Overview
- U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued a ruling that threw out all 18 federal counts in Richard’s September 2024 complaint, with most dismissed for missing legal deadlines.
- Fifteen counts were dismissed as time‑barred under statutes of limitations, two copyright claims over the song “Deliver Me” were rejected because Richard and Combs are listed as co‑authors, and one count was sent to state court.
- The judge stressed her decision was procedural and did not resolve the truth of the allegations, writing that the factual claims were “execrable” if proven true.
- Richard’s lawyers said they will refile the surviving Victims of Gender‑Motivated Violence Act claim in New York state court and called that claim the heart of the case.
- Combs’ representatives have denied the allegations and the federal dismissal leaves the civil fight narrowed to a state‑court path while his separate criminal conviction from 2025 remains a distinct matter.