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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs files $50M defamation suit against Courtney Burgess, News network over alleged defamatory sex tape

ByAditi Srivastava
Jan 23, 2025 08:46 AM IST

Diddy accuses Burgess and NewsNation of fabricating damaging stories that have poisoned public perception and jeopardised his trial rights.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is hitting back against what he calls baseless and damaging allegations, filing a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Courtney Burgess and NewsNation parent company Nexstar, according to Variety.

Diddy is reportedly terrified in jail, fearing gang retaliation for Tupac's murder. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)(AP)
Diddy is reportedly terrified in jail, fearing gang retaliation for Tupac's murder. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)(AP)

The rapper claims Burgess fabricated shocking stories about alleged sex tapes involving him and other celebrities, including accusations that some individuals were underage.

Combs says these accusations are not only false but also threaten his right to a fair trial as he battles federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Diddy’s legal stand

Diddy's lawsuit, filed in New York federal court, accuses both Burgess and the news publication of disseminating false information with reckless disregard for the truth.

Erica Wolff, Combs’ attorney, in a statement shared with Variety, said, “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."

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The lawsuit further argues that these accusations have "poisoned public perception" and jeopardised Combs’s right to a fair trial. "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.”

The lawsuit also details how Burgess’s claims reached federal prosecutors, leading to a subpoena for him to testify before a grand jury in New York. Outside the courthouse, Burgess doubled down on his accusations, claiming U.S. Marshals had searched his residences as part of their investigation.

Diddy's lawsuit against Burgess, Ariel Mitchell and NewNation

One of the lawsuit’s key points focuses on a statement from Burgess’s lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, who claimed to have evidence supporting the accusations, including police reports. However, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office quickly debunked this, saying the allegations were “thoroughly investigated” and found to be “unfounded," according to Hollywood Reporter.

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Burgess claimed in interviews on NewsNation that he possessed videos showing Combs involved in sexual assaults, including those of minors. Combs argues that these unsubstantiated claims, aired by the network, have severely harmed his reputation and the ongoing case.

The lawsuit states, “Because no such tapes exist, and because Mitchell never saw any video depicting Mr. Combs sexually abusing anyone, adult or minor, Mitchell’s many false assertions that Burgess possessed such videos were either knowingly blatant falsehoods or recklessly false statements made as the direct result of Mitchell’s inexcusable failure to investigate her client’s outrageous lies.”

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