Neil Portnow’s accuser asks judge to dismiss sexual assault lawsuit

The Jane Doe The plaintiff who accused former Grammys CEO Neil Portnow of rape in a 2023 lawsuit has asked the judge to dismiss the case.

The accuser’s allegations against Portnow first surfaced in January 2020 as part of his successor Deborah Dugan’s discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after she was fired just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards.

While Portnow called the sexual assault allegations in the Dugan lawsuit “ridiculous and untrue,” plaintiff Jane Doe — described only as a “foreign recording artist” — filed her own lawsuit against him nearly three years later, in November 2023 Portnow and claimed he had “taken drugs.” and abused her in his hotel room in New York in June 2018” after a Grammy event.

However, the lawsuit was moved from New York state court to federal court, where Portnow’s legal team demanded the public identification of the Jane Doe accuser, citing previous cases involving Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. With a judge’s decision on Jane Doe’s identity imminent, she instead asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed entirely.

“The circumstances of this case have given rise to serious concerns for my safety and emotional well-being. Dismissing the case would alleviate that fear and allow me to move forward without unnecessary risk,” Jane Doe wrote in a letter she received to the judge Rolling Stone.

“In summary, I can unfortunately not pursue the case any further. The urgency of the defendant’s application as well as urgent court decisions and impending deadlines require quick action. However, due to these repeated traumatic events following the withdrawal of my attorney and the fear of possible serious harm, as advised by the attorneys, it is impossible for me to continue with the case in all aspects.”

Additionally, Jane Doe’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, who defended her right to protect her identity, requested to withdraw from the case. He cited “irreconcilable differences” and that the “attorney-client relationship had deteriorated beyond repair” after she asked that the lawsuit be dismissed, according to his knowledge.

“I ask for your consideration of granting voluntary dismissal without prejudice,” Doe’s letter to the judge continued. “As a plaintiff, I am unable to continue the case. I believe this approach is in the best interest of everyone involved. I respectfully ask this court to grant my motion for voluntary dismissal without prejudice. I greatly appreciate the court’s attention to this matter.”