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Law & Justice · Global

Judge dismisses Ann Altman’s abuse lawsuit over missed medical exam

U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed Ann Altman’s lawsuit alleging that her brother, Sam Altman, sexually abused her during childhood. The dismissal followed her failure to attend an independent medical examination and means she cannot refile the case.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 8 independent reports from 10 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 8 reports · short excerpt from 1 moreHow it's made

View timeline · 8 entries
10 outlets4 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Mostly CenterL 1 · C 5 · R 1 · 3 unrated
Updat3 graphic: United States
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What happened

Key facts

  • The lawsuit alleged that Sam Altman sexually abused Ann Altman throughout her childhood.
  • The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning Ann Altman cannot refile the case.
  • U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed Ann Altman’s lawsuit after she did not attend an independent medical examination, despite a warning that missing it could lead to dismissal.
  • The dismissal was not a ruling on the merits of Ann Altman’s allegations against Sam Altman.
  • Ann Altman filed the lawsuit in January 2025, alleging abuse at the family’s Missouri home from 1997 to 2006; Sam Altman denied the claims.
  • In March, Bluestone ruled that the original sexual assault and battery claims had expired, but allowed Ann Altman to refile under a Missouri childhood sexual abuse law.
  • Bluestone also reportedly approved Sam Altman’s request to withdraw his defamation counterclaim against his sister.

The brief

U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed Ann Altman’s lawsuit accusing her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, of sexually abusing her throughout her childhood. The Verge reported that the judge dismissed the case after Ann failed to attend an independent medical examination or meet other deadlines, despite warnings that the failures could lead to dismissal.

The Verge said the dismissal was with prejudice, which bars Ann from filing the case again. Engadget reported that the dismissal did not resolve whether her allegations were true; the judge’s action concerned her failure to comply with case requirements. Sam Altman denied the allegations, according to Engadget. The lawsuit concerned alleged abuse during Ann Altman’s childhood.

Engadget reported that she filed it in January 2025 and alleged that the abuse took place at the family’s Missouri home from 1997 to 2006. The Verge described the alleged abuse as occurring throughout her childhood. The allegations remain allegations; the dismissal was not a ruling on their merits. The case had earlier proceeded under a Missouri childhood sexual abuse law.

Engadget reported that Bluestone ruled in March that the original sexual assault and battery claims had expired, while allowing Ann to refile under that law. The current dismissal therefore ended the case after she missed the examination and other deadlines, rather than following a determination of the underlying allegations.

The Verge reported that a statement shared by Sam Altman, his mother and his brothers characterized Ann’s claims as untrue and said the situation caused the family pain. The statement described the allegations as “deeply hurtful.” That family statement and Sam Altman’s denial are their positions; neither establishes the truth or falsity of the allegations.

Engadget also reported that Bluestone approved Sam Altman’s request to withdraw his defamation counterclaim against Ann. The Verge said Santos Perez, who represented Ann before withdrawing from the case that month, told The Guardian he was no longer authorized to comment but continued to believe in her. The accounts identify no further court action after the dismissal.

Why it matters

  • Ann Altman’s lawsuit is barred from refiling because the judge dismissed it with prejudice.
  • The dismissal did not determine whether Sam Altman sexually abused Ann; he denied the allegations.
  • The case’s procedural outcome followed Ann Altman’s missed independent medical examination and other deadlines.
  • Sam Altman withdrew his defamation counterclaim, while the abuse allegations remained unresolved on their merits.

What to watch next

  • Whether any court action follows the dismissal with prejudice.
  • Whether Ann Altman seeks to challenge the dismissal.
  • Whether Sam Altman’s withdrawn defamation counterclaim leads to any further court proceedings.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
10 source articles · 10 unique outlets · 8 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Mostly Center· 1 Left · 5 Center · 1 Right · 3 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 50% · Europe 20% · Other 30%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Center
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
5 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 3 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
10 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure adopted Rule 35, authorizing court-ordered physical or mental examinations in specified circumstances.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 35, adopted in 1938, authorizes a court to order a physical or mental examination when a party’s condition is in dispute and the rule’s requirements are met.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Missouri enacted the provision in 1989.
    Background · from our historical context
  4. Missouri enacted its childhood sexual-abuse statute.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. Sam Altman became OpenAI’s chief executive.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  7. Ann Altman filed her federal lawsuit in January 2025, alleging that Sam Altman sexually abused her during childhood.
    Background · from our historical context
  8. In March 2026, U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone ruled that Ann Altman’s original sexual-assault and battery claims were time-barred, while allowing her to refile under Missouri’s childhood-sexual-abuse statute.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

In March 2026, U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone ruled that Ann Altman’s original sexual-assault and battery claims were time-barred, while allowing her to refile under Missouri’s childhood-sexual-abuse statute. Ann Altman filed her federal lawsuit in January 2025, alleging that Sam Altman sexually abused her during childhood.

The March 2026 ruling distinguished the ordinary time limits for assault and battery from the separate route available under Missouri law for childhood-sexual-abuse claims. Missouri enacted the provision in 1989.

Original sources

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