Sean Combs's lawyers ask to quit defamation case over unpaid fees

Lawyers from New York firm Sher Tremonte have asked a court to let them withdraw as counsel for Sean Combs in his defamation case, citing six months of unpaid legal fees and a "total breakdown in cooperation and communication." The request was detailed in court paperwork reported on 16 September 2026. Rolling Stone

The lawsuit sits at the centre of the dispute. Combs sued media organisation Nexstar Media, lawyer Ariel Mitchell and Courtney Burgess after a 2024 edition of NewsNation's programme "Banfield" aired allegations that he mixed drugs with baby oil. The withdrawal request relates to that civil action, which turns on claims made on air rather than any court finding.

In the filing, the lawyers say Combs is in "substantial arrears" and that his most recent payment covered fees and expenses incurred in late 2025. They also say he has declined to make himself available for timely, substantive and direct communications about his cases for more than four months. A judge must still approve the withdrawal before it takes effect.

Combs rejects the firm's account. "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," he said in a statement issued through 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."

The split does not end his legal representation. Sher Tremonte also acts for Combs in several civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault. Attorney Jonathan Davis already represents Combs and his companies in several other civil cases.

Combs is serving a 50-month sentence at Fort Dix, a minimum-security federal facility in New Jersey, with scheduled release in February 2028. He was convicted last July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Lawyer changes have marked his cases before. In February 2025, attorney Anthony Ricco filed a motion to withdraw as counsel ahead of Combs's federal sex-trafficking case, saying in a New York City court filing that "under no circumstances" could he continue to serve effectively, as reported by NBC News. Separately, Combs paid $8 million in legal fees to his trial and appellate defence lawyers, including Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos and Brian Steel, as reported in August 2026 by TMZ.

For now, the defamation case continues while the court considers who will act for him.