A judge has dismissed Ann Altman’s lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The case alleged that he sexually abused her throughout her childhood. US District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed it with prejudice after Ann failed to meet court deadlines and appear for an independent medical examination.
Why the judge dismissed the case
The lawsuit was filed last year. According to the account of the ruling, the judge said Ann had not appeared for an independent medical examination or met other deadlines over the past year, despite warnings that those failures could lead to dismissal.
The dismissal followed those missed procedural requirements. The source article does not report the judge making a finding about whether the abuse allegations were true. A dismissal for failing to meet deadlines describes how the case ended in court; it does not, by itself, resolve the underlying allegations.
What “with prejudice” means
Bluestone granted Sam Altman’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice. That means the lawsuit cannot be refiled in that court. The ruling brings the case to an end there, while the source provides no further details about any possible next steps.
The judge also denied Sam Altman’s request for attorney fees and costs. So while he succeeded in obtaining dismissal, the court did not grant that separate request for payment of legal expenses.
Responses from the family and lawyer
When the case was filed, a statement shared by Sam Altman, his mother, and his brothers rejected the allegations. It said, “Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam… All of these claims are utterly untrue. This situation causes immense pain to our entire family.”
Santos Perez, who had represented Ann until withdrawing this month, told The Guardian that “I am no longer authorized to comment on this case but I continue to believe in Annie.” The statement expressed support for Ann while noting that Perez was no longer authorized to comment on the case.
What the ruling establishes
The reported outcome is specific: the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, and the request for attorney fees and costs was denied. The account attributes the dismissal to missed deadlines and Ann’s failure to attend an independent medical examination, following warnings from the judge.
That procedural outcome should be kept distinct from the allegations themselves. The source reports the claim, the family’s denial, the judge’s reason for dismissing the suit, and the lawyer’s statement. It does not describe a trial or a ruling deciding the truth of the allegation.