Sean “Diddy” Combs is attempting to have a lawsuit dismissed that accuses him of sexually assaulting a former model in 2003, arguing that the case is both outdated and legally insufficient, according to court filings.
The suit, brought by Crystal McKinney, claims that the prominent Hip-Hop mogul assaulted her following a New York Fashion Week event over two decades ago and ruined her marriage.
But Diddy’s legal team contends that the statute of limitations has long expired.
McKinney’s lawsuit, filed earlier this year, seeks to take advantage of a two-year revival provision introduced in 2022 under New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law (VGM).
This provision allows some individuals whose claims were otherwise time-barred to file lawsuits for alleged misconduct.
McKinney argues the amendment gives her legal standing.
She alleges that Diddy invited her to his recording studio, Daddy’s House, where the attack allegedly took place. The disgraced mogul, through his attorneys, has denied the validity of these claims.
Erica A. Wolff, one of the attorneys representing Diddy, said the amendment under the VGM was “preempted” by New York State’s Adult Survivor’s Act (ASA), a law granting a similar revival window for sexual assault claims that closed in November 2023.
“State law takes precedence over city law. McKinney’s claims expired in 2010, and nothing within the ASA’s timeframe allows these expired claims to be brought to court now,” Wolff argued. Therefore, the defense team insists, McKinney’s complaint is “time-barred.”
The court will weigh the arguments in the coming weeks, with the possibility that McKinney’s case could be dismissed with prejudice, preventing further legal attempts on the same grounds.
