Diddy lands a courtroom win as a federal judge throws out RICO and emotional distress claims in the Lil Rod lawsuit.
Sean “Diddy” Combs just scored a courtroom victory in his high-profile legal brawl with Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones—after a federal judge in Manhattan dismissed five major claims in the explosive lawsuit that accused the Hip-Hop mogul of everything from racketeering to emotional torment.
In a 31-page ruling, Judge J. Paul Oetken gutted Jones’ sprawling 402-paragraph complaint, tossing out some of the most severe allegations leveled against Diddy, including the claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)—a major blow to Jones’ legal team.
“Jones fails to address any of these arguments in his opposition brief,” the judge wrote, chiding Lil Rod’s attorney for not backing up their own lawsuit. “While the Court prefers to decide issues on the merits, it should not be necessary to root around a 402-paragraph complaint to contrive novel arguments on Jones’s behalf.”
Diddy’s defense team had slammed the suit as a “garden variety breach of contract” – a simple legal disagreement – disguised as a federal RICO case—and the judge agreed.
“Jones’s effort to convert a ‘garden variety … breach of contract case into a RICO suit therefore fails,” the ruling stated, officially dismissing the racketeering allegations against Combs, Combs Global, and his longtime Chief of Staff Kristina Khorram.
The judge also dismissed two counts of intentional infliction of emotional distress, one claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress and a breach of contract allegation. On top of that, the judge tossed out Jones’ human trafficking claim—filed under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act—against Combs Global.
That still leaves 14 causes of action standing, including several sexual assault-related allegations and a TVPA claim against Diddy himself.
The lawsuit, originally filed in February 2024, alleges a yearlong pattern of abuse, sexual coercion, and psychological manipulation during the production of Diddy’s Love album, where Jones served as a producer.
The ruling clearly exposes Jones’ legal strategy weaknesses, especially with the judge’s warning to attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who filed the suit. Still, this doesn’t mean Diddy is off the hook entirely.
The core of the case—particularly the sex trafficking and abuse claims—survives for now. However, with RICO out of the picture, one of the heaviest legal hammers has been laid down.
Diddy’s federal trial on criminal RICO charges is set to begin on May 5.
