*A Federal judge has ruled that a Tennessee woman can not proceed with her civil lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs under a pseudonym.
“Simply put, allegations of sexual assault, by themselves, are not sufficient to entitle a plaintiff to proceed under a pseudonym,” Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote in the ruling, ABC News reports.
The woman claims she was a 19-year-old college student in Brooklyn when was sexually assaulted in a private room at a party Combs hosted. She requested to keep her identity confidential, citing concerns for her safety if her name were published, but the judge denied the request.
“Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for the approximately 20 years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently detained pending trial. As such, counsel has not identified any present threat of physical harm to Plaintiff,” the judge’s decision said.
“The Court appreciates that Combs is a public figure and, therefore, Plaintiff is likely to face public scrutiny if she proceeds in her own name. The Court is not oblivious to the potential toll of such scrutiny on any litigant. However, Plaintiff’s 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 presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,” the judge said.
The Bad Boy Records mogul is currently being held in federal custody in Brooklyn after being indicted in September on three criminal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Combs faces up to life in prison. His trial begins in May 2025.
Combs has been sued under a pseudonym in several other cases. This latest ruling could affect those cases as well.
50 Cent announced late last year, following Cassie’s lawsuit against Diddy, that he was making a documentary about the mounting accusations against the father of seven. The project is set to debut on Netflix but a premiere date has not been announced.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: New Accuser Claims Diddy Sexually Assaulted Him at NYC Hotel at Age 10
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