Sean “Diddy” Combs has scored a legal win as a New York judge dismissed one of several civil lawsuits filed against him, even as he awaits sentencing in a separate federal criminal case.
The lawsuit, filed in February by a man identified as John Doe, accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2015. Doe, who claimed to be a 23-year-old aspiring artist at the time, alleged he lost consciousness after consuming a drink and later woke up to find Combs engaging in non-consensual sexual activity. The complaint, filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, also alleged that Combs threatened to sabotage Doe’s music career if he spoke out.
However, the judge ruled that the case could not move forward due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. At the time of the alleged incident, New York law allowed for a five-year window to file such claims. Although the statute was extended to 20 years in 2019, the court clarified that the change does not apply retroactively.
In addition to dismissing the claims against Combs personally, the court also threw out related allegations against his companies, including Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs Enterprises.
This dismissal follows a string of similar rulings in Combs’ favor in various civil cases, though several other lawsuits remain active. His sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for October 3.
