Nov 3, 2026

Justice Stroth Signs Sher Tremonte’s Orders to Show Cause on Withdrawing as Combs’s Counsel in 14 New York Supreme Court Cases; Argument Set for Nov. 19

N.Y. Sup. Ct., N.Y. County · 14 actions before Justice Stroth · Signed Nov. 2, 2026

In the matter of Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025, and 13 other pending actions against Sean “Diddy” Combs in New York Supreme Court, New York County, Justice Leslie A. Stroth signed an order to show cause in each case on Nov. 2, 2026. Each order takes up the motion of Sher Tremonte LLP to withdraw as counsel for Combs and related defendants, sets oral argument for Nov. 19, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., and stays the case until the court rules. An order to show cause asks the court to set a hearing and deadlines for responses; signing it opens briefing and does not decide the motion.

Background

Sher Tremonte filed proposed versions of these orders on Oct. 22, 2026; see the earlier Dispatch. In Güzel v. Combs et al., Index No. 152568/2025, Justice Stroth declined in September to sign the firm’s proposed order, and the First Department was asked to review that refusal.

What the Orders Say

Each signed order is on the firm’s form, with the hearing date and time and the response dates written in by hand. In Doe, No. 152013/2025, the order directs the Combs defendants and all parties who have appeared to show cause why an order should not be entered “dismissing Mark Cuccaro, Michael Tremonte, Erica A. Wolff, Raphael A. Friedman, and all attorneys of Sher Tremonte LLP as counsel for the Combs Defendants in the above-captioned matter.” (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45 at 1.) The hearing is at IAS Part 12, Room 442, 60 Centre Street. Each order carries the stamp “ORAL ARGUMENT DIRECTED.”

The order states that “this case, and all deadlines therein, shall be stayed until the Court issues a ruling on this motion to withdraw by Order to Show Cause.” (Id. at 2.) All 14 orders contain that clause. In Forbes et al. v. Combs et al., Index No. 152733/2025, and Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 159257/2024, the order also asks why the court should not enter an order “staying all deadlines in this case for 30 days” so the Combs defendants can obtain new counsel. (NYSCEF Doc. No. 137 at 2.) The docket lists oral argument on the motions to dismiss in those two cases for Dec. 3, 2026.

The Schedule

Nov. 2, 2026: service by NYSCEF on all parties, and by mail on Combs, is deemed “good, adequate, and sufficient.”
Nov. 9, 2026: answering papers due.
Nov. 12, 2026: reply papers due.
Nov. 19, 2026, 2:15 p.m.: oral argument.

The dates are handwritten and are the same in all 14 orders. Affirmations of service from Mark Cuccaro (seven cases), Michael Tremonte (six) and Erica A. Wolff (one) state that all parties of record were served through NYSCEF. In Doe, No. 152013/2025, Tremonte affirms that the papers were mailed to Combs “via USPS Priority Mail Express on November 2, 2026” at FCI Allenwood. (NYSCEF Doc. No. 46 at 1.) The firm’s Oct. 22 papers had reported mail delivered to FCI Fort Dix, “the federal correctional institution then housing Mr. Combs.” (Lampros, NYSCEF Doc. No. 99 at 4.)

The Grounds

The grounds appear in the firm’s Oct. 22 affirmations. Tremonte affirms in Lampros v. Combs et al., Index No. 154859/2024, that “Mr. Combs has not paid Sher Tremonte anything for over seven months,” and that “there has been a total breakdown in cooperation and communication between Mr. Combs and Sher Tremonte.” (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99 at 2.) The firm offered further detail to the court “in camera or otherwise.” (Id. at 3.)

The 14 Cases

Plaintiffs are designated as the court captions designate them; descriptions are the plaintiffs’ allegations in their complaints.

