Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months (or just over four years) in prison following his July 2025 conviction on two counts of transporting individuals to engage in prostitution.
Federal prosecutors had sought an 11-year prison sentence, citing Combs’ “decades of abuse” and “unchecked violence.” In a court filing, they included a letter from Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who urged Judge Arun Subramanian to reject the defense team’s claims that Diddy is a “changed man.”
Combs’ defense team had recommended a 14-month sentence, which would have allowed for his immediate release based on time served.
Addressing the court prior to sentencing, Combs called his conduct “disgusting, shameful and sick.” He also apologized to Venture and the other women “Jane” whose allegations were the basis for the case.
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“Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom, I lost the opportunity to effectively raise my children and be there for my mother,” Combs added. “I lost all my businesses, I lost my career, I totally destroyed my reputation.”
In deciding on Combs’ sentence, Judge Subramanian said a substantial penalty was required “to send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.” In addition to Combs’ 50-month prison sentence, Judge Subramanian imposed a fine of $500,000.
The sentencing came just days after Judge Subramanian denied a defense motion to either overturn the conviction or grant a new trial. In the ruling, he rejected the argument that Combs’ notorious “freak-offs” were merely pornographic movie shoots protected by the First Amendment.
Judge Subramanian also rejected the defense’s argument that hiring men for consensual sex with Ventura didn’t meet the legal definition of prostitution. “That definition would narrow prostitution almost out of existence,” he wrote. “It would exclude any situation in which a person pays a third party (like a brothel) to have sex with an employee.”
In September 2024, Combs was arrested and charged with RICO and sex trafficking violations. After a contentious seven-week trial this spring, a jury acquitted him of the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges but convicted him on two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.