Diddy doubles down on defamation lawsuit over alleged sex assault videos, seeks $100M
Combs, who sued Courtney Burgess in January for $50 million on allegations of defamation, amended his complaint against the man in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Aug. 11, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Burgess' attorney, Ariel Mitchell, and news broadcaster NewsNation are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The Grammy-winning rapper is now seeking additional compensation, no less than $100 million in damages, for the harm caused by Burgess' "outlandish claims," which Combs' attorneys allege culminated in a "media frenzy" against the embattled hip-hop mogul.
"People who heard and believed defendants' lies have accused Mr. Combs, on social media that is consumed by hundreds of millions of viewers each and every day, of being a debauched 'monster' and a pedophile," the lawsuit states.
"The unrelenting tide of negative publicity and threatening social media posts resulting from defendants' lies have caused and will continue to cause Mr. Combs severe reputational harm."
USA TODAY has reached out to Mitchell for comment.
In an October 2024 interview aired by NewsNation, Burgess and Mitchell alleged that the man, who reportedly at one point testified in front of a grand jury for Combs' federal criminal case, possessed several videos purportedly showing Combs sexually assaulting minors, including celebrities, at his "freak off" sex parties.
At the time of his original lawsuit in January, Combs, who was awaiting trial in his landmark sex crimes case, sought $50 million in damages for Burgess and Mitchell's claims. The disgraced music mogul said the pair's remarks about "freak off" footage had the potential to "poison the minds" of people who might serve on Combs' jury.
Diddy takes legal action: Rap mogul files $50M defamation lawsuit over alleged sex assault videos
Combs was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. In July, the rapper was found guilty on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of the remaining offenses.
The rapper, who remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, was denied bail on Aug. 4 after his legal team requested he be released on a $50 million bond.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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