Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Courtney Burgess, her attorney Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of NewsNationalleging that they fabricated and broadcast false claims about him for financial gain.
The lawsuit, filed Jan. 22 in the Southern District of New York, accuses the defendants of spreading baseless claims that Combs possessed videos showing him engaging in sexual misconduct with celebrities and minors.
According to PeopleCombs’ lawyers claim these allegations, posted by NewsNation without proper investigation, has caused significant reputational and financial damage and compromised his right to a fair trial.
Additionally, Combs is currently in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and extortion, charges he denies.
In addition, the lawsuit also disputes Burgess’s claims of receiving incriminating material from Kim Porter, Combs’ late former partner, calling them fabrications.
According to the outlet’s allegations, the lawsuit alleges that Mitchell filed multiple lawsuits against Combs and used media appearances to amplify defamatory claims that were then broadcast by NewsNation.
It’s worth mentioning that the network is accused of failing to verify claims before airing them.
Furthermore, Combs’ legal team alleges that the defendants profited from these false claims, with Burgess profiting from a fabricated memoir and Mitchell capitalizing on the media coverage.
According to the publication’s reports, Combs is seeking damages of no less than $50 million, including punitive damages, and has demanded a jury trial.
Meanwhile, Mitchell responded by calling the lawsuit “pathetic” and promising a countersuit.
