High-profile lawyer Michael Avenatti, in an uncharacteristically muted statement, said Tuesday he's no longer representing Stormy Daniels, the porn star who became a household name after going public with allegations she had sex with President Donald Trump over a decade ago.
"This was not a decision we made lightly and it came only after lengthy discussion, thought and deliberation, as well as consultation with other professionals," Avenatti said, adding that his office officially cut ties with Daniels on Feb. 19.
Avenatti cited "various reasons" for ending the relationship, but said he couldn't go into them "due to the attorney-client privilege."
Minutes after Avenatti's announcement, Daniels tweeted she had contracted Oklahoma-based attorney Clark Brewster.
"Upon completion of Mr. Brewster's review and further consultation with me, I anticipate Mr. Brewster will serve as my primary counsel on all legal issues," Daniels posted.
Avenatti did not respond to follow-up questions and neither did Brewster.
Avenatti's announcement came five days after California Judge James Otero dismissed Daniels' lawsuit seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she signed prior to the 2016 election barring her from speaking publicly about allegedly having sex with Trump in 2006.
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen gave Daniels $130,000 in exchange for signing the hush contract _ a payoff that violated campaign finance laws and implicated the president in criminal wrongdoing.
Otero said he was throwing out the suit because Trump and Cohen had pledged to not seek penalties from Daniels for breaking their deal. Daniels and Avenatti had argued against dismissal in hopes of getting Trump and Cohen to testify under oath.
The exact reasons for the end of the Avenatti-Daniels pact were not clear.
Avenatti has in recent months spent most of his time representing other clients, including several women accusing music superstar R. Kelly of sexual assault.
Daniels, meanwhile, has seen two legal challenges against Trump get dismissed in court _ first a defamation action in October and then the hush money suit on Thursday.
Alana Evans, a friend of Daniels and fellow adult actress, speculated Avenatti ended the legal relationship because his plate was full with other cases.
"He's moved on," Evans told the New York Daily News. "He's all about R. Kelly now. He's chasing the TV cameras."
