The woman who has accused Jay-Z of rape can remain anonymous in court for now.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Thursday, December 26, judge Analisa Torres ruled the accuser, who has gone by the moniker Jane Doe in the lawsuit, can continue to be unnamed in the case. However, the judge noted the circumstances could change as the case moves forward. Torres stated she intends to revisit the issue if and when the case progresses.
Torres also accused Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, of being combative and trying to “fast-track” the case, per the outlet.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing Doe, said in a statement to Us Weekly saying, “I don’t typically comment on court rulings. I will say that the coordinated and desperate efforts to attack me as counsel for alleged victims are falling flat.”
Earlier this month, news broke that Jay-Z, 55, was named in a civil lawsuit alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. In the paperwork, Doe accused the two rappers of raping her when she was 13 at an MTV Video Music Awards after party in 2000. The lawsuit was initially filed in October where Diddy, 55, was the only one named in the docs. However, Buzbee — who is also representing numerous people claiming to be victims of Diddy — refiled the paperwork on December 8 to include Jay-Z in the suit.
Both Jay-Z and Diddy have denied the allegations. In a statement to Us Weekly, Jay-Z referenced his wife, Beyoncé, whom he has been married to since 2008, and their three children: Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, both 8.
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people,” his message read. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
Jay-Z filed a motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit “for lack of subject matter jurisdiction due to the plaintiff’s lack of standing.”
“Plaintiff has provided no evidence — no affidavit, declaration, or specific factual support — to establish the kind of severe harm necessary to justify pseudonymity,” the document states.
In that same paperwork, the Roc Nation founder also requested the court for Doe’s identity to be “disclosed immediately” to the public.
After filing the motion, Spiro held a press roundtable on December 16, at Roc Nation’s New York City offices where Us and other reporters were present. Spiro began the meeting by stating that Jay-Z “did not rape a child” and gave a presentation that detailed alleged holes in the accuser’s story. Spiro also claimed that multiple people are willing to come forward to address the inconsistencies in the rape allegation made against Jay-Z.
Jay-Z and attorney Tony Buzbee’s current legal drama is just getting started. On Sunday, December 8, news broke that Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) was named alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in a civil lawsuit filed by Buzbee. According to NBC News, the legal paperwork accused Jay-Z, 55, of allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 […]
The woman previously came forward to address the discrepancies in her account.
“You should always fight for what happened to you,” the unidentified woman, who has gone by Jane Doe in legal documents, said in a December 13 interview with NBC News. “You should always advocate for yourself and be a voice for yourself. You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward.”
