Attorney repping several Diddy accusers sued for extortion by unnamed 'high-profile' celebrity

Attorney Tony Buzbee, who's been instrumental in bringing several cases of sexual assault against Sean "Diddy" Combs, denies allegations that he attempted to extort a "high-profile" male celebrity.

Attorneys for the public figure, identified anonymously as "John Doe" in a lawsuit filed Monday, allege Buzbee is "shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him" with the threat of litigation containing "entirely fabricated and malicious allegations of sexual assault," according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

The Buzbee Law Firm is also named in the 17-page civil lawsuit.

Earlier this month, the Texas-based attorney allegedly sent correspondence to Doe, describing the man as a friend of Combs "based on the fact that the two often attended similar events frequented by celebrities," the complaint reads. The alleged extortion demand stated Doe raped several minors, both male and female, who were purportedly drugged at parties hosted by Combs.

Buzbee then reportedly threatened to "find an untold number of other 'victims'" to issue similar abuse claims against the celebrity, the lawsuit reads. Additionally, if Doe didn't agree to a "confidential mediation" to resolve the legal matter, Buzbee and his team would allegedly "take a different course."

Doe's attorneys called the allegations "nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot to destroy (his) high-profile reputation for profit, despite the complete absence of any factual basis for such claims," per the filing.

The man's legal team added that Doe "presently faces a gun to his head — either repeatedly pay an exorbitant sum of money to stop defendants from the wide publication of wildly false allegations of sexual assault … or else face the threat of an untold number of civil suits and financial and personal ruin."

Doe's lawyers called Buzbee's alleged behavior "textbook extortion."

The lawsuit comes amid Buzbee's protracted legal battle against Combs, who was arrested in September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Last month, Buzbee revealed he's representing more than 100 alleged victims of Combs.

Tony Buzbee denies John Doe's extortion allegation

In an emailed statement to USA TODAY Monday, Buzbee called Doe's complaint a "frivolous lawsuit" filed against his firm. It's an "aggressive attempt to intimidate or silence me and ultimately my clients," he continued.

Per Buzbee, his firm sent a "standard demand letter" on behalf of two of his clients to a New York attorney who "represents an alleged perpetrator and potential defendant," adding that the letters proposed a confidential mediation in place of a lawsuit.

"No amount of money was included in the demand letters. No threats were made," Buzbee said. The letters "are no different than the ones routinely sent by lawyers across the country in all types of cases."

"We won't allow the powerful and their high-dollar lawyers to intimidate or silence sexual assault survivors," he said, adding that his team will publicly disclose the demand letters they sent out.

Attorneys: Tony Buzbee's Diddy lawsuits part of a 'campaign of widespread extortion'

Buzbee announced his series of civil lawsuits against Combs at an Oct. 1 press conference, sharing that 120 accusers were planning to bring forth allegations of "violent sexual assault or rape," "facilitated sex with a controlled substance," "dissemination of video recordings" and "sexual abuse of minors" involving the Grammy-winning rapper, among other offenses.

The cases, brought by 60 men and 60 women, span incidents going as far back as 1991, Buzbee said at the time. Twenty-five of the accusers were minors when they were allegedly assaulted by Combs.

Since then, Buzbee has helped lead a new wave of legal action against Combs, including allegations that the hip-hop mogul drugged and raped a 10-year-old boy and raped a 13-year-old girl while attending an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in the early 2000s.

However, Doe's legal team claimed in Monday's lawsuit that these harrowing accounts are part of a "campaign of widespread extortion" targeting high-profile individuals who have any association with Combs.

"Buzbee pretends to be speaking truth to power, but that is far from the truth," Doe's attorneys said. "Defendants have created a new pocket industry that capitalizes on the bravery of those victims who came forward to shakedown innocent celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople with an army of masked accusers."

Doe, who is suing Buzbee on charges of extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress, is seeking unspecified damages as compensation, as well as a jury trial. The man's attorneys said he will disclose his identity in court "through a sealed, in camera filing or as the court otherwise deems appropriate."

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Buzbee sued: Diddy accusers' attorney accused of extortion