Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has scored a major legal victory after a judge dismissed the bulk of a lawsuit filed against him by Sara Rivers, a former member of the MTV reality show group Da Band.
According to TMZ, the court threw out all 22 counts that Rivers filed against Combs, Bad Boy Records, and affiliated parties. Her lawsuit had accused Combs of racketeering, forced labor, sexual harassment, false imprisonment, and financial exploitation during and after her time on Making Da Band.
Among the claims was Rivers’ argument that the group’s now infamous “cheesecake walk” — in which members were ordered to trek across New York City to fetch a cheesecake — amounted to forced labor. She further alleged she was forced to sleep in an open bay with four men while married, under threat of removal from the group.
Rivers also contended that Combs withheld or pocketed most of the group’s earnings from appearances, and she accused him of sexual harassment, including an incident in which he allegedly cornered her and inappropriately touched her.
Despite the breadth of the allegations, the judge dismissed all claims without prejudice, preventing Rivers from refiling them. However, one element of the lawsuit — Count 15 — remains unresolved. In court documents, the judge stated: “Determination of whether to dismiss, with or without prejudice, Count 15 … is hereby stayed pending.”
Rivers’ attorney, Ariel Mitchell, Esq., responded to the dismissal by stating that they intend to appeal the decision and pursue the matter further in litigation.
This development comes as Combs faces heightened scrutiny in several civil lawsuits and ongoing federal investigations, underscoring the complex legal challenges confronting the Bad Boy Records founder.
