Sean 'Diddy' Combs has claimed he decided to switch lawyers after being 'overcharged' in his $100 million defamation case, telling his former legal team: 'I won't let anyone take advantage of me.'
Combs made the claim after his attorneys filed a motion on Monday, 14 September, asking a federal judge for permission to withdraw from the case and alleging the music mogul had failed to pay his bills for more than six months.
'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 through his spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, according to reports.
Inside the Dispute Over Diddy's Legal Bills
Combs described the dispute as 'strictly a business matter' and disputed his lawyers' account of why their relationship had broken down.
The dispute follows a 14 September filing by attorneys from Sher Tremonte LLP seeking permission to withdraw from Combs' federal defamation lawsuit in Manhattan.
Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ are dropping the rapper and music executive as a client in his $100 million defamation lawsuit. https://t.co/VxSrQgid5b
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 16, 2026
The firm's lawyers, Michael Tremonte, Erica Wolff and Katie Renzler, said Combs had not paid the firm for more than six months.
According to the filing, his most recent payment covered fees and expenses incurred in late 2025. The lawyers also claimed that Combs had not made himself available for substantive, direct communication concerning his cases for more than four months.
The firm argued that the situation had resulted in a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.
Combs has disputed that characterisation, saying the issue instead concerns charges that he claims were not authorised.
Michael Tremonte subsequently rejected Combs' suggestion that the firm had overcharged him.
'Any suggestion that we overcharged him is simply false,' Tremonte said, according to reports.
The competing accounts mean the reason for the split remains disputed, with the court yet to rule on the firm's request to withdraw.
Combs Sued Over Alleged Defamatory Claims
The lawyers' withdrawal request comes amid Combs' $100 million defamation lawsuit against Courtney Burgess, attorney Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Inc., the owner of NewsNation.
Combs filed the lawsuit in January 2025, initially seeking $50 million in damages before later increasing the amount to $100 million. The case centres on statements made by Burgess and Mitchell concerning alleged recordings involving Combs, which were subsequently reported on NewsNation.
Combs has alleged that Burgess made false claims about possessing videos depicting Combs sexually assaulting celebrities and minors. He has also accused Mitchell of backing or repeating allegedly false claims and Nexstar of amplifying them through its media platform.
Locations in Los Angeles and Miami associated with rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs were raided by multiple law enforcement agencies including Homeland Security on Monday, NewsNation affiliate WPIX confirms.
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) March 25, 2024
More: https://t.co/RlKNMoyDdz #VargasReports pic.twitter.com/ar1e67EhRJ
Those allegations remain allegations in Combs' lawsuit and have not been established as facts. Nexstar and Mitchell disputed Combs' claims and sought to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Case Moves Forward After September Ruling
The dispute over Combs' legal bills comes shortly after a federal judge issued a significant ruling in the defamation case.
On 4 September, Judge John P. Cronan ruled on motions to dismiss filed by Nexstar and Mitchell. The judge granted Nexstar's motion in part and denied it in part, while denying Mitchell's motion in its entirety.
The ruling did not resolve the underlying defamation claims. Instead, it addressed whether Combs' allegations were legally sufficient to proceed at that stage of the case.
A conference was scheduled on 17 September to discuss the next steps in the litigation, including whether the parties would pursue mediation or a settlement conference.
