Cassie Clayton Howard lawsuit claims dismissed by federal judge
A federal judge dismissed Clayton Howard’s claims against Cassie, TMZ reports, while allowing him to amend some claims.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Cassie has won the latest round in the Cassie Clayton Howard lawsuit, with a federal judge dismissing all claims the former male escort brought against her, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The ruling removes Cassie from Howard’s case for now, TMZ reported. The order also leaves Howard a door open: the judge allowed him to revise some claims, which could let him try to bring part of the case against Cassie back.
Why was Cassie dismissed from Clayton Howard’s lawsuit?
The judge dismissed the claims against Cassie, according to TMZ’s account of the court documents, but the order permits Howard to amend certain claims. That means the dismissal is a win for Cassie at this stage, though the case may not be over if Howard files a revised complaint that satisfies the court.
Howard sued both Cassie and Diddy, alleging he suffered damages, including psychological injuries, after participating in what the lawsuit described as “freak offs,” TMZ reported. Howard claimed Cassie helped coordinate the events.
Diddy has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, according to TMZ.
What did Clayton Howard claim?
Howard’s lawsuit alleged harm tied to his participation in the events involving Diddy and Cassie, TMZ reported. The claims against Cassie centered on Howard’s allegation that she coordinated the encounters.
Cassie pushed back hard in court. According to TMZ, she argued Howard filed his lawsuit only after he learned she had settled with Diddy for $20 million.
She also pointed to a text message Howard allegedly sent to her husband, Alex Fine, after she came forward with her claims and before she settled her case with Diddy, TMZ reported.
In that message, according to TMZ, Howard told Fine: “your wife's truth is 100% valid as I'm sure you did as well, I would have come forward and I'm glad she got some form of Justice!”
Howard said the text did not prove anything, TMZ reported.
What happens next in the case?
The immediate result is that Cassie faces no active claims from Howard under the dismissed complaint, based on TMZ’s report of the court order. Howard can still try to amend some claims if he wants to revive a portion of the case against her.
The ruling does not end Howard’s separate claims against Diddy, according to the details reported by TMZ. It also does not resolve the factual disputes between Howard and Cassie over why the lawsuit was filed or what the text message meant.
For Cassie, the order is a clear procedural win in a legal fight tied to allegations involving Diddy and the events Howard says caused him harm. For Howard, the judge’s permission to amend means the next move is his.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.