Diddy rape accuser ordered to reveal real name by judge or face case dismissal

Judge rules Diddy accuser must reveal name or face dismissal, citing the need for transparency and fairness.

A judge has ruled that a woman accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs of rape must reveal her identity for her lawsuit to proceed.

Filed under "Jane Doe" in the Southern District of New York, her complaint alleges that Combs raped her in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student. However, Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that Doe's desire for anonymity does not override the public’s interest in transparency. The judge stated, “public humiliation is not enough,” adding that “defendants have a right to defend themselves,” which would be challenging without knowing Doe’s identity.

Doe's lawyers claimed that Combs threatened her life if she attempted to flee the alleged assault, but Vyskocil said they failed to provide “significant evidence” supporting risks of mental harm if Doe's name is disclosed. She noted that no evidence from a mental health professional or a sworn affidavit was submitted.

Doe’s legal team, led by attorney Tony Buzbee, filed the complaint under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, allowing a two-year period to file older claims. Buzbee has not commented on the court’s decision. Judge Vyskocil has given Doe until November 13 to refile with her real name or face dismissal of the case.

The complaint accuses Combs and several entities, including Bad Boy Records LLC and Marriott International, of complicity. Filed alongside five similar cases, it alleges that Doe attended one of Combs' photo shoots in 2004, later joining an afterparty where the assault allegedly occurred.