A New York judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Mary J. Blige by her former friend and stylist Misa Hylton.
In the lawsuit, filed on April 29, Hylton sought $5 million, claiming that the Grammy-winning singer attempted to poach rapper Vado from her management roster. In addition to the dismissal, Judge Phaedra F. Perry-Bond issued a warning to Hylton for missing the deadline to respond to Blige’s motion to dismiss the complaint. According to the judge, Hylton’s non-response “constitutes the abandonment” of her claims,” Rolling Stone reports.
“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,” Perry-Bond 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.”
Blige and Hylton’s friendship dates back 30 years. Sharing close ties with Sean “Diddy” Combs — Blige as a musical collaborator and Hylton as a former girlfriend and mother of his oldest son — the two worked together to style Blige during the promotion of her debut album, “What’s the 411?”
Their legal battle began in spring 2025 when Hylton filed a lawsuit accusing Blige of attempting to “coerce” Vado to end his management agreement with the stylist to sign with Beautiful Life Productions, Blige’s company.
According to AllHipHop, Vado had an agreement with Hylton’s management company, M.I.S.A. Management, in which they received 20% of Vado’s income. Vado’s recording contract was with Blige’s company.
Hylton claimed that the “Just Fine” singer intentionally interfered with her business relationship with Vado by holding meetings that excluded her in “intimate and inappropriate” settings, including “late night yacht outings” and hotel rooms. In 2023, Blige and Vado released a single together, “Still Believe in Love.”
Vado is listed as a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, as he alleged that Blige refused to release his music and owed him compensation for breaching his contract.
Blige’s lawyers denied Hylton’s allegations in a letter, claiming that Hylton didn’t have a case because she wasn’t a licensed talent agent and her company wasn’t a valid corporation.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed last year, Sarah M. Matz, who represents Blige, accused Hylton of “fabricating accusations that will be discussed in the press and on social media for the purposes of harassing Defendants and trying to coerce a favorable settlement.”
Matz added that Vado’s claims were no better, saying that “Blige is not a party to Vado’s recording agreement nor has any other basis been pled against Blige, making it clear she was included solely for purposes of harassment.”
Blige’s attorneys also said that the delay in Vado’s music release was due to his failure to deliver marketable music. Attorneys for Blige also stated that Hylton took a commission out of the $300,000 paid to Vado. The letter included a text message allegedly sent by Vado in which he said he was thinking about “firing” Hylton.
