NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her two decades ago can’t sue him without revealing her identity, a federal judge ruled in a ruling Wednesday, reasoning that The music may also apply to other civil suits against the monarch.

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Viscocil in Manhattan ruled against continuing the use of a pseudonym by a plaintiff named Jane Doe, saying “the balance of interests at stake is too important”.

Viscocil’s argument could apply to other civil lawsuits that have been or may be filed in Manhattan federal court against Combs, 54, who also faces criminal sex trafficking charges there.

He has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case and denied wrongdoing in the civil cases.

Doe, a Tennessee resident, said Combs raped and threatened to kill her in a Manhattan hotel in 2004, when she was 19 years old.

Her attorneys argued that using a pseudonym was appropriate because the allegations were highly sensitive, she could suffer physical and mental harm if named, and Combs’ alleged violent behavior “created conditions” that required anonymity. Laid.

However, Viskosil said several accusers, including singer Don Richard and Cassie, whose real name is Cassandra Ventura, have sued Combs under their own names.

He also said that the Bad Boy record label founder was entitled to investigate Doe’s background and credibility, and that there was an “undeniable public interest” in identifying Combs’ accusers.

“Plaintiffs’ interest in avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in the customary and constitutionally embedded notion of openness in judicial proceedings,” Wiskosil wrote.

“In fact, this is the kind of case that piques the public’s interest in enforcing legal and social norms,” ​​he said.

Tony Buzbee and other attorneys representing Doe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Buzbee has also represented several other male and female accusers who have sued Combs anonymously and says he represents more than 150 victims.

Representatives for Combs declined to comment.

In the criminal case, Combs’ lawyers also want federal prosecutors to identify his alleged victims, saying this would help Combs answer to other accusers and make it easier to prepare for the trial scheduled for May 5, 2025.

He also said that Combs “should not play the guessing game – made all the more challenging by the onslaught of unfounded allegations that desperate plaintiffs are filing against him in civil suits designed to recover payments.”

Combs was arrested on September 16 and is being held in jail in Brooklyn. He is appealing his detention.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.