Sara Rivers, a former "Making the Band 2" contestant, has filed an appeal after a federal judge tossed out nearly all of her $60 million lawsuit against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Rivers filed a notice with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, saying she plans to challenge the August 14 decision that dismissed 21 out of 22 claims in her lawsuit.

These included serious accusations of racketeering, sexual assault, and abuse during the early 2000s filming of the MTV reality show.

The appeal does not yet explain the legal grounds but lists Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment, MTV Productions, and others as defendants.

According to RollingStone, Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled that most of Rivers' claims were "finally and with prejudice" dismissed, meaning she cannot file them again.

The only remaining claim—count 15 in her 148-page lawsuit—is on hold while courts decide if it qualifies under New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act (GMVPA), despite a conflicting state law timeline.

Judge Dismisses Diddy Lawsuit Over Missed Legal Deadline

In her lawsuit, Rivers accused Combs of groping her in a recording studio and later retaliating by blackballing her in the music industry after she rejected him.

She also alleged that he controlled her sleep, insulted her over an eating disorder, and forced her to do unpaid tasks like walking to Brooklyn for cheesecake—a moment captured on the show.

Combs' team called the lawsuit "time-barred and legally deficient." His civil attorney, Erica Wolff, said, "We are pleased the court carefully analyzed and swiftly dismissed these baseless claims."

Judge Rakoff noted that while Rivers claimed she feared speaking out for years, general fears of retaliation and emotional stress did not legally justify the delay, Billboard reported.

"General claims of psychological stress cannot give rise to duress tolling," the judge wrote.

Rivers, known at the time as Sara Stokes of hip-hop group Da Band, is now one of many who have filed civil claims against Combs.

However, her case is one of several thrown out due to expired statutes of limitations.

Diddy, 55, was recently found guilty of interstate prostitution charges but acquitted of more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking charges in a separate criminal trial. He remains in custody ahead of his sentencing on October 3.

Originally published on Music Times

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