Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been hit with another major financial blow, with a judge ordering him to pay nearly $478,000 in legal fees to NBCUniversal after the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against the media giant earlier this year.
As per court records, the judge awarded the defendants $477,700.50 after dismissing Combs' defamation case in April. NBCUniversal's legal team had originally requested $990,292, but the court rejected a significant portion of that bill as excessive — a point Combs' camp was quick to seize on. According to TMZ, the lawsuit, filed in February 2025, accused the documentary 'Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy' of defaming Combs through claims about deaths connected to him and speculation about illegal conduct. The judge dismissed the case under New York's anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect speech on matters of public interest, and then allowed the defendants to pursue their legal costs.
TMZ reported that Combs' spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, pointed to the court's finding that portions of the defense billing were excessive, framing the award as a partial victory given that it represented less than half of what NBCUniversal had sought.
The ruling came as Combs faced yet another dispute involving his own lawyers. As per ABC News, attorney Michael Tremonte sought permission in September to withdraw from a separate civil case, claiming Combs had not paid Sher Tremonte's legal fees for months. Combs disputed that characterization and described the disagreement as a business dispute.
Meanwhile, Combs remains at New Jersey's FCI Fort Dix while serving a 50-month federal sentence. He received that sentence after convictions on two counts involving transportation to engage in prostitution, while being acquitted of the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges tied to the 'freak-offs' described during his trial.
His prison situation has also drawn fresh attention. NBC News reported alleged access to contraband, paid inmate services, massages, and specially prepared meals — allegations that, according to a source cited by the network, led to Combs being moved to solitary confinement. The Bureau of Prisons' latest projected release date lists Combs as leaving Fort Dix on January 21, 2028.
The fee award is the latest in a cascading series of legal and financial setbacks for the once-dominant hip-hop mogul, whose empire — spanning music, fashion, spirits, and media — has largely unraveled since federal investigators raided his properties. With civil cases still pending and the meter running on legal bills, the $478,000 award is unlikely to be the last courtroom-driven dent in what remains of his fortune.