Diddy and Jay-Z dealt a legal loss amid escalating lawsuit that threatens to end their careers

Twenty years ago, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter were two of the biggest tickets in hip-hop, examples of a strong New York-based subgenre that captivated listeners not just in the United States but indeed around the globe. Diddy and Jay-Z retained this popularity deep into the 2010s -- but the 2020s has brought down a considerable reckoning on both men.

Combs is facing federal trial in May 2025 after a grand jury indicted him on charges that include racketeering and sex trafficking, while Combs and Carter have been sued by an anonymous woman who alleges the two moguls raped her at a party in 2000. The sexual assault case has further rocked hip-hop, and Carter is reportedly hell-bent on clearing his name while "burying" Diddy.

Plaintiff can proceed anonymously

While Jay-Z fights to get the suit dismissed, and while Diddy sits behind bars in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, a judge Thursday ruled that the plaintiff in the sexual assault lawsuit does not have to reveal their identity and -- for the time being -- can proceed anonymously as the case moves through the courts.

The plaintiff, based in Alabama, has scored a key legal victory courtesy of U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. The judge said the case is of substantial public interest, and so Torres has granted the Alabama woman's request -- while chiding Jay-Z for his combative statement against Tony Buzbee, the woman's attorney.

Jay-Z and his lawyer, Alex Spiro, have filed a number of motions containing "inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks" that are unlikely to help his client's case -- but does offer a window into Carter's desperation as he tries to get his name cleared. Buzbee even told CBS News on Thursday that "the coordinated and desperate efforts to attack me as counsel for alleged victims are falling flat" -- a response that spells bad news not just for Carter but also for Combs, as Buzbee represents more than 100 people who have accused Diddy of sexual misconduct over the years.