Sean “Diddy” Combs just caught a break. A federal judge dropped five major claims in that massive $30 million sexual assault lawsuit filed by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, including the high-profile RICO charge that tied Diddy to a supposed “criminal enterprise.”
The case, which has been spiraling since February 2024, accused Diddy of everything from sexual misconduct and drug distribution to trafficking and emotional abuse. Jones even roped in Universal Music CEO Lucian Grainge and former Motown chief Ethiopia Habtemariam as part of the alleged web. But not everything in his legal kitchen sink is sticking.
What Got Tossed
Judge J. Paul Oetken wasn’t buying several of Jones’ claims. The RICO charge? Gone. Emotional distress? Tossed. Breach of contract? Nope. And the trafficking claims against Diddy’s company? Also dismissed.
The judge basically said he wasn’t going to play detective through a 400-paragraph complaint trying to piece together vague or exaggerated accusations. His words, not ours.
What’s Still Standing
Diddy’s not in the clear, though. The court is letting the sexual assault and liability claims proceed, along with trafficking allegations directed at Diddy himself and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram.
That means this lawsuit is still very much alive, and could get even messier as discovery begins.
And Then the Judge Took a Swing at the Lawyer
In a rare move, the judge threw some serious shade at Jones’ lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn. He called Blackburn’s filings “inaccurate,” “exaggerated,” and full of “irrelevant insults.” He even warned that if it keeps up, sanctions could be coming. That’s legal speak for: sit down and focus.
The Bigger Picture
Jones filed the suit after working with Diddy on The Love Album: Off the Grid, a Grammy-nominated project that dropped in September 2023. He says the working environment was anything but professional, alleging that Diddy used drugs, waved around illegal firearms, and exposed underage people and sex workers to laced alcohol.
Combs, of course, denies everything and painted the lawsuit as a bitter overreach by a former collaborator looking for a payday. His legal team called it “a run-of-the-mill commercial dispute dressed up like a tabloid conspiracy.”
Five claims are dead, but the most explosive ones – sexual assault and trafficking – are still alive and kicking. The courtroom drama around Diddy isn’t over. If anything, it’s just heating up.
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