Some of music's biggest names spent 2025 and 2026 in courtrooms. Here is a guide to the major cases and their status as of October 2026.

At a glance

Case What it's about Status
Sean "Diddy" Combs Prostitution-related federal convictions Serving 50 months; appealing
Drake v. UMG Defamation claim over "Not Like Us" Dismissed; appeal argued Dec. 4, 2026
Lil Durk Murder-for-hire charges Acquitted Sept. 11, 2026; separate racketeering case
Chris Brown Dog attack on his housekeeper Jury ordered about $13 million in damages
Cardi B v. Tasha K Breach of a non-disparagement deal $60,000 settlement
Cam'ron v. J. Cole Unpaid work on "Ready '24" Lawsuit filed October 2025

Sean "Diddy" Combs

In July 2025, a federal jury in Manhattan acquitted Combs of sex trafficking and racketeering but convicted him on two counts of transporting people for prostitution. In October 2025 he was sentenced to 50 months in prison and moved to Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey. He is appealing, and his projected release date is in 2028. Trump has said Combs asked him for a pardon; the White House has denied reports that one is planned (WRAL; Sinclair, via KATV).

Drake and "Not Like Us"

Drake sued his own label, Universal Music Group, for defamation over its promotion of Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us," which calls him a "certified pedophile." On Oct. 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the suit, ruling that listeners would understand the lyrics in the context of a rap battle as opinion, not fact. Drake appealed, arguing the ruling creates a "dangerous" rule that diss tracks can never be defamatory; the federal appeals court in New York scheduled arguments for Dec. 4, 2026 (Music Business Worldwide).

Lil Durk

The Chicago rapper was arrested in October 2024 and accused of ordering the 2022 killing of rival rapper Quando Rondo's cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, in Los Angeles. In June 2026, his lawyers accused prosecutors of reshaping their case weeks before trial and asked the judge to split or dismiss it. On Sept. 11, 2026, a federal jury acquitted him on all five counts in the murder-for-hire trial. He remained in custody ahead of a separate racketeering trial (AP, via Local10; Revolt).

Chris Brown

In June 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Brown and his company liable for a December 2020 attack in which his 200-pound Caucasian shepherd mauled his housekeeper, Maria Avila, at his Tarzana home. Jurors awarded her about $12.9 million, plus smaller sums to her sister and husband. Brown testified that the dog was a security animal and that he had warned the women to stay inside (Rolling Stone).

Cardi B and Tasha K

Cardi B won a roughly $4 million defamation judgment against YouTube gossip host Tasha K in 2022. In June 2026, Tasha K agreed to pay an additional $60,000 to settle contempt proceedings after Cardi B accused her of violating a non-disparagement agreement.

Cam'ron and J. Cole

In October 2025, Cam'ron sued J. Cole in Manhattan federal court for about $500,000, saying Cole released their 2024 collaboration "Ready '24" without honoring their agreement or paying him for his vocals, Rolling Stone reported.

Sharon Osbourne and Black Sabbath's earliest tapes

Months after Ozzy Osbourne's death in July 2025, Sharon Osbourne urged the band's first manager not to release "Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes," a collection of 1969 demos recorded when the group was still called Earth.

Ian Watkins

Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophets singer serving 29 years for child sex offenses, was killed in a stabbing at HMP Wakefield prison in England on Oct. 11, 2025. Police arrested two fellow inmates on suspicion of murder.

Sources