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 NewsNation, alleging they fabricated and broadcast false claims about him for financial gain.
The lawsuit, filed on January 22 in the Southern District of New York, accuses the defendants of spreading baseless allegations that Combs possessed videos showing him involved in sexual misconduct with celebrities and minors.
According to People, Combs’ attorneys claim these allegations, aired by NewsNation without proper investigation, have caused significant reputational and economic harm and compromised his right to a fair trial.
Moreover, Combs is currently in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, allegations he denies.
Additionally, the lawsuit also disputes Burgess’ claims of receiving incriminating material from Kim Porter, Combs’ late ex-partner, labeling them as fabrications.
As per the outlet’s claims, the lawsuit contends that Mitchell has filed multiple lawsuits against Combs and used media appearances to amplify defamatory allegations, which were then aired by NewsNation.
It is worth mentioning that the network is accused of failing to verify claims before broadcasting them.
Furthermore, Combs’ legal team argues that the defendants profited from these false allegations, with Burgess earning from a fabricated memoir and Mitchell leveraging media coverage.
As per 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.
