Diddy accuser Thalia Graves has successfully avoided the $100 million defamation lawsuit the Bad Boy mogul's former bodyguard filed against her. A federal judge decided to dismiss the case on Monday. The plaintiff, Joseph Sherman, filed in response to Graves' bombshell allegations in which she accused him and Diddy of allegedly drugging and raping her in 2001 at Daddy’s House recording studio. Graves made the claims in one of the many lawsuits alleged victims have filed against Diddy.
According to AllHipHop, Sherman claimed he not only never met Graves, but that he also stopped working for Diddy in 1999. In turn, he labeled the allegations “completely and utterly false.” Regardless, New York district judge Analisa Torres ruled that New York law “prohibits defamation claims arising out of statements made in litigation."
“The complaint asserts at least five patently frivolous claims,” Torres wrote in her decision, as caught by Rolling Stone. “[T]he defamation claim is barred by an absolute privilege, the intentional infliction of emotional distress and abuse of process claims are premised upon conduct that does not support such claims, the vexatious litigation claim is not recognized under New York law, and the malicious prosecution claim is plainly premature.”
Diddy Trial Day 16
Graves' lawsuit is currently on hold as Diddy remains on trial in his criminal case in New York City. On Tuesday, the prosecution brought forensic video expert Frank Piazza to the stand to discuss the video of Diddy assaulting Cassie at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, according to CNN. His appearance comes after Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at the InterContinental, testified on Tuesday that Diddy allegedly paid him $100,000 in exchange for the footage.
Before their testimony, several high-profile witnesses appeared on the stand. During the first week of the trial, Cassie spoke for several days about the alleged abuse she endured over the course of her relationship with Diddy. After that, former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard as well as Kid Cudi and more testified.
