French Montana Settles Lawsuit Over Alleged Stolen Watch

French Montana has officially settled a $1 million federal lawsuit involving an allegedly stolen luxury Richard Mille watch, bringing a quiet end to a contentious nine-month legal battle. According to court records filed on Monday, July 27, 2026, all parties involved reached an agreement to resolve the dispute outside of court before ever reaching trial.

The terms of the resolution remain confidential, and the federal filing emphasizes that the settlement is not an admission of liability, fault, or wrongdoing by any of the parties involved.

The Core of the $1 Million Dispute

The high-stakes legal battle was originally filed in October 2025 by Swiss businessmen Justo Obiang and Samir Gato. The plaintiffs, who befriended the Bronx rapper (born Karim Kharbouch) following a 2015 concert in Geneva, accused him of grand theft, fraud, and misrepresentation.

The timeline of the unusual dispute unfolded over several high-profile interactions:

The Egypt Meeting (2024): While filming a promotional video together, Obiang and Gato claimed French Montana repeatedly pressured them to trade a rare Richard Mille RM-59-01 watch they jointly owned. The pair consistently rejected his offers.

The Fashion Week Loan (January 2025): Unable to secure a trade, the rapper allegedly asked to borrow the $1 million timepiece to wear at Paris Fashion Week. He promised to return it within 30 days.

The Counterfeit Collateral: To reassure the businessmen, Montana allegedly left behind a diamond-encrusted Richard Mille watch of his own as collateral. The plaintiffs later discovered that this collateral watch was completely counterfeit.

The Disappearing Act: When the 30-day window expired, Obiang texted the rapper asking, “Are you trying to keep my [watch]?”. Montana allegedly replied, “never my bro,” promising he would travel back to Paris to retrieve and ship the piece. The lawsuit alleged that this trip never happened and the watch was never seen again.

The Defense and the Counterclaims

Before reaching the settlement, French Montana’s defense team, led by attorney Steve Haddad, vehemently denied the allegations. They dismissed the narrative of a temporary “loan” completely.

The defense maintained that Obiang had invited the rapper to Egypt for professional marketing appearances. According to their filings, the $1 million Richard Mille watch was never borrowed; rather, it was explicitly handed over to Montana as a contractual payment for his promotional services. Prior to settling, Montana’s team had even expressed intentions to countersue the Swiss businessmen for pushing a “false and misleading” narrative.

A Private Resolution

Despite a Nevada judge previously denying a request to completely seal the case’s historic records from public view due to reputation concerns, the actual financial specifics of how the watch was accounted for remain sealed. The court documents fail to clarify whether the original RM-59-01 was returned to the Swiss owners or if a financial payout was used to satisfy the claims.

With the signing of the voluntary dismissal documents, French Montana clears a major legal hurdle from his docket, avoiding a highly publicized federal trial over luxury goods.