Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison following his conviction on federal prostitution-related charges.
Back in July, 12 New Yorkers acquitted the music mogul of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, which carried a potential life sentence. They did, however, find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution involving his two ex-girlfriends, Cassandra Ventura and “Jane”.
On Friday (October 3), Judge Arun Subramanian told Combs that the abuse of those women warranted 50 months in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Since his arrest in September last year, the Bad Boy Records founder – who had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him – has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center. The 13 months he served in custody heading into yesterday’s hearing count toward his 50-month sentence, leaving him with about three more years in prison to serve.
The judge also ordered five years of supervised release following his release from prison.
NEW: Diddy had already booked public appearances and speaking engagements, under the assumption he’d be going home today.
The judge just sentenced him to more than four years in federal prison. pic.twitter.com/2bwjWKt8Y0
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) October 3, 2025
Combs’s lawyers had requested a sentence of no more than 14 months in prison, which, given time already served, would have allowed him to walk free before the end of the year.
Federal prosecutors, however, pushed for a significantly longer sentence, asking the court to impose a sentence of at least 135 months (11 years and three months) and a $500,000 fine. In their filing, the prosecutors described Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his history and characteristics demonstrate years of abuse and violence”. The US probation department recommended a sentence of five to seven years.
Before learning his sentence, Combs addressed the court and apologised to his former girlfriends, his family, “all the victims of domestic violence” and his community and said his behaviour was “disgusting, shameful and sick”.
“No matter what anybody says, I know that I’m truly sorry for it all,” he said.
“Your honor, I know that the prosecution wants you to make an example of me,” Combs said. “I just want you to think about making an example of what a person can do if they get another chance.”
His remarks followed him writing a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing in which he addressed his conduct and blamed his past behaviour on drug addiction.
In the four-page letter, he apologised “for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused” and said his spell in a Brooklyn jail had reformed him.
Before sentencing Combs, Subramanian also delivered remarks in court and said that Combs had “abused the power and control with women you professed to love”, per The Guardian.
“You abused them physically, emotionally and psychologically,” he said.
He also said that “a substantial sentence must be given” to “send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability”.
After delivering the sentence, Subramanian acknowledged the victims who had come forward to testify in the case, telling them, “We heard you” and adding that he was “proud” they had come to court, “to tell the world what really happened.”
Previous months in the case have seen Combs’s attorney Marc Agnifilo dispute his legal teammates’ claims that they had reached out to Donald Trump‘s administration for a potential pardon.
It came after a member of Combs’ legal team had confirmed they had reached out to the White House to ask President Trump to grant Diddy a pardon.
Trump has speculated openly about a potential pardon, and, back in June, said that he would look into a potential pardon for Combs, and that he would “certainly look at the facts”. Last week, he weighed in again, calling Combs “half-innocent” and saying it’s “more likely a no” that he would be pardoned.
As noted by Billboard, he has also issued pardons or commutations for a number of rappers, including NBA YoungBoy, Death Row Records co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris, and, in his first term, Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
