in August 2021.

But in her new decision, as reported by Rolling Stone this week, the U.S. District Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke rejected Combs' challenge and allowed the case to move forward under the VGMVPL.

However, the judge ordered that Doe must reveal her true identity to continue the litigation and dismissed corporate defendants Daddy's House, Combs' Manhattan studio, and Bad Boy Records from the case.

While requiring Doe to disclose her identity, the ruling is seen as a largely positive outcome for the plaintiff. It may also set a precedent for other similar lawsuits filed under the same legal provision.

Combs currently faces about 20 lawsuits alleging various forms of sexual misconduct. The handling of Doe's case could influence how courts approach anonymity in these cases. Last month, another judge ordered accuser Candice McCrary to reveal her name in her lawsuit against Combs, which alleges a 2004 assault.

Neither representatives for Combs nor Doe's attorneys, Douglas Wigdor and Meredith Firetog, have commented publicly on the ruling.

Doe's allegations, detailed in her December 2023 filing, claim that Pierre approached her at a Detroit-area lounge, claiming that Combs was interested in meeting her. That same night, she alleges she was flown to New Jersey and then taken to Daddy's House studio in Manhattan.

Once there, she says she was given large amounts of drugs and alcohol, causing her to lose consciousness. The lawsuit alleges that Combs, Pierre, and another man assaulted her while she drifted in and out of awareness, later waking up on the floor in pain. She claims she was flown back to Detroit afterward, with her underwear missing.

Combs has strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless in a public statement issued after the lawsuit was filed. "Enough is enough," he said. "For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation, and my legacy."

He added, "Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth."

Combs, 55, is also facing separate federal charges related to sex trafficking and racketeering. He was arrested in September and is being held without bail. He has pleaded not guilty and could face life in prison if convicted.

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Diddy, Sean Combs