Sean ‘P Diddy‘ Combs has filed a massive lawsuit against a Grand Jury witness and his lawyer over claims they possess videos of sexual encounters involving the rap star.
But lawyer Ariel Mitchell says the move is “a pathetic ploy” by the disgraced rap mogul “to silence victims and people who stand up for victims.”
Diddy is suing Courtney Burgess, who was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors to testify in front of a grand jury considering additional charges against the rap mogul.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in a New York federal court, he claims Burgess’ interviews – in which he claims that he possesses videos showing the singer allegedly sexually assaulting people, some of whom appear underage – may prevent him from receiving a fair trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The rapper is seeking $50 million (around £40 million) in the lawsuit, which also names NewsNation parent company Nexstar, saying they have amplified the claims with multiple interviews.
In a statement, Erica Wolff, a lawyer representing Combs, said her client is “taking a stand against the malicious falsehoods that have been fabricated and amplified by individuals seeking to profit at his expense.”
She added: “These defendants have wilfully fabricated and disseminated outrageous lies with reckless disregard for the truth. Their falsehoods have poisoned public perception and contaminated the jury pool. This complaint should serve as a warning that such intentional falsehoods, which undermine Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial, will no longer be tolerated.”
In the wake of federal prosecutors charging Combs, speculation has intensified over the possibility that other celebrities would be implicated in the criminal case.
Burgess has claimed that he possessed videos corroborating sexual assault accusations, some of which involved others that he claimed appeared to be minors.
Combs targets Burgess allegedly stating on multiple occasions that Kim Porter, who shared four children with the rap mogul, provided him with a copy of her memoir and videos depicting him sexually assaulting inebriated celebrities and minors.
One interview featured still images that Burgess claimed had come from the videos.
The lawsuit states that in a later interview on NewsNation, Burgess falsely claimed that of the eight celebrities who were recorded in sexual encounters with Combs, “two or three” appeared to be minors and that “all” were inebriated and “victims” of sexual assault.
Combs also points to interviews from Ariel Mitchell, Burgess’ lawyer, with NewsNation in September in which she claimed that “there already have been tapes leaking around Hollywood, being shopped around to individuals in Hollywood.”
Referencing her client, Mitchell continued to claim that a person “contacted me to shop a particular video they were in possession of and to contact the person who was in the video to see if they were interested in purchasing the video before it became public knowledge.”
The rap mogul takes issue with Mitchell describing the inquiry as a “catch and kill,” explaining that Combs was “in the tape and this other person was, I would venture to say, more high profile than Mr. Combs.”
The NewsNation host, speaking about Combs’ home, responded: “It sounds like there was probably a lot of hidden cameras as well.”
Mitchell, who represents various accusers in lawsuits against Combs, replied that it “doesn’t seem like the person knows they’re being videotaped… [it is] like they’re being surreptitiously recorded.”
Another allegedly defamatory statement from Mitchell includes the lawyer saying that she’d be able to produce a police report corroborating sexual assault claims against Combs.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office later released a statement that it had “thoroughly investigated the accusations” and “determined the claims were unfounded,” the lawsuit said.
“Burgess and Mitchell’s repeated false and defamatory claims that Burgess possessed videos depicting Mr. Combs sexually assaulting celebrities, including minors, led federal prosecutors to subpoena him to a grand jury sitting in New York, New York,” the complaint stated.
“On the day he appeared before the grand jury, Burgess and Mitchell gave an interview on the courthouse steps, during which they acknowledged that U.S. Marshals had visited his residences to ensure compliance with the subpoena.”
Mitchell told TMZ: “This is just a pathetic ploy to silence victims and people who stand up for victims. Diddy has time to sue but refuses to accept service for the lawsuits already filed against him. I look forward to countersuing and ensuring the court punishes not only Diddy but also his lawyers who filed this pathetic lawsuit for this frivolous and meritless filing.”
P Diddy is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He is also facing a string of allegations in a series of lawsuits.
The three-time Grammy winner, one of the most influential hip-hop producers of the past three decades, has been facing a wave of lawsuits by women who have accused him of sexual assault.
He allegedly induced female victims and male sex workers into drug-fuelled sexual performances, dubbed “freak offs”, according to the claims made in the document.
The alleged ‘freak offs’, referred to in the document some 16 times, were described as “elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded”.
Combs is at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where he has been since he was arrested on September 16 last year.
He has been repeatedly refused bail after pleading not guilty to three felony counts.
Combs denies the charges.
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