DMX - DMX'S DEFAMATION CASE IS DISMISSED

LATEST: Rapper DMX has seen a defamation lawsuit against him dropped after a judge ruled the star was not at fault for missing a scheduled court hearing in January (08).
The Party Up (Up In Here) MC - real name Earl Simmons - was forced to pay out $1.5 million (GBP750,000) to the mother of his child, after failing to turn up to a Maryland court earlier this year (11Jan08) to defend himself against allegations of defamation.
Simmons was sued by Monique Wayne for defamation of character in 2006 after the star claimed in a interview with American magazine Sister 2 Sister that he was raped by the woman during a hotel stay in Baltimore in 2003.
But the star was given a reprieve on Friday (16May08) after Maryland Judge Thomas P. Smith agreed the star was unaware he was due in court, reports AllHipHop.com.
The 37-year-old hired The Murphy Firm to contest the ruling.
Hassan Murphy, a managing partner of the company, says, "Today a very large judgment was vacated by Judge Smith.
"The judge clearly agreed with us that Mr. Simmons was never properly notified and therefore he threw out the judgment."
But Simmons is still mired by legal drama - earlier this month (May08) he was arrested on numerous motor vehicle charges. In a separate incident, Simmons pleaded not guilty to various felony drug charges and animal cruelty charges.