New Diddy Witness Slams The Rapper's Sons' Demands About Kim Porter's Alleged Memoir
By Favour Adegoke on November 23, 2024 at 11:15 PM EST
A witness in Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing criminal case has criticized a cease and desist letter sent to him by the rapper's sons, Christian and Quincy Combs.
The letter pertains to a book allegedly based on their late mother, Kim Porter's diary, for which the witness, Courtney Burgess, claims he holds the copyrights.
In response, Burgess called the letter a "desperate ploy" orchestrated by Diddy to extort money from him.
Earlier this month, the witness also disclosed that he had testified before a federal grand jury with regard to some alleged sex tapes of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Diddy Witness Says He Owns The Right To Kim Porter's Book
After receiving a cease and desist letter from Diddy's sons, Christian and Quincy Combs, Courtney Burgess has fired back with a candid response, strongly hinting that he has no plans to back down.
The trio had crossed paths over a book released by Burgess that was reportedly based on their mother's diary.
Christian and Quincy Combs demanded that Burgess cease the sale of the book or face legal action, claiming that they became the rightful heirs to any intellectual property rights owned by their mother after her passing in November 2018.
Now, Burgess has refuted this claim, saying that Porter gave him the rights to her diary before her death.
The witness's lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, told TMZ that Burgess and Porter met through a mutual friend who was a music producer.
After forming a friendly relationship, Porter, through a phone call, then told Burgess that she would give him a copy of her diary, which she allegedly did eventually. Mitchell claimed this was how Burgess got the rights to Porter's diary.
The Witness Claims The Cease And Desist Letter Is A Money Extortion Ploy
Elsewhere in his response, Burgess also made a surprising claim about why he thinks Combs' sons sent him the letter.
He alleged that it was all part of a "desperate ploy" to extort him of money and that Diddy was the mastermind behind it.
Burgess also mocked the family, saying their act was a "pathetic attempt" that showed "just how dire the financial situation is" for Diddy and his sons.
From all indications, it seems Burgess included this part of his response because Diddy's sons requested that he account for any money he made from selling the book.
Now that he has shown no signs of backing down, it remains to be seen what actions Combs' sons will take next.
The Diddy Witness Testifed Before A Grand Jury
Burgess had previously testified before a grand jury concerning Diddy's ongoing legal case after being issued a subpoena by the Department of Homeland Security.
The subpoena appeared to be connected to his earlier claims of having sex tapes of Diddy and other A-listers within the rapper's close circle.
In a statement obtained by TMZ, Burgess revealed that he came into possession of the tapes when Porter reportedly handed him 11 flash drives prior to her passing in 2018. Burgess claimed that he and Porter were acquaintances, and she entrusted him with the drives.
While Burgess withheld specific details about the contents of the drives, he revealed that they contained at least eight sex tapes involving Diddy, featuring eight celebrities and two to three minors.
He also claimed that the celebrities shown in the tapes were not perpetrators but rather alleged victims of Diddy.
Federal Prosecutors Asked The Witness To Turn Over Any Records Of Diddy
In addition to testifying before a grand jury, Burgess was asked to surrender "all records, including thumb drives, hard drives, electronic storage devices, or devices containing videos and/or other files depicting Diddy."
It remains uncertain whether Burgess actually submitted these items. However, TMZ confirmed that Burgess' phone was seized and that it contained a copy of the flash drive data used in writing the controversial tell-all about Porter.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have yet to reveal details about Burgess' testimony and whether it will spell new charges against Diddy soon.
The rapper currently remains in detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York ahead of his trial on racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
The Rapper Sent A Cease And Desist To His Former Protégé
Just like his sons, Diddy also sent a cease and desist letter to former Bad Boy rapper Shyne over claims he made in his new Hulu documentary, "The Honorable Shyne."
Sources told Page Six that Diddy sent the letter to "ensure" his former protégé stuck to factual claims after alleging he took the fall for Diddy in the 1999 NYC nightclub shooting.
During the incident, several shots were fired, and three bystanders were injured, which led to Shyne being charged with assault and reckless endangerment and Diddy with gun possession and bribery.
However, while Shyne was ultimately found guilty and sent to jail for 10 years, Diddy walked away without any prison time.
It remains unclear whether Shyne, now a politician in Belize, directly received the cease-and-desist letter or what actions he plans to take if he did.