In the case of Sara Rivers v. Sean Combs, Judge Rakoff has dismissed all 22 counts in the lawsuit. Twenty-one counts were dismissed with prejudice, preventing them from being refiled. One remaining count, Count Fifteen, was dismissed without a final determination on whether that dismissal will be with or without prejudice, pending a Second Circuit ruling on whether the claim is time-barred.
Counsel for Combs, Erica Wolff, stated: “From the outset, we have said these claims were meritless, time-barred, and legally deficient. The Court agreed, finding no legal basis to allow them to proceed. We are pleased the Court carefully analyzed and swiftly dismissed these baseless claims.”
Sara Rivers, formerly known as Sara Stokes on the reality series Making the Band, filed the $60 million lawsuit on February 28, 2025. The suit alleged sexual harassment, assault and battery, and an “inhumane” work environment while she was part of the music group Da Band.
Rivers claimed Combs touched her inappropriately, made physical threats toward her and her bandmates, ridiculed her appearance and struggles with bulimia, and forced her to work under grueling conditions with minimal pay.
The complaint also named more than two dozen defendants, including Universal Music, MTV, Bad Boy Records executives, and Combs’ mother, Janice.