Judge Says Sean 'Diddy' Combs Must Pay Close to Half a Million Dollars in Legal Fees to NBCUniversal

Sean 'Diddy' Combs was ordered to pay NBCUniversal $477,700.50 in attorneys’ fees after the company successfully defended itself against his lawsuit over the documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.

Combs' representative, Juda Engelmayer, spoke to TMZ and put the ruling into perspective, noting the amount was far below what NBCUniversal originally requested.

"Yes, Sean was ordered to pay approximately $478,000 in attorneys' fees, but that is only half the story. NBCUniversal sought nearly $1 million, and the Court found substantial portions of its billing excessive and unreasonable, cutting the request by more than $512,000," the representative said.

"Ironically, the arguments challenging those excessive legal bills were made by the same firm that recently withdrew from representing Sean amid its own billing dispute with him," the representative added.

NBCUniversal initially sought $990,292 to cover its legal expenses in the case.

The judge, however, ultimately reduced that amount by more than $512,000.

The court found that the attorneys' hourly rates were reasonable based on their experience, but some of the billing was excessive.

As a result, Combs was ordered to cover less than half of the amount NBCUniversal requested.

Combs filed a lawsuit against NBCUniversal in February 2025 over Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.

The company successfully defended itself against the claims.

The latest ruling adds another financial obligation for the music mogul as he continues serving his federal prison sentence.

Combs' finances have also drawn attention following his 2025 federal conviction and other ongoing legal matters.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Combs remains at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey, where he is serving his sentence, after reports about his lavish life in prison came out, as reported by NBC News.

Per Reuters, he was sentenced to 50 months in prison in October 2025 after a jury found him guilty on two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.

He was acquitted of the more serious charges of s-- trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

His projected release date has shifted several times since he was sentenced. Per TMZ, federal inmate records now list January 21, 2028, as his scheduled release date. His projected release date has changed several times since it was first listed as June 2028.

Combs is also appealing his conviction and sentence. Per ABC News, his attorneys challenged both in arguments before the Second Circuit in April 2026, while federal prosecutors urged the court to leave his conviction and sentence intact.

Per CBS 12, the three-judge panel did not issue an immediate ruling, and Circuit Judge William J. Nardini called the proceeding an "exceptionally difficult case."