LOS ANGELES - A woman who alleges former boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya sexually assaulted her in 2017 is fighting to keep her name anonymous in court documents related to her lawsuit.
The woman, currently identified only as ``Jane Doe'' in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Oct. 17, alleges that De La Hoya held her down against her will and sexually abused her in November 2017 at the former boxer's Pasadena home.
Doe alleges that before the incident, De La Hoya had become increasingly intoxicated and asked the then-29-year-old woman to engage in various sex acts, which she declined.
The woman's lawyers filed court papers asking Judge Laura Seigle to require the defense to leave the plaintiff's name out of their upcoming answer to the allegations, saying Doe would otherwise be ``thereafter defined by the global media's portrayal of her, and left without a path to reclaim her identity as anything other than the victim of a celebrity athlete's sexual assault.''
The plaintiffs' attorneys warn that ``the same major media outlets that previously reported and publicized the instant action will broadcast Ms. Doe's identity and status as a sexual assault victim across the globe if her identity is not kept out of the records in this case.''
But according to De La Hoya's court papers, Doe's motion should be denied because it ``runs afoul of California's strong public policy in favor of open court proceedings and the right of ... Oscar De La Hoya to a fair and open trial.''
Doe has an ulterior motive in wanting to keep her name out of the court record, according to De La Hoya's court papers.
``Simply put, plaintiff is not seeking to remain anonymous because of any reasonable or legitimate concerns, but rather, she is afraid of the truth coming out,'' De La Hoya's court papers state. ``She is scared that once the public knows who plaintiff is, (De La Hoya) will be able to clear his name in this bogus lawsuit.''
Doe's decision to file a lawsuit ``rife with irrelevant, defamatory and salacious allegations'' against De La Hoya, and releasing that complaint to the press, demonstrate that the public has a right to know the truth about who is making these allegations, De La Hoya's court papers state.
A hearing on the plaintiff's motion is scheduled Wednesday.
De La Hoya, 47, is the Golden Boy Promotions CEO and an International Boxing Hall of Fame member.