Diddy Scores Small Legal Win In $100 Million Judgment From Behind Bars

Diddy scores a mini-win, days after his arrest and indictment on three criminal counts.

While the embattled rapper has had zero luck in his federal case, he recently scored a small victory in his battle against a Michigan inmate. The plaintiff, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, accused him of sexual assault.

Unlike Diddy's other sexual assault lawsuits, the alleged victim in this particular case was a man, and he scored a default judgment of $100 million. But he won't see a penny of the massive sum following a recent ruling in the music mogul's favor.

The recent development in Diddy's battle with the Michigan inmate occurred during a motion hearing on Wednesday. His attorney, David Fink, convinced the judge to set aside the $100 million default judgment.

Diddy's lawyer argued that Cardello-Smith failed to prove he had effectively served the lawsuit per Michigan law. His defense not only convinced Judge Anna Marie Anzalone to set aside the massive sum, but she also removed the rapper's temporary restraining order.

The order stopped Diddy from selling his assets to cover damages, but the judge noted he had a good chance of winning the case based on the statute of limitations. Cardello-Smith's claims against the rapper date back to an alleged incident in 1997.

The alleged victim claimed he was drugged and sexually assaulted by the music mogul at a Detroit party. With the default judgment set aside, the case between Diddy and Cardello-Smith would proceed like any other lawsuit, per TMZ.

When Cardello-Smith filed his case against Diddy, the rapper did not file a response to his lawsuit. Failing to address the case forced the initial judge to grant the plaintiff the $100 million judgment he requested.

However, with Diddy's recent victory in setting the default judgment aside, his next step might be filing for the case's dismissal. The inmate's sexual assault claims were the least of the rapper's problems, given his recent indictment.

The Blast reported that he appeared for the first time in court to enter a not-guilty plea on Tuesday. He denied responsibility for the three criminal counts against him: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, cause or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Diddy's sex trafficking crimes allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2018, while the prostitution allegations happened between 2009 and 2024. The indictment claimed he:

"Abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."

Diddy allegedly used his business empire to "create a criminal enterprise," where his associates engaged in or attempted to engage in "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice."

The gruesome claims continued, with prosecutors noting Diddy's "persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse." They accused him of "verbal, emotional, sexual and physical abuse" as well as "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at and kicking" women.

Ahead of Diddy's court appearance, Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, told reporters that prosecutors would fight to keep the rapper in custody.

However, Diddy tried to secure his release on bail with a tempting offer. His legal team offered the court $50 million, listing his Miami mansion and his mother's Miami home as collateral.

The Bad Boy Records founder's mansion was worth $48 million, while the remaining $2 million would be covered by his mother's Miami home. The offer did not end there, as Diddy agreed to allow the feds to track his whereabouts by wearing a GPS monitor.

Despite his tempting financial offer, The Blast recently reported that Diddy could not secure his release on bail. However, he did not give up and offered the court a second deal with contact limitations.

His legal reps noted that the security company responsible for logging all visitors at his Miami Beach home would hand over the information to the government nightly.

They also noted visitors wouldbe reduced to family members, property caretakers, and friends not listed as co-conspirators in the ongoing case. Most importantly, Diddy vowed to restrict his contact with women.

The no-woman rule seemed to be his lawyers' way of addressing the court's concern about the rapper contacting or intimidating witnesses. Diddy also agreed to submit to weekly drug tests if released on bail.

Unless a judge grants his request, Diddy will remain behind bars at MDC Brooklyn until his trial. Will he score another legal victory?