Janice Combs Beats $33M RICO Lawsuit Over Song Royalties

Janice Smalls Combs, mother of embattled hip-hop mogul Diddy, is officially off the legal hook after a federal judge dismissed a $33 million lawsuit accusing her of racketeering and fraud.

According to TMZ, the plaintiff, Deon Best, who goes by “D1,” claimed Combs conspired to steal his music publishing rights and royalties tied to the 1998 track “Come With Me,” made famous on the “Godzilla” soundtrack. In the lawsuit filed earlier this year, Best accused Janice of forging documents, hiding records, and using her position as Diddy’s mother to block him from receiving money he believed he was owed.

He argued that he had full creative control over the song and claimed he only learned in 2023 that Janice had allegedly acquired the publishing rights through illegal means.

But the court wasn’t moved. In a decision filed on September 19th, the judge dismissed the case, stating the claims were filed well after the four-year statute of limitations expired. Even more damaging for Best, the court found his allegations too vague and lacking specific evidence of wrongdoing. This wasn’t Best’s first legal swing. His earlier complaint also named Diddy as a co-conspirator, but that version was tossed because it failed to outline Diddy’s alleged role clearly. Best later filed an amended complaint that dropped the Bad Boy founder completely.

Now, the court says Best will recover nothing, and Combs and her team can go after him for court costs.