Several employees and attorneys connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs say they have not been paid while the disgraced music mogul is incarcerated. Comb’s representatives dispute the claims.
According to TMZ, employees of Combs claim payroll payments were delayed or withheld while he was in federal custody. The mounting frustration among staff has yielded at least one reported resignation. TMZ cited unnamed employees and attorneys who said a third-party business management firm is overseeing financial decisions during Diddy’s incarceration.
Tri Star Sports & Entertainment is reportedly managing Combs’s finances. Invoices for Diddy’s expenses are submitted, reviewed, and approved by Tri Star. The outlet said some payments were not approved, contributing to some employees being unpaid. Additionally, rumors claim that even Combs’s family members must submit expense requests for review by the firm.
A representative for Combs denied the claims. Juda Engelmayer says that the producer is still at the helm of his operation and all employees are being properly compensated.
“People, personnel, and attorneys are all being paid, and no one is leaving.” Engelmayer added, “Sean Combs controls his own finances. Everyone gets paid for their work once it’s completed and confirmed, after routine review.”
Combs was sentenced in October 2025 to 50 months in federal prison following his conviction on two Mann Act counts related to transportation for prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in the same case.
Combs began serving his sentence shortly after the verdict and remains in federal custody while several civil lawsuits against him continue to move through the courts.
No court filings or statements from federal prosecutors addressing the payroll allegations have been made public. Tri Star Sports & Entertainment did not respond to requests for comment from outlets covering the dispute. The claims regarding unpaid staff have not been independently confirmed beyond TMZ’s reporting.
RELATED CONTENT: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Takes $61.5 Million LA Mansion Off The Market
