(NewsNation) — A young A-list celebrity who was secretly videoed having sex at one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “freakoffs” is “horrified” at the possibility that the video may become public, the New York Post first reported.
Diddy video ‘bidding war’ among media outlets
Two members of this male celebrity’s inner circle told the Post the footage is being shopped around to media outlets.
An attorney who represents one of Combs’ accusers tells NewsNation’s “Banfield” one or two major news networks are in a “bidding war” for the footage.
“We’re sooner rather than later finding out unless that person purchases the video themselves, which is really the goal of the people who have that video. If that person doesn’t want to purchase it, it’s going to go on the open market,” said Ariel Mitchell-Kidd, a lawyer for one of Combs’ accusers.
Diddy explicit video with celebrity at risk of being sold
The video appears to be Combs having sex with a younger male, the A-lister, whose faces are both visible, according to the Post.
Mitchell-Kidd says she reached out to her client encouraging her to alert the celebrity in the video about the leaked footage.
“The person who has the tape really doesn’t want to shop it around. They really want to help … and directly sell it to that person. But it seems as if they are going elsewhere,” said Mitchell-Kidd, who has personally seen the video.
Mitchell-Kidd has seen the video, she said.
“We have a situation where that person does have the option to purchase the video. If I were them, I would purchase the video,” she said. Otherwise, it will go on the open market.
“If that person doesn’t want to purchase it, then it’s going to go on the open market.”
Celebrity in Diddy video ‘praying’ it goes away
One of the insiders with knowledge of the video told the Post this feels like a “betrayal and violation” for the celebrity. “It brings up some really disturbing and bad memories,” the insider told the Post. A second source tells the outlet their friend is trying to ignore the gossip. “So all he can do is pray. He’s praying that this all goes away.”
Lawyer Mitchell-Kidd has another take on the matter.
“If the person is that concerned about this seeing the light of day, or they’re praying that it goes away, I can certainly tell that person … prayer won’t work in this situation,” she told NewsNation. “There’s a thing of value that is for sale. The only way to control it is to have possession of it. And the only way to have possession of it is to purchase it.”
The A-list celebrity was not aware they were being filmed, according to reports. If that is true, the recording was illegal and whoever buys the video could face legal issues for purchasing it.
The Post did not name the person “because it’s unclear if he was a victim of a sex crime, or if he was an adult at the time of the footage.”
An officer with the Department of Homeland Security who aided in the raid of Combs’ Miami home in March told the outlet there are recognizable names in the footage but would not confirm any of their identities.
Diddy facing 120 new sex misconduct allegations
On Tuesday, it was announced that around 120 victims, including a 9-year-old boy at the time of the alleged incident, will file lawsuits against Combs relating to sexual abuse allegations.
Combs is facing federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He remains in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center without bail.
Two judges denied him bail, but he may have a third opportunity to argue his temporary freedom.
Diddy case: New judge could give Diddy another attempt to win bail
A new judge, U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian, is now in charge of the case against Combs. Court documents show that he was assigned the case Thursday.
While his legal team hasn’t commented, the assignment of a new judge potentially opens the door for a third bail hearing, although no motions have been filed for one.
However, his attorneys continue to pursue an appeal of an earlier ruling denying Combs bail. On Monday, his lawyers filed a notice of appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York asking that the bail ruling by Judge Andrew L. Carter be overturned.