151605/2025: Jane Doe; alleges sexual assaults in New York in the 1990s.
152013/2025: John Doe; alleges an assault at a nightclub when a minor.
152014/2025: John Doe; alleges being drugged and assaulted.
152703/2025: Kendra Haffoney; alleges assaults by the defendants, who employed her.
152724/2025: John Doe; alleges an assault in 1997.
152725/2025: John Doe; alleges repeated assaults.
152726/2025: John Doe; alleges an assault at a party at Combs’s New York residence.
152727/2025: Jane Doe; alleges being drugged and assaulted in East Hampton in or around September 2007.
152733/2025: Latasha Forbes and five other named plaintiffs, plus a Jane Doe.
152781/2025: Jane Doe; alleges being drugged and assaulted in a club bathroom.
152923/2025: Jane Doe; alleges an assault by a co-defendant.
154220/2025: John Doe; alleges an assault after being promised career advancement.
154859/2024: April Lampros; alleges an abusive relationship with Combs and a sexual assault.
159257/2024: Jane Doe; alleges wrongful conduct beginning in fall 2020.

What’s Next

Answering papers are due Nov. 9, replies Nov. 12 and argument is Nov. 19. The dockets show no ruling on any of the 14 motions.

Counsel and Sources

Movant (defendants’ counsel): Sher Tremonte LLP. Plaintiffs: The Buzbee Law Firm, AVA Law Group and Curis Law, PLLC (151605, 152013, 152014, 152724–152727, 152781, 152923 and 154220/2025); Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC (152703/2025); Merson Law, PLLC (152733/2025); T. A. Blackburn Law, PLLC (154859/2024); Napoli Shkolnik PLLC (159257/2024). Sources: the signed orders to show cause and affirmations of service, and the Lampros affirmation, on the case dockets.

Diddy Docket reports on public court records. Parties are presumed innocent or not liable unless proven otherwise. This is not legal advice.

Related cases

Sourcing

p. 1 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45), p. 1 -- "dismissing Mark Cuccaro, Michael Tremonte, Erica A. Wolff, Raphael A. Friedman, and all attorneys of Sher Tremonte LLP as counsel for the Combs Defendants in the above-captioned matter"
p. 1 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45), p. 1 -- "show cause before this Court, at IAS Part 12 of the Courthouse located at 60 Centre Street, Room 442, New York, New York"
p. 2 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45), p. 2 -- "this case, and all deadlines therein, shall be stayed until the Court issues a ruling on this motion to withdraw by Order to Show Cause"
p. 2 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45), p. 2 -- "service of this Order to Show Cause, and the papers upon which it is based, by NYSCEF to all parties, and to Mr. Combs by mail"
p. 2 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 45), p. 2 -- "ORAL ARGUMENT DIRECTED"
p. 2 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Forbes et al. v. Combs et al., Index No. 152733/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 137), p. 2 -- "staying all deadlines in this case for 30 days to allow the Combs Defendants sufficient time to obtain new counsel"
p. 1 — Order to Show Cause re: Withdrawal of Counsel, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 159257/2024 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 2, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 56), p. 1 -- "staying all deadlines in this case for 30 days so as to allow the Combs Defendants"
p. 1 — Affirmation of Service of Michael Tremonte, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 3, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 46), p. 1 -- "All said papers were served upon Mr. Combs by mailing them via USPS Priority Mail Express on November 2, 2026"
p. 1 — Affirmation of Service of Michael Tremonte, Doe v. Combs et al., Index No. 152013/2025 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Nov. 3, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 46), p. 1 -- "FCI Allenwood"
p. 2 — Affirmation of Michael Tremonte in support of motion to withdraw, Lampros v. Combs et al., Index No. 154859/2024 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Oct. 22, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99), p. 2 -- "Mr. Combs has not paid Sher Tremonte anything for over seven months and his last payment related to fees and expenses that were incurred in late 2025."
p. 2 — Affirmation of Michael Tremonte in support of motion to withdraw, Lampros v. Combs et al., Index No. 154859/2024 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Oct. 22, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99), p. 2 -- "there has been a total breakdown in cooperation and communication between Mr. Combs and Sher Tremonte"
p. 3 — Affirmation of Michael Tremonte in support of motion to withdraw, Lampros v. Combs et al., Index No. 154859/2024 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Oct. 22, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99), p. 3 -- "We are prepared to provide additional details to the Court concerning the basis of this motion, in camera or otherwise"
p. 4 — Affirmation of Michael Tremonte in support of motion to withdraw, Lampros v. Combs et al., Index No. 154859/2024 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County Oct. 22, 2026) (NYSCEF Doc. No. 99), p. 4 -- "Mr. Combs was notified by mail that was delivered to FCI Fort Dix (the federal correctional institution then housing Mr. Combs) on or before September 3, 2026"

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