Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs secured a legal victory after a federal judge dismissed a bizarre lawsuit filed by Colorado inmate Alfredo P. Gonzalez.
The inmate, who claims affiliation with the Sinaloa drug cartel, alleged that Diddy sought his assistance in arranging sex trafficking of minors. Gonzalez further claimed that when he refused, Diddy and his associates defamed him, harming his illegal drug business. On August 12, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Southern District of New York dismissed the case, deeming it frivolous and without legal merit.
Gonzalez, currently incarcerated at the Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado, sought $666,000 in damages.
He claimed that Diddy’s alleged actions caused significant harm to his reputation in New York’s criminal underworld and led to a loss of business with his drug contacts. In the suit, Gonzalez alleged that he was warned that his life would be made “hell” due to Diddy’s supposed influence on the streets.
However, the court swiftly rejected these allegations. In her ruling, Judge Swain stated:
“Plaintiff, without any legal bases, appears to assert claims of defamation against the defendants, seeking damages arising from injury incurred to his illegal drug smuggling and sales business caused by the defendant’s alleged defamation of plaintiff because he refused to arrange sex trafficking of underage children for the defendants, including what appears to be international sex trafficking.”
The judge concluded that the claims had no legal foundation and were dismissed as frivolous.
This case is the latest in a series of legal challenges Diddy has faced, particularly following high-profile accusations involving sexual misconduct.
In November 2023, Diddy settled a lawsuit brought by his former girlfriend, recording artist Cassie, who accused him of abuse and trafficking. That lawsuit was resolved within 24 hours.
The quick dismissal of Gonzalez’s lawsuit highlights the court’s willingness to take a firm stance against baseless and speculative claims, especially those involving criminal activities that lack credible evidence.
