A federal judge in New York has dismissed two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ companies from a lawsuit accusing the music mogul and two other men of trafficking and raping a 17-year-old girl in 2003. U.S. District Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke ruled Thursday that the 2022 amendment to New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which expanded the scope of liability, could not be applied retroactively to hold Combs’ companies accountable.
The lawsuit, filed by Anna Kane under the pseudonym “Jane Doe,” alleges that Combs, former Bad Boy Records President Harve Pierre, and an unidentified third man trafficked and raped Kane at a New York City recording studio Combs owned. Kane, who was 17 at the time, claims that Pierre and the third man lured her onto a private jet, where she was provided with drugs and alcohol before being assaulted by the men.
Judge Clarke explained that while the 2022 amendment expanded the law’s scope to include civil actions against a “party” rather than just an “individual,” it created a substantive change. She added that Kane had not pointed to any legislative language suggesting the law should apply retroactively.
