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Sean "Diddy" Combs is suing a man and his attorney for claiming to have proof of his alleged sex crimes when "no such proof exists."
On Wednesday, January 22, Combs' legal team filed a defamation lawsuit against Courtney Burgess and his attorney Ariel Mitchell. According to Billboard, the jailed artist accused Burgess and Mitchell of intentionally “pretending they have proof that Mr. Combs engaged in heinous acts." Combs' legal team said Burgess and Mitchell's claims caused “profound reputational and economic injury and severe prejudice” in the months leading up to the Bad Boy Records founder's trial.
“Defendant Burgess falsely claimed that he possessed videos of Mr. Combs involved in the sexual assault of celebrities and minors,” write Combs’ attorneys Michael Termonte, Erica Wolff, and Anna Estevao of Sher Tremonte.
The music manager and his attorney previously told NewsNation, who's also named in the lawsuit, that Burgess once owned videos that allegedly showed Combs having sex with drugged-up victims including two or three minors. Combs' legal team alleged Burgess and Mitchell repeated the claims to several media outlets even though they were false. In the legal documents, the artist's lawyers argue their story reached millions of people who were led to believe the "made up 'evidence' that Defendants have falsely described and vouched for.” Burgess and Mitchell were also accused of capitalizing on the publicity for financial gain.
The lawsuit also addressed Burgess' claims that he possessed the real memoir from the late Kim Porter. Back in November, Mitchell said the book Burgess had was the unedited version of the paperback edition publisher Chris Todd released (and later removed) last August.Burgess said Porter gave him the flash drives with the manuscript as well as the incriminating footage in question. Combs' team argued that Burgess is “a fringe character” who has "no public record of any professional achievements and he left no detectable footprint on the industry." They also said his connection to Porter was “no more than a passing acquaintance."
Combs is seeking no less than $50 million from Burgess and Mitchell. The veteran artist was arrested last year and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and other offenses. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail. He's currently preparing for his upcoming trial in May.