Sean “Diddy” Combs is suing NBCUniversal, Peacock TV and Ample Entertainment for $100 million over alleged defamation in the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.
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A lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York, and obtained by Variety, alleges that several media companies “falsely, recklessly, and maliciously” accused Diddy of serious crimes, including serial murder and sex trafficking. These claims come from allegations made by Al B. Sure, Rodney Jones (who has also filed a separate lawsuit against Combs), and attorney Ariel Mitchell, along with other sources.
The documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, which premiered on Peacock on January 14, examines various allegations involving the beleaguered music mogul. It looks into claims about his alleged role in the death of his former girlfriend, Kimberly Porter, as well as controversies surrounding the deaths of Biggie, Andre Harrell, Heavy D and the attempted murder of Al B. Sure.
Diddy’s Legal Team Claim the Documentary Filmmakers Lined ‘Their Own Pockets at the Expense of Truth’
Diddy’s attorney, Erica Wolff, released a statement about the new lawsuit. She claims the media outlets “made a conscious decision to line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism.”
Wolff added, “Grossly exploiting the trust of their audience and racing to outdo their competition for the most salacious Diddy exposé, Defendants maliciously and recklessly broadcast outrageous lies in ‘Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.’ In the purported documentary, Defendants accuse Mr. Combs of horrible crimes, including serial murder and sexual assault of minors – knowing that there is no evidence to support them. In making and broadcasting these falsehoods, among others, Defendants seek only to capitalize on the public’s appetite for scandal without any regard for the truth and at the expense of Mr. Combs’s right to a fair trial. Mr. Combs brings this lawsuit to hold Defendants accountable for the extraordinary damage their reckless statements have caused.”
The lawsuit also challenges certain sources and points to a Hollywood Reporter interview with Ari Mark, co-founder of Ample and executive producer of the Documentary.
The lawsuit points out that Mark “acknowledged that the Documentary was a rush job because of competing documentaries on the same subject,” adding “There’s no time and this was an extremely fast turnaround.”
Diddy is suing for $100 million in damages, citing “severe reputational and economic harm” stemming from what he describes as false and defamatory statements.