Sean Combs Sues NewsNation, Lawyer, and Her Client for Defamation
Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against a man who claimed to possess videos of alleged sexual encounters involving the disgraced mogul and Nexstar Media Inc., the parent company of NewsNation for platforming the man’s claims in a televised interview.
Combs accused Courtney Burgess of falsely claiming that he had footage of Combs involving the “sexual assault of celebrities and minors,” in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York. Combs claimed Burgess “repeated this false claim many times to anyone who would listen, including reporters for major news outlets.”
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The suit also named Burgess’ lawyer Ariel Mitchell as a defendant for claims that she made during a NewsNation television interview that was broadcast around Sept. 27, 2024. According to the filing, Mitchell discussed the alleged tapes and claimed that Combs was in the tape along with another person who was “more high profile than Mr. Combs,” stating that the video “exists, that it’s real, that the other person in the video is very visible.” Per the suit, Mitchell added, “I can tell that the video is pornographic in nature.” The complaint also claims NewsNation “recklessly repeated and amplified his lies as if they were true.” (Mitchell, Burgess, and Nexstar did not immediately reply to requests for comment.)
“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,” said Erica Wolff, Combs’ attorney at Sher Tremonte LLP, 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. 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 made headlines in October when he claimed to have been subpoenaed for a purported grand jury testimony in Combs’ case. He claimed he was ordered to present any electronic devices or files “relating to, created by, recorded by and/or depicting” Combs. Combs is seeking $50 million in damages and further relief.
In September, Combs was arrested and indicted and charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and interstate transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Combs is currently housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and his trial is set for May.
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