Sean "Diddy" Combs has not paid his civil attorneys in more than six months and has failed to cooperate with them in his defamation case against Courtney Burgess, Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Inc., according to a new court filing.
Combs' civil attorney, Michael Tremonte of Sher Tremonte LLP, claims the imprisoned hip-hop mogul has not paid his legal bill in more than six months and is asking the judge to let him off the case.
"Mr. Combs is in substantial arrears in paying Sher Tremonte's legal fees. For many months, while Sher Tremonte has been rendering legal services, Mr. Combs has not remitted any payment for the substantial balance of attorney's fees, costs, and expenses incurred during Sher Tremonte's representation of him in this matter," the filing said.
Tremonte also alleges Combs has refused to meet with his civil attorneys for the last four months, making representation "unreasonably difficult" in a case that accused Burgess of falsely claiming to possess videos of Combs involved in the sexual assault of minors during an appearance on Nexstar's NewsNation. Combs claimed Mitchell, an attorney who represented Burgess, vouched for Burgess's accusations and made false statements herself.
"In addition to Mr. Combs's refusal to pay in accordance with the express terms of his agreement to do so, there has been a total breakdown in cooperation and communication between Mr. Combs and the Firm," the filing said.
Combs' representative said in a statement, "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. This is strictly a business matter, and any talk about unpaid fees is just part of our dispute over those unapproved charges."
A separate filing said the parties are potentially open to resolving the case, in which Combs sought $100 million, through mediation or a settlement conference with a federal magistrate.
Burgess has not responded to the lawsuit. A judge denied Mitchell's attempt to dismiss it. The judge dismissed some of the claims against Nexstar but allowed others to proceed.
A conference to discuss next steps in the case is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Combs is serving time in a New Jersey federal prison following his conviction on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.
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