A federal judge has thrown out nearly all claims in a $60 million lawsuit filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs by a former member of his early 2000s reality television group.
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that 21 of the 22 allegations brought by plaintiff Sara Rivers had no legal standing or were filed past the statute of limitations. The only remaining claim accuses Combs of violating the New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act. That claim is on hold while a federal appeals court reviews whether recent changes to the statute are valid under state law.
Rivers, who appeared on the MTV series Making the Band 2 as part of the group Da Band, alleged misconduct by Combs dating back more than two decades. Her lawsuit included accusations of sexual harassment, assault, forced labor, and emotional abuse. She described inappropriate touching, verbal ridicule about her eating disorder, and being forced to live in shared housing with male bandmates despite being married.
The complaint also cited the show’s “cheesecake” episode, when Combs ordered the group to walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn to retrieve a dessert. Rivers said she was paid $5,000 per episode and received a $25,000 signing bonus, while Combs profited from the program and the group’s work.
Combs and his attorneys denied all allegations, calling the lawsuit “meritless” and “completely false.”
Rakoff dismissed the claims “with prejudice,” meaning they cannot be refiled. Several counts had already been voluntarily withdrawn by Rivers before the ruling.
The future of the case now hinges on the appeals court decision about the city’s gender-motivated violence law, which will determine whether Rivers’ remaining claim can proceed.
