Cassie Ventura just secured a significant courtroom victory in the latest lawsuit connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs. A federal judge dismissed every claim against the singer, although part of the case could still return if the plaintiff files an amended complaint.
The ruling marks another major development in the long-running legal fallout. It does not end the lawsuit entirely.
The ruling dismisses all claims against Cassie, but the lawsuit could continue if amended
According to TMZ, a federal judge dismissed all claims brought against Cassie by Clayton Howard, a former male escort who sued both her and Combs over alleged “freak off” encounters.
Court documents state that Howard claimed he suffered psychological injuries after participating in the events. He also alleged that Cassie helped coordinate those encounters. The judge dismissed every claim against Cassie. However, the ruling allows Howard to amend certain allegations in an attempt to revive a limited portion of the case.
Cassie argued that Howard only filed his lawsuit after learning she reached a $20 million settlement with Combs. She also highlighted a text message Howard reportedly sent to her husband, Alex Fine, before that settlement became public.
According to court filings, Howard wrote, “Your wife’s truth is 100% valid, as I’m sure you did as well; I would have come forward, and I’m glad she got some form of Justice!” Howard maintained that the message did not prove Cassie’s arguments.
The ruling also dismissed several of Howard’s most serious claims against Cassie with prejudice, including federal sex trafficking, state human trafficking, and civil RICO claims.
The court also found problems with the timeline presented in Howard’s complaint. According to the ruling, the plaintiff acknowledged participating in consensual paid encounters between 2009 and 2019 before later arguing those experiences amounted to trafficking.
The judge also ruled that several claims fell outside the applicable statute of limitations because Howard’s involvement ended years before he filed suit.
However, some Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act claims may continue against Combs for alleged conduct after June 2015. The court found Howard failed to identify a specific non-consensual incident involving Cassie within the legally permitted period.
Combs has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THIS RULING SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGES THE CIVIL CASE AGAINST CASSIE?
