In an aggressive legal manoeuvre, Sean “Diddy” Combs has doubled his defamation claim to $100 million, accusing his accusers and a national broadcaster of engineering a calculated campaign to destroy his reputation and prejudice his ongoing legal proceedings The expanded lawsuit, filed on August 11, 2025, names Courtney Burgess, her attorney Ariel Mitchell, and NewsNation as defendants It builds on an earlier $50 million suit lodged in January but now alleges “far deeper reputational and financial harm” as the fallout from the accusations continues to reverberate globally Court filings paint a picture of what Combs’ legal team calls a “co-ordinated character assassination,” claiming Burgess and Mitchell publicly accused him—without evidence—of sexual assault and possessing illicit video material Combs says these claims are entirely fictitious and were strategically placed into the public domain to maximise scandal and personal gain NewsNation is accused of acting as the “amplifier” in this process, giving a platform to the allegations and transforming them into a viral spectacle that “abandoned any semblance of journalistic neutrality.” In one sharply worded passage, Combs’ lawyers write: “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 Mitchell and Burgess are among the worst perpetrators in this offensive scenario.” The lawsuit alleges the defendants acted “in bad faith” for either clout, money, or both, with the ultimate goal of painting Combs as “debauched” and “a pedophile” to poison public opinion ahead of sentencing The legal team argues this conduct not only jeopardises his business interests but has undermined the possibility of an impartial jury pool The legal escalation comes as Combs remains behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, denied bail on 4 August following his July conviction on two criminal charges He was acquitted of major racketeering (RICO) charges in a trial that attracted intense media scrutiny Sentencing is set for 3 October Observers say the new filing signals a shift in Combs’ strategy—turning from defence in the criminal courtroom to offence in the civil arena, directly targeting both his accusers and the media outlets that platformed them With $100 million now at stake and questions swirling over media ethics in high-profile criminal cases, the legal confrontation is set to become as closely watched as the criminal trial itself Source: The Zimbabwe Mail All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com. Source: Thezimbabwemail
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