American rapper and record producer, Sean John Combs (commonly known as Diddy) is suing a man claiming to have videos of him engaging in sexual activities.
On Wednesday, January 22, the 55-year-old rapper filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit in New York targeting Courtney Burgess, his lawyer Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media.
In a lawsuit filed in New York federal court Wednesday, Combs said he was defamed by a man who allegedly testified in front of a grand jury for Combs’ federal criminal case.
The lawsuit named Courtney Burgess, Burgess’ attorney Ariel Mitchell and NewsNation, the broadcaster that aired an interview with the two in October, as defendants.
Burgess has alleged in public appearances that he possessed videos purportedly showing Combs sexually assaulting minors, including celebrities.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is taking a stand against the malicious falsehoods that have been fabricated and amplified by individuals seeking to profit at his expense,” Erica Wolff, one of Combs’ attorneys, said in a statement.
“These defendants have willfully fabricated and disseminated outrageous lies with reckless disregard for the truth. Their falsehoods have poisoned public perception and contaminated the jury pool,” the statement continued.
“This complaint should serve as a warning that such intentional falsehoods, which undermine Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial, will no longer be tolerated.”
Burgess had claimed to have received 11 flash drives that belonged to Combs’ late ex-girlfriend Kim Porter, which allegedly contained eight videos showing celebrities being victims of sex crimes.
Combs’ lawsuit alleges there are “no such tapes” showing Combs sexu@lly assaulting people at his so-called “freak offs,” making the defendants’ claims “false and defamatory.”
The hip-hop mogul is seeking $50 million in damages and says Burgess and Mitchell’s claims about having “freak off” footage has “poisoned the minds” of people who might serve on Combs’ jury when his trial starts.
“The unrelenting tide of negative publicity and threatening social media posts resulting from Defendants’ lies have caused and will continue to cause Mr Combs severe reputational harm,” his lawsuit reads.
Combs is currently in jail after being denied bond multiple times and is scheduled to head to trial for his s£x trafficking and racketeering charges on May 5.
He has maintained his innocence amid more than two dozen civil lawsuits over the past year that have accused him of r@pe, trafficking, and s£xu@l abuse from the 1990s to 2024.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
