3 of Diddy's lawyers just quit, and the jailed rapper has a response

Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald on Sep 17, 2026

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Big news on the Sean “Diddy” Combs front.

Three members of the incarcerated rapper’s sizable legal team in NYC have called it quits, TMZ first reported.

The trio, Michael Tremonte, Erica Wolff and Katie Renzler from the offices of Sher Tremonte LLP, were representing Diddy in a civil suit.

They filed a motion Monday to withdraw from the case against defendants New Jersey music producer Courtney Burgess, his lawyer Ariel Mitchell and Nexstar Media Group, the parent company of cable news network NewsNation.

The issue? An unpaid tab for Combs’ $100 million defamation case.

The firm says Combs, who is behind bars at FCI Fort Dix serving time on prostitution-related charges, has been in arrears for roughly six months. They also say that there has been a breakdown in communication with their famous ex-client.

On Wednesday, Combs, through his spokesperson Juda Engelmayer, told the Miami Herald via email that the Sher Tremont lawyers withdrew because he wasn’t happy with the service they were providing.

“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,” the hip-hopper said in the statement. “This is strictly a business matter, and any talk about unpaid fees is just part of our dispute over those unapproved charges.”

Combs’ filed the lawsuit in January 2025, alleging defamation over statements made in two separate “Banfield” shows in the fall of 2024.

On one segment in question, Burgess, who appeared alongside Mitchell, told host Ashley Banfield that he possessed a “trove” of disturbing flash drives that belonged to Combs’ ex, Kim Porter. The drive, Burgess said, contained a manuscript of the late model’s memoir with dirt on her ex, and he claimed he got it from someone she was dating at the time. Other drives also contained videos of celebrities interacting with possible minors at Combs’ “freakoffs,” aka orgies, he said.

In the suit, Combs said Burgess acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” and that everything on the alleged drive is “fake.”

The Grammy winner also sued over a different “Banfield” segment a month earlier when Mitchell appeared solo. She told fill-in host Brian Entin that the baby oil seen at Combs’ freakoffs (and found by feds at his Star Island mansion) could have been used as not just a lubricant at the debauch parties, but a “conduit” for drugs.

On Sept. 4, Combs scored a small legal victory when U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan allowed him to pursue suing Mitchell over the baby-oil comments. Cronan, however, dismissed other claims, including those tied to Burgess’ flash-drive allegations.

A Sept. 10 filing shows both sides are considering mediation or a settlement conference before a federal judge. Nexstar has not admitted fault in the matter.

It’s unclear who will be representing the fallen music star now, as no official replacement has been announced. An email to his representative Thursday morning went unanswered.