Hip-hop artist Jay-Z has had his request to dismiss a civil rape case against him dismissed.
The New York judge who denied the rapper’s petition also ruled that the woman known as Jane Doe can remain anonymous at this stage of the proceedings.
Why it matters
Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, has been sued alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs by an Alabama woman who says she was raped when she was 13 years old.
Judge Analisa Torres ruled that the woman can continue to remain anonymous, but she may have to reveal her identity at a later date if the case continues. Torres cited “substantial public interest” in the case as one reason for her decision, the AP reported.
What to know
Both Jay-Z and Combs have denied any wrongdoing and highlighted the inaccuracies in Doe’s allegations, a fact she herself acknowledged while maintaining that she was telling the truth.
Combs is being held in a New York prison on multiple counts of human trafficking and sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In her ruling, Torres also criticized Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s lawyer, for making “inflammatory language” against Tony Buzbee, the plaintiff’s lawyer.
She said Spiro filed “a litany of letters and motions attempting to impugn the character of plaintiff’s counsel, many explaining the alleged ‘urgency’ of this case.”
Joe Prior/Visionhaus
What people are saying
Judge Analisa Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote in her decision: “Attorney Carter’s relentless filing of adversarial motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic that is unlikely to benefit his client. The court will not expedite a trial simply because counsel requests it.”
What will happen next?
Wayne Dennison, who represented actor Johnny Depp in his successful lawsuit against his ex-partner Amber Heard, has described Jay-Z’s approach to his defense as “groundbreaking”. He added that it could change how celebrities approach such legal matters.
