Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers, their attorney and NewsNation.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Diddy, 55, filed the lawsuit in New York against Courtney Burgess and his attorney Ariel Mitchell on Wednesday, January 22. Burgess previously testified before a federal grand jury against Diddy claiming to have evidence of alleged “freak off” parties.
The filing also named Nexstar Media Inc., which operates NewsNation. Both Burgess and Mitchell appeared on the network’s program, Banfield, in November 2024 to discuss the allegations made against Diddy. (The music mogul has been behind bars since September 2024 after being indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.)
The paperwork claimed that Burgess and Mitchell fabricated “outrageous lies” against Diddy so they could “gain social media fame, enrich themselves, and strip Mr. Combs of his reputation, livelihood and right to a fair trial.”
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While appearing on NewsNation, Burgess claimed to possess 11 flash drives that allegedly featured videos of eight celebrities, six men and two women. Burgess alleged that “two to three” of the individuals were minors. In the January filing, Diddy accused Burgess of lying and claimed that no such tape exists.
Diddy — who is currently in prison as he awaits his trial scheduled for May 5 — is seeking no less than $50 million in damages, including punitive damages, for the harm the “false and defamatory statements have caused.”
In the paperwork, Diddy claimed that “malicious lies” conducted by Burgess, Mitchell and NewsNation has caused him to suffer from “significant reputational and economic harm.” In addition to the negativity on social media, Diddy claimed that the “intentionally false and defamatory statements have also poisoned the minds” of potential jury pool for Diddy’s upcoming trial this year.
“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,” Diddy’s attorney Erica Wolff 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. 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.”
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Diddy’s legal trouble started last year when was indicted by a grand jury in September 2024. He was subsequently arrested on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. A 14-page indictment claimed that Diddy “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him” for decades at his infamous parties, nicknamed “Freak-Offs.”
Diddy has repeatedly denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He remains incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail on four separate appeals.
