Sean “Diddy” Combs Files $50M Defamation Lawsuit Against Grand Jury Witness
Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a defamation lawsuit against NewsNation parent company Nexstar and Courtney Burgess, who was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors to testify in front of a grand jury considering additional charges against the rap mogul over alleged videos depicting sexual encounters involving him and other celebrities.
Combs, in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York federal court, claims Burgess’ interviews in which he states that he possesses videos showing the singer sexually assaulting celebrities, some of whom appear underage, may prevent him from receiving a fair trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He seeks at least $50 million in the lawsuit, which also names Nexstar for amplifying the accusations across multiple interviews.
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In a statement, Erica Wolff, a lawyer representing Combs, said her client is “taking a stand against the malicious falsehoods that have been fabricated and amplified by individuals seeking to profit at his expense.” She added, “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. This complaint should serve as a warning that such intentional falsehoods, which undermine Mr. Combs’ right to a fair trial, will no longer be tolerated.”
In the wake of federal prosecutors charging Combs, speculation has intensified over the possibility that other celebrities would be implicated in the criminal case. Burgess emerged from the increasingly feverish conjecture, stating that he possessed videos corroborating sexual assault accusations, some of which involved other stars that he said appeared to be minors.
Combs targets Burgess allegedly stating on multiple occasions that Kim Porter, who shares four children with the rap mogul, provided him with a copy of her memoir and videos depicting him sexually assaulting inebriated celebrities and minors. One interview featured still images that Burgess said had come from the videos, including one depicting Justin Bieber kissing an unidentified male.
“Is this picture legit?” Burgess was asked, to which he responded, “Yes, yes, definitely.”
In a later interview on NewsNation, Burgess falsely stated that of the eight celebrities who were recorded in sexual encounters with Combs, “two or three” appeared to be minors and that “all” were inebriated and “victims” of sexual assault, the lawsuit said.
Combs also points to interviews from Ariel Mitchell, Burgess’ lawyer, with NewsNation in September in which she stated that “there already have been tapes leaking around Hollywood, being shopped around to individuals in Hollywood.” Referencing her client, Mitchell continued that a person “contacted me to shop a particular video they were in possession of and to contact the person who was in the video to see if they were interested in purchasing the video before it became public knowledge.”
The rap mogul takes issue with Mitchell describing the inquiry as a “catch and kill,” explaining that Combs was “in the tape and this other person was, I would venture to say, more high profile than Mr. Combs.”
The NewsNation host, speaking about Combs’ home, responded, “It sounds like there was probably a lot of hidden cameras as well.”
Mitchell, who represents various accusers in lawsuits against Combs, replied that it “doesn’t seem like the person knows they’re being videotaped…[it is] like they’re being surreptitiously recorded.”
Another allegedly defamatory statement from Mitchell includes the lawyer saying that she’d be able to produce a police report corroborating sexual assault claims against Combs. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office later released a statement that it had “thoroughly investigated the accusations” and “determined the claims were unfounded,” the lawsuit said.
“Burgess and Mitchell’s repeated false and defamatory claims that Burgess possessed videos depicting Mr. Combs sexually assaulting celebrities, including minors, led federal prosecutors to subpoena him to a grand jury sitting in New York, New York,” the complaint stated. “On the day he appeared before the grand jury, Burgess and Mitchell gave an interview on the courthouse steps, during which they acknowledged that U.S. Marshals had visited his residences to ensure compliance with the subpoena.”
Nexstar declined to comment, while Mitchell didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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