Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to remain in jail until May 2025 trial
In a press conference, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York revealed shocking allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
One of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ accusers might lose her legal representation again in her July 2024 sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul.
In documents filed Monday in New York federal court, attorneys for Adria English submitted a motion to withdraw as her legal counsel. In a memorandum of law explaining the circumstances, lawyers for law firms Andrews & Thornton AAL, the Watts Firm and Kagen Caspersen & Bogart claimed there had been “a breakdown of the attorney-client relationship” as well as “irreconcilable differences” between English and her legal team.
“(English’s) conduct has made it unreasonably difficult for Attorneys to represent her. Therefore, it is impossible for Attorneys to serve as Plaintiff’s counsel on this case,” the memorandum read.
The filing later added that English “is not receptive to Attorneys’ legal advice and instructions.” Additionally, she has “not been receptive to communication” with attorneys and “not answering calls and requests to communicate,” per the filing.
“The case has not progressed far” since the firms started working with English in December 2024, the attorneys said, alleging their client “was warned several times of her self-destructive conduct and conduct that was impacting Attorneys’ ability to represent her.”
“Attorneys attempted to work with Plaintiff to mitigate the damage to her case and prevent her from undermining Attorneys’ advice and efforts on her case,” the filing states. “Against legal advice Plaintiff has continued that conduct. This continued conduct has made it unreasonably difficult for Attorneys to continue to represent her.”
One of the attorneys with Andrews & Thornton said in a declaration that “an irrevocable breach has developed,” summarizing the situation as: “Plaintiff wishes to pursue an approach we believe to be imprudent and with which we disagree.”
The filing claimed English “has been made aware of our intent to withdraw and is actively seeking out alternative counsel.”
The attorneys asked the judge to grant their motion to withdraw and pause the case for 60 days to allow English to obtain new representation. Also on Monday, Combs’ defense team filed a letter to the judge objecting to the 60-day pause and notifying her that they would be submitting a motion to dismiss her complaint “in its entirety and with prejudice.”
USA TODAY has reached out to English and her attorneys for comment.
English’s lawsuit, which was amended and re-submitted in January, claims she was sex trafficked by Combs and his associates between 2004 and 2009 in New York and Florida. Combs, who is in jail awaiting trial in his criminal sex crimes case, has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual abuse, assault and trafficking dating back to the 1990s from English and dozens of other alleged victims.
Accuser’s previous lawyers withdrew from her case 5 months ago
This is the second time in five months that attorneys working with English in this case have asked to withdraw. In October, Ariel Mitchell-Kidd and Steven A. Metcalf requested to withdraw as her legal counsel, citing “a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship” and “irreconcilable differences” as the basis for parting ways with their client.
“As a result of a fundamental disagreement between” the attorneys and English “regarding almost every aspect of the litigation, including settlement demands, causes of actions in the pleadings,” as well as English’s alleged “undermining behavior and questionable antics,” the attorneys said “an irreconcilable conflict and tension has developed.”
The withdrawal was a result of English allegedly breaching a Sept. 24 agreement they entered into due to her “tone and lack of respect” and “continued behavior and self-destructive activities,” the attorneys claimed.
Mitchell-Kidd told The New York Times she’d “never lost faith in her case, just in (English),” adding, “Her case is great. My issue was with her undermining my work and going behind my back doing things incongruent to advancing her case.”
In a statement at the time, English told USA TODAY she was “happy with the decision to withdraw,” adding that her ex-attorneys’ withdrawal from the case “made it easier” for her “to secure new, professional, non-clout chasing counsel.”
Judge casts doubt on whether Adria English consented to attorneys’ withdrawal
On Tuesday, the judge issued an order that expressed the attorneys’ filing was insufficient.
Their memorandum of law “is conclusory and contains factual assertions unsupported by the declarations filed in conjunction with the motion,” Judge Analisa Torres wrote in her order. She added, “Counsel’s declarations and the memorandum of law are also ambiguous as to whether Plaintiff consents to the motion to withdraw.”
She ordered the lawyers to “confer” with English by March 18 “to determine whether they have a mutual understanding as to the appropriate next steps.”
Combs’ legal team issued a statement Tuesday in response to the motion to withdraw, saying, “In a transparent effort to gain publicity and promote herself, Adria English has been making baseless and defamatory claims against Mr. Combs for months.”
His team noted that this is the second time English’s counsel has sought dismissal from her case.
The statement continued, “Adria English’s claims were fabricated from the outset — a clear example of how anyone can file a lawsuit without a shred of evidence. No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone.”
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