Judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by Mary J. Blige's longtime friend and stylist, Misa Hylton, who sought $5 million in damages from the singer

Mary J. Blige/Shutterstock

A judge ruled to dismiss fashion stylist Misa Hylton's $5 million lawsuit against her former friend and longtime client, Mary J. Blige. According to Rolling Stone, Judge Phaedra F. Perry-Bond stated that Hylton's failure to respond to Blige's motion to dismiss "constitutes the abandonment" of her claims. The judge issued the following statement:

“The court in no way condones parties filing lawsuits claiming millions in damages based on inflammatory accusations, only to have those very same parties abandon their allegations when faced with a motion to dismiss and sanctions,” the judge wrote. “Plaintiffs and their counsel shall consider this a warning to refrain from engaging in similar patterns of behavior in the future. This written warning may serve as weighty evidence on a future application for sanctions if plaintiffs and/or their counsel continue to engage in similar bad faith litigation tactics.”

Misa and Mary/Photo (Instagram)

Last April, Misa sued Mary J. after claiming that Mary and her management company, Beautiful Life Productions, sabotaged her relationship with rapper Vado, who was reportedly her client first and with whom Mary was also doing business. Mary's attorneys called with suit "baseless", and said the fashion stylist sued her former friend due to "animus."

The lawsuit also alleged that Blige prevented the release of Vado’s album in an attempt to force him to cut ties with the fashion stylist's management company, M.I.S.A. Management. Therefore, the suit asked for $5 million in damages for “breach of contract, emotional distress, and interference with business relationships.”

The lawsuit was shocking, as Blige and Hylton began their careers together at Uptown Records in the early '90s. During the recording of Mary's first album, Misa was Sean "Diddy" Combs' then-girlfriend when he worked at Uptown Records. Diddy reportedly asked Hylton to work as Mary's stylist, a business relationship and friendship that lasted decades.

Mary J. Blige's sister, LaTonya, Misa, and Mary J. Blige/Instagram

During Hylton's early career, she styled other talent associated with Diddy and Uptown Records, such as Lil Kim, Jodeci, and Faith Evans. Throughout the years, she's also worked with 50 Cent, Wu-Tang Clan, Missy Elliott, Kimora Lee Simmons, Beyoncé, and a plethora of other artists. She also collaborated with Versace for looks for Lil Kim and Mary J. Blige. Hylton still works heavily in fashion; she's currently a Global Creative Partner for MCM and operates the Misa Hylton Fashion Academy in New York City.

Blige has released 15 studio albums and was crowned the queen of Hip Hop soul early in her career. She's sold over 50 million records worldwide. Blige starred on 50 Cent's Power Book II as Monet Tejada for several seasons.

Misa and Mary J. Blige made a cameo in The Notorious B.I.G.'s music video, "Big Poppa," circa 1994 (YouTube screenshot)

Loren LoRosa from The Breakfast Club spoke on behalf of Hylton and released a statement on X regarding the situation:

“Over the years, I have had people very close to me who have hurt me deeply. I chose not to pursue them, even when I could have and perhaps should have. This reflection led me to question why I would choose a different path for someone I once considered my sister. Through this experience, I learned that mixing family, friendship, and business is not always wise. Even in painful moments, there are meaningful lessons to be learned. While I don’t agree with everything that has happened, I have chosen peace. This entire ordeal has taken a significant toll on my mental health and has caused me to reflect deeply on life, memories, relationships, and their true purpose and meaning. I pray for healing for all of us.”

To subscribe to Volume 82, click the link. To follow our Instagram, click here; for TikTok, click here!