U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled on Monday that the case, initially filed in October 2024 by a woman identified only as “Jane Doe”, could not proceed unless she refiled under her real name. Despite being given multiple opportunities to do so, she failed to meet the March 20 deadline to amend the complaint.
Allegations and Legal Battle
The lawsuit accused Combs of assaulting the woman at a party in 1995 and later striking her when she rejected his advances.
Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, sought to keep her identity concealed, filing a motion in January to proceed anonymously despite objections from Combs’ legal team. However, Judge Liman ruled that if she wished to continue the case, she had to publicly identify herself—a step she ultimately did not take.
“As of today, March 31, 2025, [Doe] has not filed a complaint in her own name, nor has she sought an extension of time to do so,” the judge wrote in his decision.
Combs’ Legal Team Responds
Following the ruling, Combs' attorneys discredited the plaintiff and other accusers, claiming that many of the cases against the Bad Boy Records founder were weak and driven by publicity.
“This is now the second case brought by these attorneys against Mr. Combs that has been dismissed in its entirety,” his legal team said in 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. The other claims, like the one dismissed today, also will not hold up in a court of law.”
Combs’ Ongoing Legal Troubles
The dismissed lawsuit is just one of multiple civil cases filed against Combs in the wake of his federal sex trafficking charges.
The embattled music mogul, who pleaded not guilty to those charges, is currently being held without bail in federal custody in Brooklyn. His trial is set to begin in May 2025.
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