Tony Buzbee has withdrawn as attorney from several civil lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs — as least temporarily — that were filed in federal court in New York City.
The Texas attorney blamed a grievance initiated by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter revealing Buzbee was not licensed to practice in the Southern District of New York, where the cases against Diddy — and one that included Jay-Z — were filed.
According to Extra, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams recently told Buzbee to explain why the attorney didn’t disclose that he wasn’t permitted to practice law in SDNY.
As a result, the outlet said the attorney withdrew from “15 SDNY civil suits.”
Related: Diddy Appeared ‘Bloated’ and ‘Noticeably Grayer’ at Court Hearing
In a letter to the judge, obtained by Urban Hollywood 411, Buzbee said he is in good standing in the Eastern District of New York, but not in the Southern District.
“Dear Judge Abrams: I write in response to your Order dated March 11, 2025, requesting further information on my admission status in the Southern District of New York,” the letter began.
“I made an error in judgment by failing to inform you that I was not admitted to the Southern District. I now seek to remedy this error by withdrawing my representation of the Plaintiff in this matter pending the resolution of my admission to this court,” Buzbee continued.
“As an attorney in good standing of the New York State Bar, the Texas State Bar, and your sister district, the Bar for Eastern District of the State of New York, I believe I am eminently qualified and should not be precluded from representing the Plaintiff in this action. At this time, however, my admission status has become a distraction that has shifted the focus of the matter away from where it should be, which is securing justice for the Plaintiff,” he added.
The letter said the case against Diddy will continue with the John Doe accuser represented by an attorney from Curis Law as Buzbee works to “sort these issues out.”
Buzbee has said he is representing 120 accusers against Combs, including 25 men and women who were minors when they were allegedly abused.
During an Oct. 1 news conference streamed live on Instagram, Buzbee said his firm had received thousands of inquiries from alleged victims.
“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn’t a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world,” Buzbee stated. “The wall of silence has now been broken, and victims are coming forward.”
The attorney said more than “3,285 individuals” contacted his firm “claiming to have been victimized by Sean Combs.”
He said his team was able to corroborate allegations from 120 of the people who came forward.
Diddy was arrested on Sept. 16, and charged with three federal counts — racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors later added a “forced labor” allegation against the music mogul.
The Bad Boy Records founder remains jailed in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, after being denied bail by three different federal judges.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on May 5, with his trial tentatively set to start on May 12.
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