Sean Combs’ Lawyers Move to Exit $100 Million Defamation Case Over Unpaid Bills and Broken Communication
Attorneys representing Sean Combs in a $100 million defamation lawsuit have asked a federal court in Manhattan for permission to step down from the case, according to a declaration filed Monday in the Southern District of New York. The filing by Sher Tremonte LLP states that Combs has fallen more than six months behind on his legal bills and that cooperation between client and counsel has collapsed entirely.
Why the Firm Wants Out
The declaration describes a relationship that has become unworkable. According to the filing, Combs declined to make himself available for communications for more than four months, a stretch of silence that the firm says has made any meaningful progress impossible. The document also states that the representation has been rendered unreasonably difficult by this lack of cooperation.
Michael Tremonte, a partner at the firm, said in the filing that Combs has not paid a substantial balance of fees, costs, and expenses. He described the situation as a total breakdown in cooperation and communication, and said the firm had represented Combs zealously and efficiently under challenging circumstances.
Combs Points to Billing Dispute
Through a spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, Combs offered a different account. He said he had decided to switch lawyers because of what he described as overcharging and bills that were never approved. Any discussion of unpaid fees, Combs said, is part of a broader dispute over unapproved charges.
Tremonte rejected that characterization. He said any suggestion of overcharging is false, and that the withdrawal request stems from long-overdue invoices and Combs’ uncooperativeness.
The Defamation Suit at the Center of the Dispute
The case Combs’ attorneys are seeking to leave is a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Courtney Burgess, Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media Inc. Tremonte was defending Combs in that civil matter, not in the criminal proceedings that led to his imprisonment.
Combs is currently serving a 50-month sentence at a federal prison in New Jersey. He was convicted on two interstate prostitution counts and acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors had sought 11 years. Combs has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Prison Conditions and Release Date
Combs, who is 56 years old, is scheduled for release on May 8, 2028, though he could be released earlier for good behavior. In July, he was moved to solitary confinement after a fight with another inmate.
The withdrawal request now rests with the Southern District of New York. If granted, Combs would need new counsel to continue pursuing the defamation claims against Burgess, Mitchell, and Nexstar Media Inc.
