More than six months of unpaid legal bills could cost Sean “Diddy” Combs the attorneys handling his $100 million defamation lawsuit. Sher Tremonte LLP is asking a federal judge to let the firm withdraw, citing both unpaid fees and what it describes as a breakdown in communication with its client.
According to NBC News, attorney Michael Tremonte filed a declaration Monday asking a federal judge in New York to allow the firm to withdraw. Tremonte said Combs owes a “substantial balance” in legal fees, costs, and expenses, and that his most recent payment covered work performed in late 2025. Further, the money is only part of the disagreement. Tremonte also claims Combs has not made himself available for timely and substantive discussions about the case for more than four months. The filing describes the relationship as having reached a “total breakdown in cooperation and communication.”
Combs disputes that version of events. Through spokesperson Juda Engelmayer, he said he decided to change attorneys because the firm allegedly overcharged him and billed for work he had not approved.
“I won’t let anyone take advantage of me by overcharging me and running up bills that were never approved,” Combs said in the statement. He characterized the disagreement as a business dispute rather than simply a refusal to pay. Tremonte rejected the accusation and said the firm is leaving because its invoices remain unpaid and Combs has become uncooperative.
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The timing is notable because the firm is seeking to exit shortly after Combs scored a partial win in the same lawsuit. He sued Courtney Burgess, attorney Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media, which owns NewsNation, over allegations broadcast before his federal criminal trial. Burgess claimed he possessed videos showing Combs sexually assaulting celebrities and minors, while Combs alleges Mitchell and NewsNation helped spread false accusations.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan refused to dismiss the claims against Mitchell and allowed one portion of the case against Nexstar to continue, while throwing out several others. The ruling did not establish that Combs had been defamed. It only determined that some of his claims were legally sufficient to proceed.
ABC News reports that the parties have also discussed the possibility of mediation or a settlement conference. A hearing on the next steps in the case is scheduled for Sept. 17. Combs is currently serving a 50-month federal sentence in New Jersey after being convicted in 2025 on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
Sher Tremonte’s request still needs the judge's approval. Until then, the filing reflects the firm’s attempt to end the attorney-client relationship rather than a completed withdrawal.
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