Diddy Fights Back As He Sues Accuser For Defamation Over Claims Of Sex Tapes With A-listers
By Favour Adegoke on January 23, 2025 at 9:30 AM EST
Updated on January 23, 2025 at 9:48 AM EST
Sean "Diddy" Combs is suing one of his accusers, Courtney Burgess, for defamation and seeking $50 million in damages.
As part of the lawsuit, the embattled rapper has also named Burgess' attorney, Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of the television network NewsNation.
Sean "Diddy" Combs has been in jail since his arrest on September 16, 2024, and is presently awaiting a trial in May.
The Embattled Rapper Sued For $50 Million
In a surprising move, embattled rapper Diddy took the fight to his accuser, Courtney Burgess, by hitting him, his lawyer, and a media house with a $50 million defamation lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday.
Diddy claimed that Burgess and his attorney, Ariel Mitchell—also named as a defendant in the filing—deliberately fabricated and amplified false allegations about him for financial gain, specifically referencing their claims of possessing alleged sex tapes involving him.
According to People Magazine, he further alleged that NewsNation, a television network owned by Nexstar Media Group, broadcasted the accusations without conducting proper due diligence.
Diddy reportedly believes their actions have caused significant economic and reputational harm. He also believes they have compromised the possibility of him having an unbiased jury in his upcoming sex crime trial.
Diddy Claimed His Accuser Lied About Having His Alleged Sex Tapes And Late Ex's Memoir
In his filing, Diddy detailed how Burgess had repeatedly told multiple news outlets, including NewsNation, that he possessed videos allegedly showing the rapper sexually assaulting celebrities and minors.
He further stated that his accuser claimed to have obtained these videos, along with a memoir containing alleged sordid details about the rapper, from the late Kim Porter—Diddy's ex and the mother of four of his children.
After referencing these scenarios, the rapper claimed that these alleged tapes or the memoir did not exist at any time, contrary to Burgess and Mitchell's claims in the media.
He went on to say that their statements about possessing them "were either knowingly blatant falsehoods or recklessly false statements," adding that he has never met Burgess, nor does his family have any association with him.
The Music Mogul Said His Accuser And Co-Defendants Profited From The Allegations
As for how the defendants in the suit have profited, Diddy claimed that Burgess made money from the sales of his "fake Kim Porter memoir," which Burgess sold online under the pseudonym Jamal Millwood and titled "Tell It All."
Regarding his accuser's lawyer, Diddy alleged that she benefited by "promoting herself in the media" while representing Burgess in his claims.
The rapper also stated that NewsNation profited by attracting more viewers to its network when it aired Burgess and his lawyer's allegations.
Diddy's Lawyer Explained Why The Rapper Filed The Suit
In the wake of the filing, Diddy's lawyer, Erica Wolff, shared that the rapper filed the suit to "serve as a warning" to his accusers that any "intentional falsehood" aimed at undermining his upcoming trial will "no longer be tolerated."
"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," Wolff also told People Magazine.
Meanwhile, Mitchell responded to the lawsuit, calling it a "pathetic ploy" by the rapper to silence his victims and their representatives.
He also expressed his intention to countersue Diddy and pursue the punishment of the rapper and his legal team for filing what he described as a "frivolous and meritless" suit.
The Rapper's Legal Team Claims The 'Freak Off' Tapes Prove His Innocence
Recently, Diddy's attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, have slammed federal prosecutors' claims that the women in the rapper's "freak offs" were victims who were drugged and kidnapped women into sexual activity.
It comes after the duo was allowed to review nine videos of the hedonistic parties under the supervision of law enforcement on November 20 and December 13, 2024.
These videos were presumed to have been seized from the embattled rapper when the authorities raided his house last year.
According to Diddy's attorneys, contrary to the claim of prosecutors, these videos prove the rapper's "innocence" as the participants were "fully consenting adults."
"Contrary to what the government has led this Court and the public to believe, the so-called 'Freak Offs' were private sexual activity between fully consenting adults in a long-term relationship," they said in a statement, per ABC News.
