Photo Credit: Thomas Dacker
A woman who alleges that Jay-Z drugged and raped her at age 13 can remain anonymous for now, a federal judge has ruled. The ruling is a big setback for Jay-Z and his attempts to tamp down the ugly lawsuit.
In her opinion, obtained this morning by Digital Music News, Judge Analisa Torres references several factors that weighed towards her thinking that the plaintiff should remain anonymous for now. She cites the assertion that the Jane Doe continues to experience adverse effects from her sexual assault—including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a seizure disorder.
The judge also cites claims that Diddy has threatened her and other victims who have filed lawsuits against him. “Plaintiff’s counsel asserts that many of his other clients who have filed similar lawsuits against Sean Combs claim to have been threatened by Mr. Combs for their decision to speak out,” the court order reads. The judge also cites the NBC interview in which the plaintiff spoke to the press about the incident, but did so anonymously.
Judge Torres says “at this exceedingly early stage in this case, the factors counseling against disclosure outweigh those that counsel in favor,” in her decision. The case cited is Cf. Doe v. Delta Airlines, Inc., 310 F.R.D. 222, 226 (S.D.N.Y. 2015), which required the anonymous plaintiff to identify herself only as the case approached trial.
“Plaintiff is advised that, because the balance of these factors will certainly shift as this case proceeds, especially if and when the parties engage in discovery in earnest, the Court intends to revisit this decision at a future date,” concludes Judge Torres.
The judge also takes the time to address several mud-slinging allegations aimed at Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the anonymous Jane Doe. “Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks in inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client. The Court will not fast-track the judicial process merely because counsel demands it.”
The plaintiff and her lawyer must now respond by January 10, 2025 to Carter’s motion for an order directing the preservation of evidence. Jay-Z and his legal team will have until January 17, 2025 to reply.
