About This Episode
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, a 51-year-old serving time for sexual assault and kidnapping convictions, secured a $100 million default judgment against hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs in Lenawee County Circuit Court in Michigan on September 9, 2024—only to have the victory erased nine days later.
The case began in June 2024 when Cardello-Smith sued Combs, alleging that the music executive drugged and sexually assaulted him at a Holiday Inn in Detroit in June 1997. According to Cardello-Smith's account, he met Combs through his job at Fishbone's Rhythm Kitchen in Greektown. At a party, Cardello-Smith claims Combs offered him a spiked drink; after losing consciousness, he allegedly woke to find Combs engaged in sexual activity with a woman who claimed, "I did this to you too."
When Combs failed to appear for a virtual hearing, Judge Anna Marie Anzalone entered a default judgment in Cardello-Smith's favor on September 9. The award—potentially the largest judgment ever secured by a current Michigan inmate—included a mandatory monthly payment of $10 million beginning in October. A temporary restraining order was also issued to prevent Combs from liquidating assets.
But the victory proved short-lived. On September 13, Combs' legal team, represented by attorneys Marc Agnifilo and David Fink, filed an 83-page motion to vacate the judgment. They argued that service of the lawsuit was improper under Michigan law and that Combs had no knowledge of the suit—learning of it only through media reports.