Sean Combs Settles L.A. Assault Case

The lawsuit filed against Sean Combs for allegedly punching and pushing a man during a February altercation in Los Angeles has been settled. Both TMZ.com and the New York Times report that papers were filed to settle the dispute on Monday, March 24. Reportsspeculate thesettlement amount, which was not made public, could be upwards of $25,000.

In the suit, Gerard Rechnitzer claimed he was "intentionally, willfully, knowingly and unlawfully attacked assaulted and battered" during a scuffle that caused him to fly backward several feet and hit a parked vehicle. Rechnitzer also alleged that Combs made advances at his girlfriend and "yelled at him in a threatening and ominous manner."

Combs' camp initially denied the charges, calling them "completely baseless" and stated all intentions to fight the claims in court. A court declaration filed by Combs' lawyer stated that any contact between Combs and Rechnitzer "was caused by [the plaintiff's] forward motion against [Combs'] stationary open hand."

The suit initially had no negative effects, as Combs saw ratings hit a record high for his performance in the television adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun and his MTV show Making the Band 4. However, the entrepreneur has faced negative publicity recently in light of LA Times reporter Chuck Phillips' allegations that Combs help orchestrate a 1994 robbery of Tupac Shakur. Both Combs and his legal team have denied any involvement in the Shakur robbery, while no statements have been released regarding the settlement in the assault case.