A federal judge has dismissed former Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money member Dawn Richard’s sexual abuse and breach of contract lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The ruling comes more than a year after Richard filed her civil case against Combs in September 2024. In a 55-page complaint, the singer alleged the music mogul had groped her on numerous occasions, once trapped her inside a locked car for two hours as a form of punishment, and threatened her life.
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In a decision dated Friday, June 12, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla dismissed all 18 of Richard’s causes of actions against Combs, in part, for most of the claims being outside the statute of limitations. However, the judge ruled that count one of Richard’s complaint — the heart of her case under an alleged violation of New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law — should only be dismissed without prejudice, allowing for Richard to refile in state court.
“The Court’s resolution of the instant motion exists independently of its disapprobation of the factual allegations, which, if true, are execrable,” Judge Polk Failla wrote in her order. “The Court is, of course, compelled to follow the law.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Richard’s lawyer Arick Fudali, a partner and managing attorney at The Bloom Firm, said they are planning to refile Richard’s case. “We certainly agree with the Judge that the allegations in this case are execrable,” Fudali said. “We are encouraged and look forward to pursuing our primary claim filed under the gender motivated violence act in State Court in NYC, per the judge’s decision. We intend to continue to fight for Dawn until justice is achieved.”
A representative for Combs did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment, but told Billboard that “for quite some time, allegations from this lawsuit generated headlines around the world. Today’s decision dismissing the case is an important reminder that allegations are not findings and that courts exist to evaluate claims under established legal standards.”
Richard met Combs while auditioning for his hit MTV series Making the Band, forming the popular group Danity Kane alongside Aubrey O’Day, D. Woods, Aundrea Fimbres, and Shannon Bex. During the season finale of Making the Band 4 in 2008, Combs effectively dismantled the band at the peak of its success by firing O’Day and Woods. Still, Combs kept Richard within the Bad Boy family by making her part of his newly formed trio, Diddy-Dirty Money alongside singer Kalenna Harper.
From 2004 until her music career with Combs ended in 2012, Richard claimed to have observed dozens of disturbing incidents while in the Bad Boy founder’s orbit, including Combs insisting on holding meetings in his underwear; Combs groping her breast area and “bare buttocks”; and withstanding Combs’ degrading and sexist remarks.
Richard claimed Combs once tried to punch her when she told him not to call her a bitch. But before Combs “could strike her,” Richard alleged that one of his bodyguards grabbed her and forced her into one of Combs’ cars. Richard claimed she was locked alone in the freezing car for two hours, unable to leave the vehicle because there were no interior door handles. She was only allowed out after she called her father, who raced to the studio and demanded for Combs to let her out. Later, Combs allegedly told Richard, “You don’t call your dad unless you’re in the hospital.”
Richard also alleged that she witnessed Combs become physically violent towards his then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura — something that Richard testified to at Combs’ criminal trial last summer.
Combs was arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking in September 2024. He was acquitted of the more serious charges but convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He’s currently serving a 50-month sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey. His anticipated release date is set for late February 2028, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
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