A judge has denied Jay-Z’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl more than two decades ago.
In the lawsuit, originally filed in October, a woman identified only as “Jane Doe” sued Combs for allegedly raping her at a party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The complaint was amended on Dec. 8 to include the allegation that Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was also present and participated in the assault.
Jay-Z has denied all allegations, and his attorney Alex Spiro sought to dismiss the case after the Alabama woman acknowledged inconsistencies in her allegations in an NBC News report published earlier this month. Spiro doubled down last week, speaking outside Roc Nation’s New York headquarters, saying the rap mogul is upset about the suit and that “Mr. Carter has nothing to do with Mr. Combs’ case.”
On Thursday, in her written order, Judge Analisa Torres denied Combs’ hopes to have the suit tossed out. Torres also ruled the woman accusing the two artists that she could proceed anonymously at this early stage of the litigation, but that she may be required to reveal her identity at a later date if the case proceeds.
The judge also chastised Carter’s attorney for what she described as his “combative motions” and “inflammatory language” against the plaintiff’s lawyer, calling them inappropriate. “Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client. The Court will not fast-track the judicial process merely because counsel demands it,” Torres wrote in part in her order.
Combs currently remains jailed in New York awaiting a criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He also faces a wave of other sexual assault lawsuits.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Combs’ attorney and the Jane Doe’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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