A federal judge in New York has dismissed a lawsuit brought by singer Dawn Richard against hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, ruling that the majority of her allegations — including claims of physical and emotional abuse and groping — were not filed within the legally required one-year window following the events described.
Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued the ruling on Friday, with it becoming available to the public on Monday. The judge said Richard is permitted to refile one of her claims in state court, but other claims that missed New York’s legal filing deadline by more than a decade cannot be refiled.
In her written ruling, the judge used notably strong language, stating the decision “exists independently of its disapprobation of the factual allegations, which, if true, are execrable” — meaning the court’s decision was based solely on legal procedure, not on whether the judge personally approved or disapproved of what Combs stands accused of doing.
Richard’s attorney, Arick Fudali, confirmed the singer plans to refile her main claim in state court under the gender-motivated violence act. “We certainly agree with the Judge that the allegations in this case are execrable,” Fudali said in an emailed statement — noting that “execrable” means extremely bad. “We intend to continue to fight for Dawn until justice is achieved.”
Attorneys representing Combs had not responded to requests for comment at the time of this report. When the lawsuit was originally filed in September 2024, Combs’ representatives stated he was “shocked and disappointed” by the legal action and questioned why Richard would have continued working with him for so long if his behavior was truly that harmful.
Richard was a member of the Bad Boy Records groups Danity Kane and Diddy — Dirty Money between 2004 and 2012. She appeared as a witness at last year’s New York trial in which Combs was convicted on prostitution-related charges, though he was acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking counts.
During her testimony in Manhattan federal court, Richard told jurors she personally witnessed Combs physically assault his girlfriend in 2009 and that he later threatened her to keep quiet about what she had seen.
Her lawsuit alleged that over the course of her eight years working with Combs, she was subjected to ongoing abuse, manipulation, and violence, and that Combs routinely used degrading language when referring to women.
The lawsuit further claimed that Combs regularly denied Richard and her fellow bandmates food and sleep, and humiliated her when she asked him to get dressed after he held meetings while wearing only his underwear. It also alleged that Richard was repeatedly exposed to drug-fueled gatherings where Combs and associates performed sexual acts on incapacitated young women.
According to the lawsuit, Combs frequently flew into violent rages, throwing cell phones, laptops, food, and studio equipment. Richard also alleged she witnessed him choking and strangling his protege and long-term girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Ventura herself testified over several days at the trial that ended with Combs receiving a prison sentence of four years and two months.
