Why is Universal Music Group (UMG) asking to be dropped from the Diddy lawsuit? Reason explained

One of the 'Big Three' record labels, Universal Music Group (UMG), has been making headlines after being named as one of the defendants in a lawsuit filed by Sara Rivers, a former Making the Band reality series contestant.

Rivers has alleged hostile and inhumane treatment in her lawsuit, as reported by TMZ. UMG is now arguing that it should be removed from the case, claiming there is no legal basis for suing them and that the claims fail on several grounds.

Rivers filed a $60 million lawsuit against Diddy in February 2025, which also named Bad Boy officials, MTV, and Diddy's mother as additional defendants, according to People.

Why does Universal Music Group (UMG) want to be removed from Diddy's lawsuit?

Universal Music Group (UMG) argues that its inclusion in the Combs lawsuit should be dismissed because the claims made by Rivers are time-barred—meaning the lawsuit was filed too late. The label also claims that the case improperly mixes federal and New York state jurisdictions, rendering the federal claims preempted.

Another reason cited by UMG is that the lawsuit references numerous companies and individuals without clearly specifying what each did wrong. They argue that out of the 1,003 paragraphs in the lawsuit, only about ten percent even mention UMG.

The court has not yet ruled on whether UMG will be removed as a defendant or remain part of the case.

The lawsuit filed by Rivers alleges mistreatment during the reality series. Among the reported incidents is one where she claims her group had to walk several blocks to get Diddy cheesecake. In another, she alleges she had to sleep in an open space with four male contestants, despite being married at the time.

She further alleges that she was threatened with elimination if she didn’t comply with instructions. The lawsuit also includes a serious allegation of sexual harassment: Rivers claims that Combs once cornered her, blocked her from moving, and touched her breasts, as reported by Mint.

Rivers also accuses Diddy of sabotaging her music career. She alleges that after forming Da Band, Combs dismantled the group and kept most of the profits for himself, depriving her of financial benefits while profiting from her work.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Ariel Mitchell, also names several former Bad Boy employees, Viacom, Combs’s mother Janice Combs, and his former assistant Fonzworth Bentley as defendants.

Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, and is facing serious charges including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution.

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