Latest news with #CourtneyBurgess
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Files Amended Defamation Lawsuit Over 'Outrageous Lies'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs has filed an amended lawsuit and claimed the defendants listed conducted 'willful schemes to fabricate and broadcast outrageous lies, to leverage those falsehoods to enrich themselves, gain social media fame, and promote their brands.' In a 25-page document filed on Monday (Aug. 11), the 55-year-old accused Courtney Burgess, his lawyer Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media Inc. (NewsNation) of the aforementioned behaviors and is seeking no less than $100 million and a trial by jury. 'Social media protagonists, including but not limited to Defendants Burgess and Mitchell, have for over a year been fueling a media frenzy, fabricating outlandish claims, and stirring up baseless speculation about Mr. Combs, vying to outdo each other in a shameless competition to draw attention to themselves, with no regard for the truth,' detailed the filing viewed by VIBE. 'In this pitiful spectacle, all pretense of objectivity has been abandoned, as a global audience feasts at the all-you-can-eat buffet of wild lies and conspiracy theories.' The alleged lies spread by the defendants include false claims of videos depicting sexual assaults of minors and celebrities, a police report corroborating fabricated rape allegations, and secret recordings to extort partners. The legal document also highlighted that Mitchell was recently named in a Florida Bar complaint arising out of allegations that she bribed a witness to corroborate sexual assault claims, repeated her clients' lies and knowingly published false statements on national television, including a claim that a police report corroborated allegations that Mr. Combs raped a woman in March 2018; in truth, no such report exists, and the actual report filed by her client alleged rape by two white men, not Mr. Combs, with police deeming those allegations unsubstantiated. NewsNation is accused of amplifying the allegations despite knowing or recklessly disregarding their falsity. In November 2024, Burgess testified in front of a grand jury regarding Combs' criminal trial. In interviews, he claimed he was contacted by agents from the Department of Homeland Security to appear in court. He shared that he did not 'personally' know Combs, but claimed affiliation through professional connections. Burgess alleged himself to have the authentic, unedited version of the diary allegedly written by the late Kim Porter, as well as video evidence. Combs' legal team filed a motion to have a gag order placed on witnesses in an effort to shield testimony from potential jurors. 'Burgess has never met Mr. Combs and has never had any relationship with anyone in Mr. Combs's family. Nevertheless, Burgess has claimed on multiple occasions that Kim Porter, the mother of four children with Mr. Combs, who died in 2018, provided him with a copy of her memoir and videos depicting Mr. Combs sexually assaulting inebriated celebrities and minors. Those close to Ms. Porter, including her children and her roommate for over twenty years, had never heard of Burgess before he made this utterly implausible and completely false claim,' detailed the complaint. 'NewsNation has likewise profited from repeating and amplifying Burgess's and Mitchell's lies, drawing viewers and promoting its programming based on wholly unsubstantiated lies that would have been revealed as false had NewsNation conducted even the most modest fact-checking and/or reasonably questioned its sources, who had a history of making things up.' The lawsuit was initially filed against Burgess in January 2025 for $50 million. Since then, Combs has endured an eight-week criminal trial. The jury found the Harlem native guilty on two federal counts of transporting women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, and not guilty of all racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Combs has been ordered to remain behind bars until sentencing, despite being acquitted of the most serious charges. 'As for risk of flight or danger, Combs fails to meet his burden by clear and convincing evidence,' ruled Judge Arun Subramanian earlier this month. 'Increasing the amount of the bond or devising additional conditions doesn't change the calculus given the circumstances and heavy burden of proof that Combs bears.' More from Sean "Diddy" Combs' Family Lawyer Suggests Trump Support In Exchange For Pardon Sean "Diddy" Combs' Ex-Girlfriend Gina Huynh Says She Will "Always Have His Back" Sean "Diddy" Combs Wants Madison Square Garden Return, Attorney Says Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy doubles down on defamation lawsuit over alleged sex assault videos, seeks $100M
Sean "Diddy" Combs is escalating his legal battle against one of his accusers and the news outlet that helped publicize his claims. 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 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean 'Diddy' Combs amends defamation lawsuit, now seeks $100 million
