A federal judge has dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs after the anonymous plaintiff, known only as Jane Doe, failed to follow court orders to reveal her real identity.
The case, originally filed in October 2023 in the Southern District of New York, accused Diddy of assaulting the woman at a party in 1995. However, on Monday, March 31, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled to throw out the case after the plaintiff failed to comply with a court order issued on March 6 to file a complaint under her legal name by March 20.
“As of March 31, Plaintiff has not filed a complaint in her own name, nor has she sought an extension of time to do so. Accordingly, the case is dismissed,” Judge Liman wrote in his ruling, as obtained by PEOPLE.
The plaintiff was represented by Tony Buzbee, the same attorney who is being sued by JAY-Z for defamation. Buzbee had also represented another anonymous woman who accused both Diddy and JAY-Z of rape when she was 13—a case that was voluntarily withdrawn last month.
In response to the dismissal, Diddy’s legal team issued a statement:
“For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by attorneys more focused on media headlines than legal merit… This is now the second case brought by these attorneys against Mr. Combs that has been dismissed in its entirety. It will not be the last.”
New Allegations Surface
Despite the legal win, Diddy is still facing new legal troubles. Days before the case dismissal, the music mogul was hit with another lawsuit, this time from a male Hollywood photographer who accuses Diddy of sexually assaulting him on the set of a commercial.
The anonymous plaintiff alleges that during a private meeting in a trailer, Diddy made unwanted sexual advances and coerced him into performing oral sex under the promise of advancing his career. The incident is said to have taken place between 2022 and 2023.
According to the lawsuit, Diddy told the photographer:
“If you suck right I’ll make your career take off.”
The man claims he complied out of fear but refused an additional demand and was then threatened and kicked out of the trailer. He alleges the experience left him with emotional trauma.
Diddy’s legal team has firmly denied the new claims, stating:
“No matter how many lawsuits are filed — especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims — it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”
As the legal battles continue to unfold, the public eye remains fixed on Combs and the series of allegations tied to his name.
