Celeb Says He's Being Extorted by Attorney Behind Diddy Suits

Tony Buzbee says he made no threats in seeking settlement on behalf of 2 clients
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 20, 2024 9:21 AM CST
Celeb Says He's Being Extorted by Attorney Behind Diddy Suits
Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee holds a news conference at his office announcing that he's representing 120 accusers who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston.   (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

An anonymous male celebrity says the lawyer representing 120 alleged victims of Sean "Diddy" Combs is "shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him or else publicly file wildly false horrific allegations against him." The Los Angeles resident named as John Doe filed a lawsuit against Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, keeping anonymous so as to avoid "irreparable harm to reputation," per CNN. His attorneys allege Buzbee and his firm "threatened to unleash entirely fabricated and salacious allegations of sexual assault," including "multiple instances of rape of a minor," against the celeb unless he complied with their "demands."

"These baseless accusations are nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot to destroy Plaintiff's high-profile reputation for profit, despite the complete absence of any factual basis for such claims," the lawsuit states, adding Buzbee painted the celebrity as a friend of Combs based on the fact that they attended "similar events frequented by celebrities." The lawsuit accuses Buzbee of trying to exploit the Combs case by creating "a pocket industry that capitalizes on the bravery of those victims who came forward to shakedown innocent celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople with an army of masked accusers."

Buzbee has said he believes Combs' alleged misconduct was aided by celebrities, entertainment executives, and others. He denied the "laughable" extortion claims on Instagram Tuesday, calling the lawsuit a "last-ditch attempt to stop me from revealing names in public lawsuits." He tells TMZ he sent a letter to the celebrity's lawyer seeking a confidential settlement on behalf of two clients and included no monetary figures or threats. He now suggests he'll disclose the letter in an upcoming lawsuit. "If you are trying to hide your identity and you claim you did nothing wrong, doesn't seem very smart to take this approach," Buzbee adds, per CNN. "We will address it in due course."

story continues below

Meanwhile, Combs' lead lawyer is protesting against prosecutors' use of handwritten notes found during a preplanned sweep of Combs' jail cell, per the New York Times. Prosecutors say the notes suggest Combs paid a potential witness to share a statement in support of him and directed a person to find "dirt" on two alleged victims. They add the notes, collected through "covert" grand jury proceedings, were reviewed by a "filter team" tasked with blocking privileged materials from prosecutors. Combs' lawyer, however, claims a violation of attorney-client privilege, saying the notes came from Combs' meetings with his legal team and potentially reveal trial strategy. (More sexual assault stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X