Maui Police Chief John Pelletier declared victory Tuesday after a California judge tossed the explosive civil case that accused him of helping Diddy cover up a 2018 gang rape.
The Maui police chief had been named alongside more than a dozen defendants, including NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. and comedian Druski, in what lawyers called the “Diddy Sexual Abuse Coverup Enterprise.”
The lawsuit claimed Pelletier assisted in concealing an alleged assault in California when he worked as a Las Vegas police captain. But the case collapsed when the plaintiffs missed critical legal deadlines.
Their attorneys withdrew from the case after months of failing to find replacement counsel willing to take it on.
“This case died not because it was settled, not because it went to trial, but it just collapsed under its own falsehoods,” said Keola Whittaker, Pelletier’s attorney.
He called the lawsuit a “deliberate fabrication” and noted that other defendants produced similar proof that they weren’t present at the alleged locations.
Pelletier had provided bank records showing he was more than 500 miles away during the supposed 2018 incident. The evidence helped him survive a vote by Maui’s police commission that could have cost him his job.
Speaking publicly, an emotional Pelletier lashed out at those who filed the suit. “To those who threw out allegations or promoted a false narrative, to those who hurt my family, you should be ashamed of yourselves,” he said.
The police chief also criticized Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, who had urged the police commission to place Pelletier on leave when the complaint first surfaced.
“The constitution is supposed to apply to me too,” Pelletier said, gesturing to his wife. “Now that you see you’ve hurt an innocent woman. Do you care then?”
Bissen issued a statement expressing gratitude that the lawsuit was dismissed and extending “aloha and compassion” to Pelletier and his family.
While Pelletier celebrates his vindication, Diddy remains behind bars at Fort Dix federal prison in New Jersey. The Hip-Hop mogul is serving a 50-month sentence on prostitution-related charges and faces additional federal charges for sex trafficking and racketeering.
His release date is currently set for May 2028.