Diddy Loses Child Support Appeal

A petition by Sean "Diddy" Combs to have the New York Supreme Court hear an appeal of a lower court decision that ordered him to pay more than $19,000 a month in child support payments has been declined. The state's highest court declined Combs' appeal Tuesday (May 9) of a lower court decision issued last year, in which the Hip-Hop mogul was ordered to pay ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim for the care of their 12-year-old son Justin. The order, issued by the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division in 2005, came after Combs appealed a Westchester Family Court ruling that he should pay $35,000 a month. The ruling was based on Combs' yearly income of almost $50 million dollars. Additionally, Combs was ordered to pay more than $398,000 in retroactive support and all medical, dental and educational expenses for his son. The decision was believed to be the highest amount of child support paid out in the entire country. An appellate court judge later awarded a lower, undisclosed amount in back support and ordered Combs to pay Hylton-Brim's legal fees. The judge initially set monthly support payments at $21,782, but later reduced the amount. Diddy and Misa Hylton met in Mount Vernon, New York and dated in the early '90s. They have one child together, Justin Combs, whose namesake represents Diddy's successful restaurants in Manhattan and Atlanta.