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Sean “Diddy” Combs has scored a legal win after a judge dismissed the majority of claims in a $60 million lawsuit filed by former Making the Band cast member Sara Rivers (professionally known as Sara Stokes).
According to TMZ, 21 of the 22 counts were dismissed with prejudice on Thursday (August 14), meaning they cannot be refiled. The sole remaining count—alleging a violation of the Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act—is on hold while Judge Jed Rakoff waits for a higher court’s ruling before deciding whether to dismiss it as well.
Rivers, who appeared on MTV’s Making the Band in the early 2000s, filed the lawsuit in February. She accused Combs of sexual harassment, assault and battery, forcing her to work under “inhumane” conditions, and other misconduct. The suit also named MTV, Universal Music, Combs’ mother Janice, former assistant Fonzworth Bentley, and other Bad Boy employees.
Among her allegations, Rivers claimed Combs cornered her in a hallway, spoke to her in a “low, sensual voice,” and ran his hand across her chest after adjusting her jacket collar. She also reiterated a disturbing story shared in the Peacock documentary The Making of a Bad Boy, in which she alleged Combs once said he was so angry he wanted to eat another group member’s flesh.
Rivers further accused Combs of forcing her into “uncompensated manual labor,” referencing the infamous cheesecake walk from Making the Band.
Diddy just scored a major legal win regarding the $60 million lawsuit filed by his former artist Sara Rivers of DaBand. Court documents show Judge Rakoff dismissed all 22 counts in the lawsuit. 📸: (@gettyimages) ✍🏾#TSRStaffAS pic.twitter.com/BZboihmuPi
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) August 14, 2025
