Sean“Diddy”Combs just got another bill he didn’t see coming. A judge ordered him to pay NBCUniversal $478,000 in legal fees after his $100 million defamation lawsuit over the Peacock documentaryThe Making of a Bad Boywas dismissed. The case got thrown out in April under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which lets successful defendants recover their legal costs when a lawsuit is found to be meritless.
NBC’s attorneys originally billed nearly $990,000, but the judge cut more than half of that, calling portions of it excessive. That included $269,000 just for drafting a motion. Combs’spokesperson is calling the reduction a win, pointing out the court found substantial portions of the fees unreasonable, though he’s still on the hook for nearly half a million dollars.
The ruling lands as Combs serves prison time for arranging prostitution events and faces dozens of civil lawsuits. He had started appealing to reinstate his claims, but his former law firm dropped the case over a money dispute, leaving his next move unclear. Meanwhile, the documentary is still streaming and the legal bills keep stacking.
Do you think this ruling sends a message about celebrity lawsuits, or is it just one more chapter in an already messy saga?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.