Why is Ariel Mitchell seeking dismissal of Diddy’s defamation case? Reason explained

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ $100 million defamation lawsuit has taken an unexpected turn, with attorney Ariel Mitchell pushing for dismissal. According to Mitchell's lawyer, Steven Metcalf, the statements she made against the music mogul were taken from "active litigation or police reports."

According to All Hip Hop, Ariel Mitchell’s attorney, Metcalf, argued:

"There is no allegation that Ms. Mitchell made any knowingly false statements."

In another statement, he added:

"The statements were not made with actual malice"

He further added that since they were taken from existing documents, the lawsuit doesn’t hold up as defamation against a high-profile individual.

According to Mitchell, her comment about having tapes of Diddy on NewsNation was misinterpreted and simply repeated claims already made in lawsuits against him. Ariel Mitchell is now reportedly asking the judge to have her name removed from the lawsuit, saying her comments are allowed under free speech.

Diddy doubles down with a $100M lawsuit against Ariel Mitchell, Courtney Burgess, and NewsNation

Diddy first filed the lawsuit on January 22 in the Southern District of New York against Courtney Burgess, her lawyer Ariel Mitchell, and NewsNation, seeking $50 million. The NewsNation interview took place in October 2024. In a statement to NewsNation, referencing the tapes, Ariel said:

"There already have been tapes leaking around Hollywood being shopped around, but one particular person contacted me to shop a particular video"

Sean Combs claimed that Burgess and Mitchell spread false stories about him, including talk of having tapes. Diddy also named NewsNation in the lawsuit for broadcasting those claims without verifying.

In August, Diddy doubled the lawsuit to $100 million, citing reputational damage allegedly caused by Burgess’s claims against the music mogul. According to USA Today, the lawsuit reported:

"In this pitiful spectacle, all pretense of objectivity has been abandoned, as a global audience feasts at the all-you-can-eat buffet of wild lies and conspiracy theories. Mitchell and Burgess are among the worst perpetrators in this offensive scenario."

It continues:

"They eagerly court every opportunity to broadcast blatant falsehoods, pretending they have proof that Mr. Combs engaged in heinous acts, knowing that no such proof exists"

Regarding NewsNation, the lawsuit argued the channel was

"lend(ing) its credibility to and amplify(ing) defendant Burgess and Mitchell’s lies, giving them a mainstream media platform to malign (Combs) for defendants’ collective profit."

The court has not yet decided on Ariel Mitchell’s request to be removed from the lawsuit.

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