Judge Tosses $33M RICO Suit Against Janice Smalls Combs

A federal judge in California has dismissed a $33 million lawsuit against Janice Smalls Combs, mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, delivering a legal reprieve for the Combs family ahead of the music mogul’s sentencing.

In an order issued Friday, Sept. 19, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson threw out plaintiff Deon “D1” Best’s federal racketeering claims with prejudice, barring refiling in federal court. The judge dismissed Best’s remaining state-law claims without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of a new case in state court.

Best—who operates Finish Line Entertainment and Dee Mac Music, filed the suit in January 2025, alleging Ms. Janice Smalls orchestrated a scheme to strip him of intellectual property, royalties, and publishing tied to the song “Come with Me” from the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack.

He accused her of fraud, forgery, and concealing records, claiming he discovered the alleged “hijacking” in late 2023. Diddy Sean was named in the complaint through related state-law allegations.

Neither Ms. Combs nor Best has publicly commented on the ruling. With the federal claims closed and any state claims yet to be refiled, the decision offers Ms. Combs a measure of relief from what had threatened to become a broader legal fight.