Since starting his four-year prison sentence, Sean “Diddy” Combs and his legal team have been seeking to appeal his case. Oral arguments from the lawyers – who call the sentence a “perversion of justice” were heard by a three-judge panel in April, and a decision has yet to be made. In the meantime, though, 56-year-old Combs did just receive news that his release date has been moved up again. And, in an unrelated turn of events, the ex-rapper also received a legal win stemming from an abuse lawsuit leveled against him.
Diddy Is Now Set To Leave Prison Slightly Earlier Than Expected
It would appear that Combs is now set to be released from New Jersey’s FCI Fort Dix on February 23, 2028, and this information can be found on the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ official website. This marks yet another reduction in the “Tell Me” performer’s sentence, as he was originally wasn’t set to leave the penitentiary until June 4, 2028. That date was soon shifted to April 25 and, earlier this year, the date was then marked April 15. As of this writing, the bureau hasn’t provided a reason for why the date has now moved to February.
FCI Fort Dix is a low-security prison, where Diddy has reportedly settled into day-to-day life and, per his lawyer, he’s been productive in his spare time. It was also previously reported that Combs was eager to be transferred to Fort Dix from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn due to the former’s in-house Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). Inmates who participate in that program have the opportunity to get time shaved off their sentence, but it can’t be said with certainty whether that’s been applied to Diddy’s release date.
While Combs remains behind bars, he’s still facing various lawsuits from a number of plaintiffs, who’ve accused him of sexual assault, harassment and more. The Grammy winner (via his lawyers) has consistently denied wrongdoing. One of those suits was filed in September 2024 by Dawn Richard, who worked with Diddy on MTV’s Making the Band years ago. Now, Richard’s lawsuit has been dismissed by a federal judge, who laid out their reasoning.
What Did Dawn Richard Accuse Diddy Of, And Why Was The Suit Thrown Out?
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In her suit, Richard (42) alleged that Diddy subjected her to verbal abuse while they were working on MTB and purportedly made her rehearse for 48 hours straight. Richard also claimed that during a studio recording session, Combs touched her breasts and that on another occasion, he greeted her at his home while only wearing underwear. Additionally, Richard claimed that in 2005, she saw Diddy’s long-time partner, Kim Porter, with body wounds following a confrontation with the ex-mogul. By the fall of 2025, Richard filed more docs, in which she claimed Combs “tampered with” with her suit from prison.
The Danity Kane alum’s lawsuit was formally dismissed by Judge Katherine Polk Failla, with 17 of 18 claims specifically being thrown out. Billboard obtained legal documents that laid out Judge Failla’s reasoning for the decision, and she stated that Combs’ “conduct for which plaintiff sues — while indisputably odious — ceased in 2011 or 2012.” The judge also says that Richard did “not allege that Mr. Combs committed any tortious conduct against her again in the twelve or thirteen years before she filed suit.”
Richard’s lawyer wanted said time periods suspended due to Combs and producer Harve Pierre allegedly threatening her not to speak about her experiences. However, Judge Failla also made the following statement on that:
Mr. Combs’s and Mr. Pierre’s threats were undoubtedly intended to discourage plaintiff from unveiling their misdeeds and holding them to account. But the threats themselves did not conceal defendants’ misdeeds from plaintiff; if anything, they made her more aware.
Diddy’s spokesperson, Juda S. Engelmayer” said her team was “pleased” with the decision, while Dawn Richard’s lawyer, Arick Fudali, asserted his intention to “continue to fight for Dawn until justice is achieved.” That intention has yet to manifest into a formal legal move, as of this writing. In the meantime, much focus remains on Diddy’s team, as they continue to wait for an appeal decision in the aftermath of the latest prison release date adjustment.
