Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to approximately four years in prison on Friday, a light term compared to the decade-long sentence that prosecutors sought following a sensational trial that revealed the mogul’s chilling secrets.
The disgraced music mogul, 55, could potentially be released in just three years, having already served 14 months in custody during the course of the sex crime proceedings in a Manhattan federal court.
In an emotional six-hour hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian scolded Combs for exploiting his considerable influence to mistreat women, yet he ultimately chose to grant the founder of Bad Boy Records an opportunity for redemption.
“You took advantage of the power and control you had over women you claimed to care for deeply,” Subramanian told Combs before announcing a sentence of 50 months, alongside five years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine.
“You inflicted physical, emotional, and psychological harm on them,” he added. “Why did it continue for so long? Because you had the power and the means to perpetuate it without being caught.
“A significant sentence is essential to safeguard the public from future offenses.”
However, Combs’ punishment—which stemmed from a prostitution conviction involving his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, along with an influencer identified as “Jane”—was less severe than the federal guidelines suggesting a term of roughly six to seven years.
This is also considerably lighter than the 14-month sentence his defense team argued was appropriate for his convictions.
Prosecutors asserted that the music magnate deserved an 11-year sentence, contending that the “unrepentant” Combs had left his victims in a state of fear.
The eagerly awaited sentencing occurred in the same courtroom where jurors had found Combs guilty on July 2 on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution purposes.
Nevertheless, the jury acquitted Combs of more serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering—counts that could have led to a life sentence.
The shocking verdict followed two months of harrowing testimonies that delved into Combs’ twisted and violent private life; those grim accounts included degrading sexual episodes he called “freak-offs.”
Before receiving his sentence, Combs, who was dressed in a wrinkled oatmeal sweater and sported black reading glasses, stood and read a lengthy statement, expressing remorse towards Ventura and “Jane,” although most of his 12-minute address focused on himself.
He pleaded with the judge for “another chance” and claimed he had transformed into a better person.
“The domestic violence I inflicted will always weigh heavily on me,” he stated.
“I’m not the larger-than-life character people think I am; I am just a human being. I lost my way in excess and ego.”
Combs also expressed gratitude towards six of his children, who had emotionally advocated for leniency for their father during the proceedings, while his lawyers featured a cringeworthy 11-minute video portraying the confessed abuser as a hero to his children.
Upon hearing the verdict, he turned towards his family and rubbed his eyes with his hand, then walked solemnly to a side exit on the way to his cell at the troubled Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His lawyers indicated they would soon discuss with the judge where their client should serve his sentence.
The sentence was welcomed by Ventura’s attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Meredith Firetog.
“Though nothing can erase the trauma inflicted by Combs, the sentence delivered today acknowledges the severity of the offenses he committed,” the lawyers stated. “We are confident that, with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue on her journey of healing, empowered by her courage and strength that has inspired many.”
Ventura did not speak during the sentencing, but she composed a poignant victim impact statement contending that Combs—who brutally beat her and forced her to endure his perversions for years—has not changed.
“I know that the person he was to me—the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker—is who he is at his core,” she wrote. “He is uninterested in change or becoming a better person. He will always remain the cruel, power-mad, manipulative man that he is.”
The relatively light sentence has stirred a blend of outrage and cautious relief among women’s rights advocates.
“This ‘safe compromise’ of 50 months was neither the sweeping acquittal that Combs sought nor the justice the prosecution hoped for following his conviction,” said attorney Ann Olivarious.
“This outcome highlights the persistence of half-measures, recognizing harm but falling short of true accountability, demonstrating how far the judicial system has to go in delivering real justice.”
Feminist attorney Gloria Allred mentioned outside the courthouse that many of Combs’ alleged victims were apprehensive about him being released.
“They were justifiably fearful of retaliatory actions against them, so it’s understandable that they are relieved he will be behind bars for several years,” she said.
