Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Lawyers Push For Gag Order On Witnesses
Sean Diddy Combs and his legal team have moved to silence witnesses off the stand. According to TMZ, documents were filed on Sunday (Nov. 3) in an effort to expedite the process of obtaining a gag order, hoping to halt grand jury witnesses from giving interviews regarding their testimony. The outlet names Courtney Burgess as the witness behind the move.
Last week, Burgess testified in front of the grand jury and went on to share elements of his statements with the press. Burgess claimed he was contacted by agents from the Department of Homeland Security to appear in court. He also claimed to be in possession of evidence including the unedited words of the late Kim Porter as well as graphic videos.
Burgess and his lawyer Ariel Mitchell, who was also vocal with the media, confirmed that a hearing would decide what he must turn in to authorities, including thumb drives, hard drives, electronic storage devices, or devices containing videos and/or other files.
According to ABC News, Combs’ attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos informed the judge that the public statements are “undermining Mr. Combs’ right to a fair trial and the integrity of the grand jury proceedings,” in the letter requesting the gag order.
“These stories have spread rapidly through the media and created the impression that such videos exist, which is false, and that the government is actually crediting his sensational claims, which is profoundly prejudicial,” the letter continued.
The prosecution objected to the order as plaintiffs in civil litigation against Combs are outside the purview of the criminal court, according to the news outlet.
Newsweek reported Combs and his attorneys first filed a motion for the gag order last month, arguing that public statements could prejudice a potential jury.
“To now order our clients to be completely silent about what they experienced would be an affront to their bravery and would be detrimental to other victims of sexual violence who remain afraid to come forward,” argues Douglas H. Wigdor, attorney for Cassie Ventura as well as one anonymous, accuser per HipHopDX.
Combs was arrested in September 2024 for racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Additionally, the 55-year-old faces multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of rape and drugging alleged victims as young as 10 years old.
“As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false,” Combs’ attorneys exclaimed in a statement.
“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
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