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Dawn Richard says her voice appeared on a Diddy album without her permission, reopening questions about a musical partnership she left behind more than a decade ago. The singer says the track came from an old recording and did not reflect a reunion or a new collaboration.
During an Oct. 20 appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee, Richard discussed the song Deliver Me from Diddy’s 2023 album The Love Album: Off the Grid. She said the vocals came from unused material recorded during sessions for Dirty Money’s 2010 album Last Train to Paris.
Richard said she last worked with Diddy in 2011. Her account has renewed attention on who controls recordings made during earlier label and production relationships.
What Dawn Richard says happened
Richard explained that some listeners assumed she had worked with Diddy again after hearing her voice on The Love Album. She disputed that impression, saying the vocal came from an older Dirty Money session.
The distinction matters because the appearance of an artist’s voice on a new release does not necessarily mean that artist participated in a new recording session. Richard’s account raises questions about how the earlier recording was used and whether she approved its inclusion.
Diddy’s representatives have disputed Richard’s allegations in the past. When she sued him in 2024, his camp rejected her claims and maintained that she had agreed to be featured on the album. The competing accounts have not been resolved by the information provided about the track.
Her lawsuit and testimony brought renewed attention
Richard filed a lawsuit against Diddy in 2024, alleging abuse and mistreatment. According to the supplied report, a federal judge dismissed the suit in June 2026 after finding that 15 counts were barred by the statute of limitations.
Richard also testified for the prosecution during Diddy’s 2025 federal trial. She described revisiting that period of her life as difficult, particularly after she had tried to move forward from her experiences.
The trial ended with Diddy acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges but convicted on two prostitution-related transportation counts. He was sentenced to 50 months in prison.
The vocal claim is a separate issue from the criminal case and the dismissed civil claims. The supplied reporting does not establish a legal finding that Diddy improperly used the recording.
Richard is building a new musical chapter
Richard is also promoting Creole Culture, released Oct. 9 through Merge Records. The project completes a trilogy that began with New Breed in 2019 and continued with Second Line in 2021.
The album draws on her Black and Native American heritage and her connection to New Orleans. Big Freedia opens the record, while Durand Bernarr appears on Baby, Can We?
Richard first gained widespread attention through Making the Band before continuing her career beyond that platform. Her latest comments place renewed emphasis on creative control and the right to shape her own musical story.
For now, her account of Deliver Me and Diddy’s representatives’ earlier response remain competing versions of events. The central question is whether the old recording was used with the agreement Richard says she did not give. The available reporting does not settle that question.
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