⁠Does Joe Tacopina represent Roc Nation? A$AP Rocky’s lawyer says he turned down Diddy’s case due to his Jay-Z ties

Renowned lawyer Joe Tacopina, who has strong ties to Jay-Z and Roc Nation disclosed that he turned down the opportunity to represent Sean "Diddy" Combs. Tacopina was instrumental in getting A$AP Rocky acquitted in the 2021 felony shooting case, citing a conflict of interest as the reason. He talked about the issue on The Breakfast Club on February 24.

Joe Tacopina said in the interview that he was asked to investigate Diddy's case but turned it down because of his close ties to Roc Nation and its executives.

Tacopina said,

“I represent Roc Nation; a lot of people in Roc I’m very close with.

He continued,

"Jay and Desiree Perez, who’s the most amazing, like, bomb of a boss. Jay is amazing. You know, Jay Brown, all those people are just, like, they really are special, special people.”

The attorney went on to discuss the tense connection between Diddy and Jay-Z, implying that the two are not as close these days as most people assume.

Joe Tacopina added,

“That’s sort of family to me and I don’t think they see eye to eye with P. Diddy”

The host, Charlamagne Tha God, pushed Tacopina to elaborate his remarks, specifically addressing the long-standing belief that Diddy and Jay-Z are close friends.

In response to this, Tacopina clarified that although the two artists-businessmen are always spotted together at events, their bond is not as solid as some may think.

He maintained the impact of past pictures of the two hip-hop moguls together and the image they portrayed, saying,

“Everyone wants a picture with P. Diddy at one time or another when they went to a party. But when things got real, years and years ago…”

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Joe Tacopina's Roc Nation ties and Jay-Z's legal battles

Given his ties to Jay-Z and Roc Nation, Joe Tacopina declined to represent Diddy. He further distanced himself from the matter by emphasizing that Jay-Z and Diddy are not close.

The Empire State of Mind hitmaker has had his share of legal issues, but he has distanced himself from Diddy's case. A legal complaint alleging that Jay-Z and Diddy drugg*d and s*xually assaulted a 13-year-old girl during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards afterparty was filed in a federal court in New York in December 2024. On February 14, 2025, lawyer Tony Buzbee voluntarily dismissed the claim.

Jay-Z called the case an

"extortionate attempt"

to harm his name and vehemently refuted the accusations.

He denounced the charges in a statement posted on Roc Nation's Instagram account following the dismissal.

Jay-Z wrote,

“Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

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Joe Tacopina's refusal and Diddy's legal troubles

Federal allegations against Diddy include racketeering and s*x trafficking. Prosecutors allege that he used violence and intimidation to silence his victims as part of a criminal enterprise created to satisfy his s*xual cravings. He was taken into custody in September 2024 and is presently being imprisoned at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his May trial.

Marc Agnifilio, his attorney, has vehemently refuted the accusations, describing them as an

"unjust prosecution"

and emphasizing that Combs had provided law enforcement with his full cooperation.

Agnifilo said,

"These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

A key member of Diddy's legal team, Anthony Ricco, just resigned, citing an inability to

"effectively"

defend him, in addition to Joe Tacopina's unwillingness to handle the case. As Diddy's trial draws near, this has sparked questions about how solid his defense will be.