Attorneys for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs filed a motion Monday to withdraw as his legal counsel, citing significant unpaid legal fees and a lack of cooperation. The motion was submitted in Combs' lawsuit against Nexstar Media, Ariel Mitchell, and Courtney Burgess, in which he alleges they falsely reported that he mixed drugs with baby oil on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
Michael Tremonte, an attorney with Sher Tremonte LLP, stated in a court document that Combs has not paid a "substantial" amount of his legal bills and has been "unreasonably difficult" to work with. According to Tremonte, Combs’ last payment for legal services was provided in late 2025, and he has also failed to make himself available for timely, substantive, and direct communications about his cases for over four months.
The attorneys are also requesting a retaining lien against Combs until all outstanding fees are settled. This move comes as Combs himself claims he chose to change lawyers because he felt he was being overcharged.
"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 stated through his spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer. "This is strictly a business matter, and any talk about unpaid fees is just part of our dispute over those unapproved charges."
However, Tremonte told Rolling Stone that the attorneys "represented Mr. Combs zealously and very efficiently under challenging circumstances." He added, "As stated in our court filings, we are withdrawing from representing him because he has not paid his long-overdue invoices and has become uncooperative. Any suggestion that we overcharged him is simply false."
Combs is currently serving a 50-month sentence at Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix in New Jersey, following his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. In the aftermath of numerous lawsuits filed against him since 2023 alleging sexual assault, violence, and a toxic working environment, his ex-girlfriend, singer and model Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura, filed a suit in November 2023 accusing him of domestic violence and rape. While her lawsuit was quickly settled, it initiated a wave of other accusers coming forward with their allegations against Combs.