Diddy's former 'right hand' woman scores win in trafficking lawsuit

Kristina "KK" Khorram, the Diddy staffer the embattled mogul once called his "right hand" woman, has scored a legal win in a lawsuit alleging she helped carry out his alleged abuse.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant Phil Pines accused Khorram, 39, of abetting Combs' behavior in a 2024 sex trafficking and battery lawsuit he filed. But in a ruling Friday, June 5, in Los Angeles Superior Court, a judge dismissed four legal claims against Combs' former chief of staff. TMZ was first to report the news.

Some were permanently dismissed due to statute of limitations or legal insufficiency, while others were temporary on legal grounds, meaning Pines' lawyers can attempt to correct them.

In Pines' original December 2024 lawsuit, he alleged he was forced to set up hotel rooms for Combs' drug-fueled sex parties, "Wild King Nights," and clean up after; witnessed Combs kick a person in the stomach and butt; and was pressured by the Bad Boy Records founder into sex acts to prove his "loyalty."

Pines amended his lawsuit to include Khorram, whom he called the "enforcer," saying she facilitated his toxic work environment and pressured him to keep quiet about the violence he witnessed, telling him to "never speak about it" and warning him that "repercussions can happen."

Two causes of emotional distress filed against Khorram were permanently dismissed due to being outside the allowed two-year statute limit, and one "constructive termination" cause – as Pines resigned in 2021 due to the alleged conditions – was dismissed as Khorram was not Pines' employer.

Twelve remaining causes were left to amend, including for sexual battery, sex trafficking, gender violence, sexual harassment, wage and hour claims and unfair business practices.

Judge Edward B. Moreton Jr. noted Pines' team "has not sufficiently pleaded that Khorram had knowledge of the sexual battery" nor "alleged how the statements by Khorram related to or were based on [his] gender."

Pines' legal team has 20 days to amend the remaining causes. If not amended with specific factual allegations to fix the "pleading deficiencies," per the ruling, the causes will be permanently dismissed.

In an email to USA TODAY Tuesday, June 9, Pines' attorney, Gene Shioda, said the lawsuit would be amended.

"We will be amending the complaint and adding the details concerning Ms. Kristina Khorram's involvement," he said.

Combs is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal case last July.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Edward Segarra and Jay Stahl, USA TODAY