Sean Combs’ lawyers have asked a New York federal judge for permission to withdraw from his $100 million defamation lawsuit. They cited unpaid fees and a breakdown in their attorney-client relationship.
Michael Tremonte, a partner at Sher Tremonte LLP, said in a September 14 filing that Combs had paid nothing to the firm for more than six months. He also said Combs owed a substantial balance for legal fees, costs and expenses. However, the amount was not disclosed.
Tremonte also alleged that Combs had failed to make himself available for substantive discussions for more than four months. He claimed this made continued representation “unreasonably difficult.” The withdrawal request remained a motion requiring court approval.
Combs disputed the firm’s account through a representative. He said he decided to change lawyers because he believed the firm was overcharging him for work he had not approved. In response, Tremonte rejected the overbilling allegation.
The dispute follows U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan’s September 4 ruling. The judge allowed significant portions of Combs’ defamation case against attorney Ariel Mitchell and NewsNation owner Nexstar Media Inc. to continue. The court granted Nexstar’s dismissal motion in part and denied it in part. Meanwhile, it denied Mitchell’s motion entirely.
Combs’ amended complaint seeks at least $100 million over statements by Mitchell, music manager Courtney Burgess and Nexstar. These statements concern alleged recordings and other accusations that Combs says were false and defamatory.
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Separately, Combs is serving a 50-month federal sentence after his 2025 conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges. Currently, he has a projected release date of February 5, 2028.
