Judge tosses out singer Dawn Richard’s lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ combs alleging abuse

new york city — A federal judge has dismissed singer Dawn Richard’s lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying most of her claims of emotional and physical abuse, including harassment, were not filed in the required year after the events described.

Judge Katherine Polk Failla said in a ruling issued Friday and made public Monday that Richard can reinstate her claims in state court on one allegation against the hip-hop singer, but she cannot reinstate claims that have missed the deadline by which a lawsuit must be filed under New York law by more than a decade.

The judge flexed her vocabulary when she wrote that the court’s ruling “exists independently of its rejection of the factual allegations, which, if true, are inadmissible.” In general terms, this means that the court’s ruling is not based on whether the judge agrees or disagrees with what Combs is accused of doing.

Richard’s attorney, Eric Fodale, said the singer will refile her initial claim in state court under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act.

“We certainly agree with the judge that the allegations in this case are disgusting,” Fadali said in an emailed statement, repeating the word “disgusting” which means very bad. He added: “We intend to continue fighting for Libya Dawn until justice is achieved.”

Lawyers for Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When the lawsuit was filed in September 2024, his representatives said Combs was “shocked and disappointed” by the lawsuit and questioned why Richard had worked for him for so long if he was so bad.

Richard, who was a singer for Bad Boy Records group Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money from 2004 to 2012, testified at a trial in New York last year where Combs was convicted on prostitution charges but acquitted of more serious sex trafficking charges.

She told a jury in Manhattan federal court that she witnessed Combs beat his girlfriend in 2009, and that Combs later threatened to keep quiet about what she witnessed.

Richard alleged in her lawsuit that she suffered abuse, manipulation and violence during her eight-year association with Combs, and was subjected to Combs routinely using derogatory language to describe women.

According to the lawsuit, Combs regularly deprived Richard and her bandmates of food and sleep and made her feel embarrassed and helpless when he angrily responded to her request that he dress up when he held meetings in his underwear.

The suit also alleged that Richard was regularly subjected to drug-fueled parties where Combs and his friends would perform sexual acts on helpless young women.

She claimed Combs would regularly have outbursts, throwing cellphones, laptops, food and studio equipment. At other times, Richard witnessed him strangling and strangling his girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, the lawsuit said.

Ventura testified for several days at the trial that resulted in Combs being sentenced to four years and two months in prison.