The victim referred to as “Jane” did not attend the sentencing, but Subramanian recounted her impactful testimony in which she described Combs chillingly questioning her, “Is this coercion?” while pressuring her into performing during a “freak-off” after he had assaulted her for hours.
“Thanks to the women’s testimonies in this courtroom, these horrific acts have come to light,” the judge informed Combs. “This situation is something that, Mr. Combs, you will never be able to erase. You will forever be associated with it.
The only victim anticipated to speak during the sentencing—Combs’ former live-in assistant “Mia,” who accused him of rape—backed out at the last moment, reportedly intimidated by a “bullying” letter from the rapper’s legal team, prosecutors disclosed.
Attorneys for “Jane” and “Mia” have not responded to requests for comments.
Outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse, a large gathering of social media influencers seemed to outnumber Combs’ supporters, many of whom had set up tents overnight to catch a glimpse of the “Can’t Hold Me Down” rapper.
The festive crowd also included Sharay Hayes, a dancer known as “The Punisher,” who testified in May providing sexually explicit details about Combs’ sordid “freak-offs.”
The Harlem-born artist once held a prestigious position in the music industry, building his Bad Boy Records label into an empire worth nearly $1 billion, starring in films and hosting extravagant, celebrity-filled events in glamorous locations like the Hamptons.
Yet beneath the glimmering surface, Combs concealed a sinister side, which erupted into the spotlight when Ventura filed a shocking lawsuit in November 2023, accusing him of violently assaulting her during their decade-long relationship.
Ventura also revealed Combs’ troubling obsession with “freak-offs”—exhaustive, drug-laden sexual escapades accompanied by generous amounts of baby oil, where he directed her interactions with male escorts.
Combs promptly settled with Ventura for $20 million, but her allegations triggered a cascade of similarly disturbing claims against him, leading to a consequential federal investigation.
Following dramatic raids on Combs’ residences in both Miami and Beverly Hills, he was indicted and arrested in September 2024 on charges involving sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution.
The trial commenced in May, with a gray-haired, grandpa-sweater-clad Combs—who once had a flair for fashion—being escorted daily from Brooklyn’s notorious MDC.
Combs opted not to testify during the widely publicized trial, which attracted numerous spectators, including his mother, children, and supporters like fellow controversial rapper Kanye West.
Prosecutors presented 34 witnesses portraying Combs as the mastermind of a criminal enterprise responsible for various offenses over two decades, including setting Kid Cudi’s Porsche ablaze.
Combs also faced testimonies from former assistants, ex-girlfriends, and escorts who were part of the “freak-offs.”
He exercised extensive control over these marathon sexual encounters, demanding the use of abundant baby oil and administering ecstasy to keep his lovers awake, witnesses revealed.
Nevertheless, it was arguably Ventura’s testimony that was the most gut-wrenching.
The expectant mother recounted horrific details over four days while nine months pregnant, explaining how Combs assaulted her for years and coerced her into countless humiliating freak-off “performances” involving male escorts.
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“I was terrified for my career. I was scared for my family. It’s just humiliating. It’s horrible and repugnant. This is no way to treat anyone,” she testified.
Combs maintained his innocence, with his lawyers arguing the women involved had consented to the encounters and asserting that federal authorities wrongly criminalized his consensual “swinger” lifestyle.
While Combs was indeed guilty of domestic violence, his attorneys contended he did not commit the sex crimes he faced.
He was convicted of two counts under the Mann Act, a federal law prohibiting the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution.
During the sentencing, Subramanian asserted that he did not believe Combs’ abusive conduct was separate from his conviction.
“You wielded that abuse to get what you wanted, particularly regarding the ‘freak offs’ or ‘hotel nights,” he said.
Nonetheless, Subramanian indicated that there remains a path for Combs to live a different life.
“This is a serious sentence reflecting the weight of your actions and crimes,” he remarked. “This is hard imprisonment away from family, friends, and your community. But you will have a future, offering you an opportunity for rehabilitation.”
– Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts and David DeTurris
