Diddy’s lawyers seek to withdraw from case: “We haven’t been paid in more than six months

Law firm Sher Tremonte LLP has asked to end its representation of Sean “Diddy” Combs in a defamation lawsuit, claiming that the music producer has not paid his legal fees in more than six months.

Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail show that the firm has filed a motion to withdraw from the lawsuit brought by Combs against Courtney Burgess, Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Inc., NewsNation’s parent company.

Michael Tremonte, an attorney and partner at Sher Tremonte LLP, says Combs owes the firm substantial sums for legal work. He adds that the client’s lack of cooperation has made representation “extremely difficult.”

In filings submitted to the court, Tremonte stated: “Mr. Combs has substantial outstanding balances owed to Sher Tremonte for legal fees.”

According to the attorney, Sher Tremonte LLP has continued to provide legal services to Combs, even though he has not made any payments in more than six months. His last payment, Tremonte said, covered fees and expenses incurred at the end of 2025.

The court documents specify that “a substantial portion of the total outstanding amount relates to invoices that have remained unpaid for more than 90 days.”

The firm claims that its relationship with Combs has also suffered a “complete breakdown in cooperation and communication.” The attorneys say that, for more than four months, he has not been available for direct and timely communication regarding his legal matters.

According to Tremonte, these circumstances have made representation excessively difficult and have prevented the firm from providing the client with effective legal services.

The attorneys claim that Combs was notified on several occasions that, unless he paid the fees and made himself available for communication, the firm would ask the court for permission to withdraw from the case.

Combs’ representative, however, disputed the claim that he had simply refused to pay the bills. In a statement to the Daily Mail, he said Combs decided to change his legal team because he claims Sher Tremonte LLP was charging him excessive fees.

“I made the decision to change lawyers because I will not allow anyone to take advantage of me by overcharging me and inflating bills that were never approved,” his representative said.

He described the dispute as a “business disagreement,” explaining that arguments over unpaid fees are part of the conflict between the parties.

The statement also mentioned Jonathan Davis, whom the representative said has served as Combs’ civil attorney for 33 years. Davis has continued to represent him and his companies in lawsuits in several states since the producer’s arrest in 2024.

Combs is currently in prison after being found guilty last year of two prostitution-related offenses.

Davis said that he remains Combs’ legal representative and expressed confidence that “the truth will come to light” and that his client will be exonerated.