Sean “Diddy” Combs wants a judge to stop his accuser’s repeated emergency court filings, saying the legal maneuvering is costing him unnecessary time and money.
In an October 19 court filing, Diddy and two affiliated companies asked federal Judge Anne Hwang to bar Clayton Howard, a former male escort who has sued the rapper and Cassie Ventura, from filing future emergency applications, per AllHipHop.
“Plaintiff should be barred from filing another ex parte application,” Diddy’s attorneys wrote, proposing judicial screening as an alternative.
Howard’s lawsuit alleges misconduct involving paid sexual encounters that he claims included force, fraud, and abuse. Diddy and Cassie have contested his accusations.
The disagreement escalated when Howard sought permission to replace his proposed sixth amended complaint with a new 73-page version shortly before a scheduled October 21 hearing.
Diddy’s attorneys argued the request lacked urgency and would force them to spend additional resources responding to changes that standard procedures could handle.
Howard, who is representing himself, argued that his proposed revisions would narrow the dispute by eliminating one claim and limiting another to a single defendant. The changes also sought to correct allegations about a December 2016 encounter in Miami that Howard now says were inaccurate.
Cassie’s legal team separately opposed the revisions, arguing that they introduced new theories without providing her a fair opportunity to respond.
Judge Hwang was scheduled to address dismissal arguments on October 21.
