Diddy’s lawyer jumps ship: 'Under no circumstances...'

Updated Feb. 24, 2025, 6:35 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Lawyer Anthony Ricco has left team Diddy, just months ahead of his long-awaited trial. What does he know that we don’t?

One of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defence attorneys has peaced out, leaving the hip-hop mogul’s legal team with one less soldier in its battle against sex-trafficking charges.

Anthony Ricco (one of the six lawyers fighting for Diddy’s defence) filed a motion on Thursday to withdraw from the case, without spilling the tea on why.

“Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs,” Ricco wrote in his Manhattan federal court affidavit, respectfully – but regretfully – asking to be excused.

Translation: I’m out, and I’m not explaining myself.

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So, what’s the deal? Well, Ricco isn’t saying much (probably because he can’t). He kept his statement vague to avoid breaking attorney-client privilege but assured the court that there were “sufficient reasons” for his departure.

Sounds mysterious, right? Kind of like a detective in a crime thriller suddenly packing up his desk and whispering, “I’ve seen too much.”

Although, his exit isn’t final yet as a judge still has to approve it. Let’s be real though, when a high-profile lawyer suddenly jumps ship, it’s bound to raise a lot of questions.

One brave social media user pointed out that if Ricco – who served as counsel on the 2001 federal case of United States v. Osama Bin Laden – decided to leave Diddy’s team, things are probably looking bad for Combs.

You know you’re finished when a lawyer that defended Osama Bin Laden is saying this https://t.co/HOsKlyBYpK pic.twitter.com/5Bw2BiBXq3
— Komẹ (@KahunaKome) February 21, 2025

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Did Ricco take one look at the evidence and say, “Yeah, I’m not winning this one?”

Did he hear something that made him grab his briefcase and run for the door?

Or did he remember he has a long-overdue vacation booked?

Whatever the reason, Diddy is not defenceless. He’s still got five other lawyers on deck, and Ricco has promised that his departure won’t delay the May 5 trial.

In all honesty though, when lawyers start quitting, it usually means the case isn’t looking too hot.