Sean “Diddy” Combs Files Defamation Suit Against Grand Jury Witness

Sean Combs filed a defamation suit against NewsNation parent company Nexstar and Courtney Burgess, who was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors to testify before 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 that Burgess’ interviews in which he claims to have videos showing the singer sexually assaulting celebrities, some of whom appear to be minors, could prevent him from benefiting from a fair trial for sex trafficking. and racketeering charges. He is seeking at least $50 million in the lawsuit, which also names Nexstar for amplifying the accusations during multiple interviews.

In a statement, Erica Wolff, an attorney representing Combs, said her client “is taking a stand against the malicious lies that have been fabricated and amplified by individuals seeking to profit at his expense.” She added: “These defendants deliberately fabricated and spread outrageous lies with reckless disregard for the truth. Their lies poisoned public perception and contaminated the jury. 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.

Following the charges filed against Combs by federal prosecutors, speculation intensified that other celebrities were involved in the criminal case. Burgess emerged from this increasingly feverish conjecture, claiming that he possessed videos corroborating accusations of sexual assault, some of which involved other stars who he said appeared to be minors.

Combs targets Burgess by repeatedly stating that Kim Porter, who shares four children with the rap mogul, provided him with a copy of his memoir and videos showing him sexually assaulting celebrities and minors while intoxicated. One interview featured still images that Burgess said were from the videos, including one showing Justin Bieber kissing an unidentified man.

“Is this photo legit? Burgess was asked, to which he replied: “yes, yes, definitely.”

In a later interview on NewsNation, Burgess falsely stated that of the eight celebrities recorded having sex with Combs, “two or three” appeared to be underage and that “all” were intoxicated and “victims” of assault sexual, the lawsuit says.

Combs also points to interviews by Ariel Mitchell, Burgess’ attorney, with NewsNation in September in which she said that “tapes have already been leaked to Hollywood, being purchased from individuals in Hollywood.” Referring to his client, Mitchell continued that a person “contacted me to purchase a particular video that they had and to contact the person who was in the video to see if they were interested in purchasing the video before ‘it becomes public’.

The rap mogul disputes that Mitchell described the investigation as a “catch and kill,” explaining that Combs was “in on the gang and this other person was, I dare say, more high profile than Mr. Combs.” .

The NewsNation host, speaking from Combs’ house, responded, “It looks like there were probably a lot of hidden cameras there, too.”

Mitchell, who represents various accusers in the Combs lawsuit, responded that it “doesn’t seem like the person knows they’re being filmed…(it’s) like they’re being recorded surreptitiously.”

Another allegedly defamatory statement from Mitchell includes the attorney saying she would be able to produce a police report corroborating the sexual assault allegations against Combs. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office later released a statement saying it had “thoroughly investigated the accusations” and “determined that the allegations were unfounded,” the lawsuit says.

“Repeated false and defamatory claims by Burgess and Mitchell that Burgess possessed videos showing Mr. Combs sexually assaulting celebrities, including minors, led federal prosecutors to subpoena him to appear before a grand jury sitting in New York , New York,” the complaint states. “On the day he appeared before the grand jury, Burgess and Mitchell gave an interview on the courthouse steps, during which they admitted that U.S. Marshals had visited his residences to ascertain the compliance with the subpoena.”

Nexstar declined to comment, while Mitchell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.