Judge Issues Huge Ruling With Big Implications for Diddy’s Accusers

Last month, the music mogul and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, 54, was arrested and charged with human trafficking and racketeering.

If you thought it would be an open-and-shut case, think again. A federal judge has ruled that a woman accusing Diddy of sexual assault cannot proceed with her lawsuit under a pseudonym.

The judge concluded that Diddy has a right to defend himself against his accusers, which is a key component of the Sixth Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

Judge Issues Ruling On Diddy

“The fundamental question is whether Plaintiff has a ‘substantial privacy’ interest that ‘outweighs the customary and constitutionally-embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,” Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote in an opinion obtained by CNN. “Defendants have a right to defend themselves, including by investigating Plaintiff, and the people have a right to know who is using their courts.”

The Sixth Amendment is meant to protect individuals from anonymous accusations and mere written affidavits.

After filing a lawsuit as a Jane Doe, the Tennessee woman claimed that Diddy assaulted her in 2004. At the time, she was 19 years-old. This is just one of over a dozen lawsuits that have been filed against Diddy since his September 16 arrest.

Judge Vyskocil ruled that if the woman has until November 13 to file the lawsuit under her own name. If she doesn’t do so, it will be dismissed.

“We have no formal statement as the ruling speaks for itself,” Diddy’s legal team said in response to the ruling.

Related: Resurfaced Video Shows Diddy Guessing What His ‘Last Words’ Will Be, And His Accusers Will Want To See It

Judge Doubles Down

The woman’s attorneys argued that her case should be allowed to proceed. They claimed that it should go forward because of her fear that Diddy would physically harm her. The judge, however, was not having any of it.

“As Plaintiff’s own submissions make clear, however, Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for the approximately twenty years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently detained pending trial,” the judge wrote. “As such, counsel has not identified any present threat of physical harm to Plaintiff.”

The judge went on to say that “public humiliation” is not enough to warrant keeping the woman’s identity secret. She cited the fact that multiple people have filed lawsuits against Diddy using their real names.

“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,” Judge Vyskocil wrote. “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.'”

“Counsel’s assertions that Defendants need not know Plaintiff’s identity to file an answer and conduct discovery strain credulity,” the judge concluded.

Related: Taylor Swift’s Past Glowing Comments About Diddy Come Back To Haunt Her

Allegations Against Diddy

The authorities think that Diddy ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses. These businesses include Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises, and Combs Global, among others. An unsealed indictment alleges that Diddy used “firearms, threats of violence, coercion, and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse” to fulfill his desires.

Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn ever since his arrest. Due to the seriousness of the charges against him, Diddy has been denied bail.

If convicted on all charges, Diddy is facing a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. Diddy has pled not guilty, and his trial date has been set for May 5.