Diddy’s $100M Defamation Case Tossed, Judge Rules NBC Didn’t Ruin His Rep Because the Damage Was Already Done

On April 22, a New York judge officially dismissed Sean “Diddy” Combs’s $100 million defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal and Peacock over the 2025 documentary “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy,” ruling that the film did not cause reputational damage because his public image had already been severely damaged long before it aired.

No Go Diddy

New York Supreme Court Judge Phaedra F. Perry-Bond granted NBCUniversal’s motion to dismiss, writing that Combs’ reputation had already been “tarnished by the numerous lawsuits, domestic violence video, press coverage, and a criminal indictment prior to the Documentary’s publication.”

The documentary, which premiered on Peacock in January 2025, covered Combs’ career, personal controversies, and serious allegations surrounding sexual assault, abuse, and conspiracy theories tied to the deaths of his former girlfriend Kim Porter and rapper Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie).

Combs filed the lawsuit in February 2025, accusing NBCUniversal and Peacock of spreading false and damaging claims that portrayed him as guilty of “serial murder, sexual assault and trafficking of minors, and extortion – knowing that there is not a shred of evidence to support them.”

His complaint argued that the documentary was part of a rush by media companies “racing to outdo the competition for the most salacious Diddy exposé,” and accused NBCUniversal of abandoning “sound journalistic practices” in favor of sensationalism.

A major focus of the lawsuit centered on suggestions in the documentary that Combs may have been connected to Porter’s 2018 death and the 1997 murder of Biggie.

The film included comments from singer Al B. Sure, who questioned Porter’s death. However, the documentary also included Porter’s autopsy report, which listed pneumonia as her cause of death, along with a statement from her family saying there was no foul play involved.

Judge Perry-Bond pointed to those details in her ruling, saying the documentary was “carefully curated and nuanced” because it disclosed interviewees’ biases and included counterstatements to allegations made.

NBCUniversal called the ruling a major First Amendment victory.

According to Forbes, Ted Boutrous, an attorney representing NBCUniversal, said, “This is an important ruling that protects filmmakers and journalists by dismissing this meritless complaint as barred by New York law and the First Amendment.”

The dismissal comes as Combs continues serving a 50-month federal prison sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey after being convicted on two counts of violating the Mann Act for transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

Combs, whose net worth was around $750 million in 2019, according to Forbes, but has now dropped to about $400 million, is currently appealing his federal conviction.