Diddy launches £80 million lawsuit over 'substantial reputational harm' following release of new documentary
A £80.5 million lawsuit has been filed against NBC by Sean 'Diddy' Combs regarding a recent documentary made about his life.
The rapper, 55, is currently awaiting trial on a string of federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges in a New York jail, all of which he has denied and pleaded not guilty.
Today (12 January), his legal team announced that he is suing TV network NBC, as well as its streaming service Peacock and production company Ample over Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.
The one hour and 39 minute documentary, which aired last month, gave viewers a glimpse into Diddy's early life and featured interviews from childhood friends, former employees and some of his alleged victims.
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The synopsis for the show read: "Featuring never-before-seen footage and stories from those who know him best, Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy sheds light on his childhood, rise to fame, and recent criminal allegations, challenging viewers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the mogul behind the music – and the mugshot."
Diddy has slammed the documentary in a lawsuit filed in New York County’s Supreme Court (via The Independent) on 12 February, alleging that it is full of 'fresh lies and conspiracy theories'.
The complaint claims that Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy included defamatory and false statements about the 'Last Night' rapper, while alleging that NBC wanted 'to capitalise 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'.
The lawsuit claims that the 'entire premise of the documentary assumes that Mr Combs has committed numerous heinous crimes, including serial murder, rape of minors, and sex trafficking of minors', according to the BBC.
Furthermore, it alleges that the documentary 'maliciously and baselessly jumps to the conclusion that Mr Combs is a 'monster' while featuring claims which the creators supposedly 'knew were false or published with reckless disregard as to whether they were false or not'.
The programme also 'falsely, recklessly, and maliciously accuses Mr Combs of murdering' people close to him, such as the mother of three of his children, Kim Porter, and rapper Biggie Smalls, according to the lawsuit.
Diddy's legal team say he has suffered 'substantial reputational and financial harm' as a result of Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.
The father-of-five is seeking a jury trial and £80.5million ($100million) in damages.
His lawyer Erica Wolff said (via the BBC) that NBC, Peacock and Ample 'made a conscious decision to line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism' and 'maliciously and recklessly broadcast outrageous lies'.
Regarding the numerous lawsuits and accusations against him, Diddy's representatives previously told LADbible in a statement: "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.
"We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court."
LADbible has contacted NBC, Peacock and Ample for comment, as well as Diddy's representatives.
Topics: Diddy, Celebrity, Documentaries
Olivia Burke