A woman from Alabama who claims to have been raped by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 years old may temporarily remain anonymous during the trial. CBS News writes about it, UNN reports.
Details
This decision was made by a federal judge in New York on Thursday. In her written decision, Judge Analisa Torres noted that the plaintiff may remain under a pseudonym at the initial stage of the trial, but her real name may be revealed later if the case continues. This is necessary so that the defendants' lawyers can collect the necessary evidence to prepare for the trial.
The judge also emphasized the “significant public interest” in the case.
Criticism of Jay-Z's lawyer
In addition, Judge Torres criticized Jay-Z's lawyer, Alex Spiro, for his “aggressive filing of motions with provocative language and personal attacks” on the plaintiff's lawyer.
The judge called such actions “unacceptable, a waste of judicial resources and a tactic that is unlikely to benefit his client.” In the three weeks that Spiro has been working on the case, he has filed “a series of letters and motions attempting to discredit the plaintiff's counsel,” Torres said. At the same time, most of the submitted documents contained statements about the “urgency” of the case.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Tony Buzby, commented to CBS News after the court's decision and said that he usually does not comment on court decisions. At the same time, he noted that “the coordinated and desperate attempts to attack me as a victim advocate are failing.
Charges against Combs and Jay-Z
Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently in custody in New York, awaiting criminal trial on federal sexual exploitation charges. He is also the subject of a number of civil lawsuits, many of which were initiated by Tony Buzby. His law firm represents more than 150 victims accusing Combs of sexual abuse.
The lawsuits allege that many people were abused at parties in New York, California, and Florida where they were given drinks mixed with drugs. Combs' lawyers call the lawsuits “publicity stunts aimed at getting money from celebrities.
In his statement, Jay-Z claims that Buzby is trying to blackmail him into settling the Alabama woman's allegations. The plaintiff, who filed the lawsuit under the name “Jane Doe,” states that in 2000, when she was 13 years old, she lived in Rochester. According to her, she traveled to New York City, where she met a limousine driver who took her to an after-party after the MTV Music Awards. There, according to the woman, she was raped by Jay-Z and Combs.
Spiro's lawyer urged the judge to dismiss the lawsuit against Jay-Z and filed a motion for a hearing on December 18. He emphasized the “obvious inconsistencies” in the plaintiff's testimony. In particular, the woman stated that she had traveled five hours to watch the ceremony on a screen near the venue, although, according to her lawyer, no permission was issued to place the screen at the event. In addition, the plaintiff's father stated that he did not remember traveling to New York to pick up his daughter as she described it.
In an interview with NBC News, the plaintiff admitted that her testimony contained contradictions.
Previously
UNN wrote that Jay-Z and P. Diddy are accused of raping a 13-year-old girl at a party.