The music mogul’s legal team requested a gag order before his trial. Diddy’s lawyers specifically targeted a named witness Courtney Burgesswho claimed to have seen several videos of sexual assaults. Diddy’s lawyers said the videos did not exist.

“These stories quickly spread 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 deeply damaging,” they said. “While the witness and his lawyer rushed to spread false and uncontrolled allegations in the media, they avoided subjecting their claims to verification through the legal process.

“This witness – who never met Mr. Combs – claims to have received recordings from an anonymous individual (who was later shot and killed) as well as a purported memoir from the deceased mother of Mr. Combs’ children who has since been denounced. as false. By treating these ridiculous claims as anything but a pathetic extortion scheme, the government is fueling the fire of online conspiracy theories and making it impossible for Mr. Combs to get a fair trial.