Unidentified Celebrity Submits Lawsuit to Court, Seeks to Debunk Sexual Assault Claims Before Possible Legal Action by Accuser
In an uncommon legal dispute, an unnamed claimant, who labels themselves as "a famous personality and public figure residing in Tennessee", is urging a federal court in Mississippi to rule against a sexual misconduct accuser's allegations as unfounded and stop her from disseminating them further - prior to her even filing a lawsuit. The claimant stated that the accuser is attempting to extort and defame them with "false claims" that would significantly harm their reputation and career.
The claimant's lawsuit, submitted in mid-September, prompted their accuser to retaliate this week, contesting the famous individual's efforts to maintain their anonymity.
The alleged victim, identified in the court filings as "Jane Doe", is petitioning the court to reject the high-profile "John Doe"'s request to proceed under a pseudonym, arguing that he is an "alleged sexual predator" who should not receive special treatment.
"Mr. Doe believes that he is entitled to the same protection victims receive – not to prevent unnecessary traumatization, but rather, to preserve his celebrity 'reputation,'" Jane Doe's attorney wrote in a response brief this week. "Our civil court system is designed to settle disputes and provide injured parties a means of redress. It is supposed to be a level playing field. The system is not in place to allow wealthy wrongdoers the ability to evade sexual assault victims who attempt to hold perpetrators accountable. This is precisely what Mr. Doe is asking the court to help him do."
An attorney for John Doe did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
'A famous personality and public figure'
Apart from being described in their complaint as a "famous personality and public figure who resides in Tennessee", no additional information about John Doe has been disclosed. In Jane Doe's filing, she identifies Doe as having "millions of fans" and "multi-millionaire resources".
Doe, in her filing, describes herself as a "professional makeup artist and hair stylist, who has worked in the music industry" for over three decades. She claimed she worked "periodically" for Doe over 15 years and has done his hair and makeup, as well as his wife's.
In her memorandum, Roe stated that she plans to publicly file her complaint this week – in which she would identify the celebrity as a defendant – under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act.
In his complaint, Doe claims Roe's attorney sent him a "confidential" demand letter "alleging a variety of sexual misconduct by Plaintiff ranging from allegations of sexual 'grooming,' creation of a sexually hostile work environment, unwanted sexual touching, and sexual assault," after he declined Roe's request for "salaried employment and medical benefits."
In her filing, Roe alleges that Doe shared his sexual fantasies with her, groped her breasts, once walked out of the shower naked and forced her to touch him, and raped her during a work trip in Los Angeles in 2019.
Doe argued that Roe has attempted to extort them for millions of dollars through "untrue, lewd allegations" and "outrageous conduct."
"Defendant's allegations are not true," Doe's lawsuit states. "Defendant is well aware, however, of the substantial, irreparable damage such false allegations would do to Plaintiff's well-earned reputation as a decent and caring person, along with the unavoidable damage to his family and the irreparable damage to his career and livelihood that would result if she made good on her threat to 'publicly file' her fabricated lawsuit."
The celebrity plaintiff also claimed in their lawsuit that their accuser alleged that they "planned to hire someone to murder her", which they denied.
Doe's suit asks the court to declare Roe's sexual misconduct allegations untrue, pay compensatory and punitive damages, and be prevented from further publicizing the claims.
According to Roe's filing, the celebrity filed their lawsuit after learning that their accuser was planning to publicly file their own lawsuit, which came after they attempted to settle privately.
"Mr. Doe commenced this frivolous action after he learned that Ms. Roe intended to hold him accountable for his conduct and sexual violence," the filing states, with Roe's attorney writing that the celebrity preemptively filing their own complaint amounts to an "obvious attempt to further control and bully his sexual assault victim."
"Mr. Doe is desperate to prevent his millions of fans from learning about the horrific things he has said and done to a junior female employee who did nothing to deserve such treatment," her attorney said in court documents this week.
The plaintiff's request to proceed under a pseudonym requires the court's approval.
'A significant hurdle'
Legal experts opine that the celebrity plaintiff is unlikely to succeed in this case, as the argument of reputational harm is not strong enough, given that most all lawsuits contain some aspect of embarrassment or humiliation.
"Courts generally lean towards transparency, and do not like to conceal litigation from public view— absent compelling circumstances," CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson said. "Concealing allegations from public view is extremely disfavored. Therefore, a court is likely to reject any attempt at forcing litigants to battle anonymously. The court may require further legal filings or a hearing before making the final decision, but the celebrity here faces a significant hurdle in keeping this out of the public domain."
Jackson added that any accused individual can file counterclaims for defamation.
"That is the remedy for anyone facing false accusation – not hiding it from the public," he said.
When contacted by CNN, the woman's attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, stated that the preemptive complaint was an "unprecedented attempt to manipulate the judicial system" to avoid being publicly named.
"Our justice system is supposed to be open, and from what I've observed, submitting accusations of sexual misconduct frequently encourages more individuals who've endured such abuse in secret to speak up," Wigdor shared with CNN. "I've been lucky to collaborate with brave survivors throughout my career, who've had the courage to initiate change by publicly reporting their experiences and harm, and in this case, that's exactly what we plan on doing."
The celebrity's legal team is arguing that the publicity surrounding these allegations could greatly impact their entertainment career, citing their status as a "famous personality and public figure." The high-profile nature of the case could potentially deter fans and jeopardize future opportunities in the entertainment industry.
