WASHINGTON, US – Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal troubles have taken another turn after attorneys representing him in his $100 million defamation lawsuit asked a federal court to allow them to withdraw from the case, citing more than six months of unpaid legal fees and a breakdown in communication.
New York law firm Sher Tremonte LLP filed the motion in the Southern District of New York on September 14, asking to end its representation of the music mogul in the civil case against Courtney Burgess, attorney Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Inc., the parent company of NewsNation.
The lawyers said Combs had failed to pay a substantial balance of fees, costs and expenses incurred during their representation. They also alleged that the rapper had become increasingly difficult to communicate with, making it challenging for them to continue acting on his behalf.
According to the filing, Combs had not made a payment to the firm for more than six months, with his last payment covering fees and expenses incurred in late 2025.
Michael Tremonte, Erica Wolff and Katie Renzler, who represent Combs through Sher Tremonte, also told the court that he had not made himself available for timely and substantive communication concerning his legal matters for more than four months.
The lawyers described the situation as a “total breakdown in cooperation and communication” and said the circumstances had made their representation “unreasonably difficult.”
The firm’s request comes as Combs’ defamation lawsuit moves forward in federal court.
Combs has pushed back against the explanation given by Sher Tremonte, arguing that the dispute centres on billing rather than an unwillingness to pay his legal team.
Through his spokesperson Juda Engelmayer, Combs said he made the decision to change lawyers because he believed the firm had charged him for expenses and legal work that he had not approved.
“I made the decision to switch lawyers because I won’t let anyone take advantage of me by overcharging me and running up bills that were never approved,” Combs said.
He added that the matter was “strictly a business matter” and argued that the discussion about unpaid fees formed part of the disagreement over the disputed charges.
Sher Tremonte has rejected that characterization and maintained its account of the relationship with Combs.
Combs filed the defamation lawsuit against Burgess, Mitchell and Nexstar over allegations aired on NewsNation.
The case centres on statements made publicly by Burgess and Mitchell, including allegations about purported recordings and claims that Combs used drug-laced baby oil to incapacitate people. Combs denies the allegations and argues that the defendants made or broadcast false statements about him.
His amended complaint seeks at least $100 million in damages.
A federal judge recently allowed significant portions of the case to continue.
In a September 4 ruling, US District Judge John P. Cronan granted Nexstar’s motion to dismiss in part but denied Mitchell’s motion to dismiss in its entirety. The ruling left Combs’ defamation claims against Mitchell in the case and allowed parts of his claims involving Nexstar to proceed.
The court subsequently directed the parties to address the next steps in the litigation, including discovery and whether they wanted to pursue mediation or a settlement conference.
Sher Tremonte’s request concerns its representation in the defamation lawsuit and does not automatically terminate the case.
The court must deal with the lawyers’ request to withdraw, while Combs must continue meeting the court’s requirements in the civil proceedings.
The dispute also does not mean that Combs has lost his entire legal team.
