Table of Contents
Key Points
- Sean "Diddy" Combs files a $100 million lawsuit against NBCUniversal, alleging the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy spread false accusations.
- Diddy faces federal charges, including sex trafficking and physical abuse. He remains in custody, with a trial scheduled for May 2025.
- Mounting legal troubles force Diddy to sell properties and his stake in Revolt. His net worth has slumped from over $1 billion.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Ample Entertainment over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy. The rapper and music mogul claims the film disregarded truth, decency, and journalistic ethics by airing accusations of sexual assault of minors, sex trafficking, and other serious allegations—all of which he has denied.
According to the lawsuit, Diddy’s legal team, led by attorney Erica Wolff, argues that NBCUniversal and Ample Entertainment knowingly broadcast false claims, including allegations that Diddy sexually assaulted inebriated celebrities and minors and was involved in multiple murders. The lawsuit states that the filmmakers acted with “reckless disregard” for the truth, choosing sensationalism over facts.
The 90-minute documentary includes interviews with former employees, collaborators, and alleged victims, examining long-standing accusations of violence and abuse linked to Diddy’s career. It also touches on the deaths of Notorious B.I.G. and Kim Porter. The lawsuit contends that the documentary unfairly portrays Diddy as a “monster” and the “embodiment of Lucifer,” accusing NBCUniversal of amplifying unverified stories to boost viewership on its platform.
Diddy’s trial set for May 2025
Meanwhile, Diddy is facing mounting legal troubles, including both civil and criminal cases. He is currently incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and is set to stand trial on federal charges in May 2025. If convicted, he could face life in prison—an outcome that could significantly impact his music empire and business ventures.
Prosecutors have also filed a superseding indictment accusing him of using force, threats, and coercion to push at least three unnamed women into commercial sex acts. The indictment further details claims of physical abuse, including allegations that he hit, choked, and threw objects at people—at one point even dangling a victim over a balcony. Diddy’s lawyer has denied the allegations in a statement to the Associated Press.
In a separate legal move, Diddy’s attorneys have demanded that federal prosecutors release videos mentioned in the indictment, which allegedly show his private “freak off” parties. His legal team argues the footage will prove his encounters with one of the alleged victims were consensual and claims the government is attempting to “police nonconforming sexual activity.” They insist the nine videos in question contain “adults having consensual sex, plain and simple,” with no evidence of violence, coercion, or sex trafficking.
Diddy’s legal battles force asset sales
Amid growing legal and financial pressures, Diddy has been selling off assets. In September 2024, he began offloading high-value properties as lawsuits and criminal charges piled up. His troubles deepened when a Michigan judge issued a $100 million civil default judgment against him over a decades-old accusation that he drugged and sexually assaulted a man in Detroit 27 years ago. The ruling adds to a string of lawsuits filed against him since late 2023, with at least six individuals accusing him of sexual misconduct, including sex trafficking and drugging victims.
The mounting legal battles have taken a toll on Diddy’s wealth. Once worth over $1 billion, his net worth has plummeted. To ease the financial strain, he sold his remaining stake in Revolt, the Black-owned media platform he co-founded in 2013, to an undisclosed buyer. Revolt, known for its music-focused television network, was a cornerstone of Diddy’s business empire, making the sale a clear sign of his ongoing financial troubles.
