Diddy’s taken a few Ls in his legal battles, but it seems like he might be able to put up a fight against NexStar, the parent company of NewsNation that hosts the program, Banfield. Per All Hip-Hop, Diddy and NexStar are potentially eying meditation or a settlement conference in front of a judge surrounding claims made on Banfield.
The lawsuit centers on a segment featuring lawyer Ariel Mitchell and her client, Courtney Burgess. Burgess alleged on air that he had flash drives from Kim Porter that contained videos of celebrities at Diddy’s parties, some of which involved minors. Moreover, Burgess described the people in the videos as sexual assault victims who appeared under the influence. Mitchell added that the claims were based on “actual factual footage.” Diddy fired back eventually, stating that the videos never existed and, if they did, they were never received by federal investigators.
Then, there was another broadcast on Banfield where Mitchell said that her research indicated that the baby oil could’ve been used as a “conduit” for alleged drugs to be “mixed into the oil.” Essentially, it was implied that Diddy used the oil mixture on her client to “lower her defense.”
Diddy’s attorneys ultimately fired back. And while the judge dismissed Diddy’s claims against NexStar about the alleged videos and an alleged police report that may have corroborated the claims, U.S. District Judge John Cronan ruled that the oil claims seemed questionable enough for Diddy to pursue.
Diddy's Suit Against NexStar
“In the view of the Court, it is plausible that anyone who heard such a claim would at the very least entertain serious doubts as to its accuracy,” Cronan wrote. The judge said that the baby oil claim and the alleged drug allegations were reason enough for NewsNation to question the accuracy of the claim.
Ultimately, there’s no ruling that suggests Mitchell or NexStar lied or committed defamation. However, with the claims against NexStar, there was a filing on September 10th that indicates both sides are looking at the possibility of a negotiation for a resolution. No one has made any settlement offers or agreements, nor has NexStar admitted fault.
As of now, Diddy’s attorneys haven’t discussed mediation possibilities since they said they aren’t able to speak with him inside. However, both sides asked the judge for two weeks before deciding whether a conference for a settlement or mediation is the path they would like to go into. Cronan is expected to receive a response regarding a possible settlement from the parties by Sept. 24.
