Judge Dismisses Ann Altman’s Lawsuit Against Sam Altman
A federal judge dismissed the sexual abuse lawsuit after Ann Altman failed to attend a medical examination; the judge did not decide whether her allegations were true.
A federal judge has dismissed Ann Altman’s lawsuit accusing her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, of sexually abusing her during childhood. US District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed the case on Tuesday after Ann did not attend an independent medical examination despite warnings that failing to do so could end the case. Engadget reports that the judge did not rule on the merits of her allegations.
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Why the case was dismissed
According to The Verge, Bluestone wrote that Ann had failed to appear for the examination and had missed other deadlines over the past year. The judge granted Sam Altman’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, which The Verge says means it cannot be refiled in that court. He denied Sam’s request for attorney fees and costs.
The distinction between the reason for dismissal and the allegations is important: Engadget says the ruling followed Ann’s refusal to attend the examination, not a judicial finding on whether the alleged abuse occurred. Both outlets report that she had been warned about the consequence of missing the appointment.
The allegations and earlier ruling
Engadget reports that Ann filed the lawsuit in January 2025. She alleged that Sam abused her at the family’s Missouri home between 1997 and 2006, beginning when she was three and he was 12. Her complaint said the last alleged incident occurred after he had become an adult. Sam has denied the allegations.
The lawsuit had already changed course before Tuesday’s dismissal. In March, Bluestone ruled that the original sexual assault and battery claims were filed too late, according to Engadget. He allowed Ann to bring an amended case under a Missouri law concerning childhood sexual abuse. That amended lawsuit was the one dismissed this week.
Responses and other motions
After the initial filing, Sam Altman, his mother and two younger brothers issued a joint statement rejecting Ann’s allegations as untrue, both outlets report. Engadget also reports that they described Ann as having mental health challenges and said she refused conventional treatment. Those statements were the family’s claims, not findings by the court.
Engadget says Bluestone also reportedly approved Sam’s request to withdraw a defamation counterclaim against his sister. The Verge reports that Santos Perez, who had represented Ann before withdrawing from the case this month, said he was no longer authorized to comment on it but continued to believe in her.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.