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Jay-Z accuser can remain anonymous, judge rules
Jay-Z‘s accuser can remain anonymous, a judge has ruled, while the rapper’s lawyer has been criticised for a “relentless filing of combative motions”.On December 8, it was reported that Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – was named in a lawsuit which alleged the rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000 by the rapper and Diddy, real name Sean Combs.In a statement issued via Roc Nation, Carter called the allegations “heinous in nature” and dismissed them as a “blackmail attempt”, and filed a court letter seeking the dismissal of the suit while maintaining his innocence. Combs also denies the accuser’s claims.The letter also sought to reveal the identity of the accuser, but in a ruling on Thursday (December 26), Judge Analisa Torres declared that the woman can proceed anonymously in the case, as reported by Rolling Stone.The judge pointed to the “weight of the factors” including the “highly sensitive and extremely personal” nature of the claim in making her decision, arguing it “tips the favour of allowing Plaintiff to remain anonymous, at least for this stage of the litigation”.Torres then added that the “relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client.