Lawyers in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' defamation case claim they haven't been paid in over 6 months
Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is embroiled in a dispute with lawyers representing him in an ongoing defamation case. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Lawyers representing imprisoned hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in an ongoing defamation case have asked to be removed, citing nonpayment of legal fees.
Rolling Stone reported Wednesday that Combs’ lawyer, Michael Tremonte, stated that his client has not paid his bill for more than six months and has been uncooperative and noncommunicative with them.
Combs, who is currently serving a 50-month prison sentence after being convicted on two counts of violating the Mann Act by transporting people across state lines for the purposes of prostitution, had retained the Sher Tremonte law firm to sue Nexstar Media—the parent company of NewsNation—lawyer Ariel Mitchell and her client, Courtney Burgess.
At issue was a 2024 on-air segment in which Burgess claimed that Combs laced baby oil with drugs and used it on unsuspecting victims. Combs vehemently denied this and filed a defamation case with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Combs said he decided to switch lawyers and alleged that the firm had overcharged him by “running up bills that were never approved.”
“This is strictly a business matter, and any talk about unpaid fees is just part of our dispute over those unapproved charges,” Combs said through a spokesperson.
Tremonte pushed back, releasing a statement that he had “represented Mr. Combs zealously and very efficiently under challenging circumstances.”
“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,” he added in the statement.
Combs is serving time in a New Jersey federal prison following his conviction.
See also:
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was sentenced to over 4 years. Here’s what’s next.
Expect more lawsuits against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, says plaintiffs lawyer
Racketeering was a ‘reach’ in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial, legal experts say
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