Diddy Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Prison

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after being convicted on two counts of transporting people for prostitution, ending a high-profile trial marked by emotional testimony and public scrutiny (image source)

A Manhattan federal judge on Friday sentenced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to 50 months in prison and imposed a US$500,000 fine after convicting him on two counts of transporting people for prostitution, ending one of the most closely watched celebrity trials of the year.

The sentence, delivered by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, followed a July 2025 jury verdict that acquitted Combs of racketeering and sex-trafficking but found him guilty on two Mann Act violations, which prohibit transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.

Judge Subramanian credited Combs for time already served in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and ordered five years of supervised release after completion of his sentence. In his ruling, the judge said the crimes caused “substantial psychological, emotional, and physical harm” to victims who gave emotional testimony during the trial.

Prosecutors had sought an 11-year sentence, citing a decade-long pattern of coercion and organised abuse, while the defence pushed for leniency, pointing to Combs’s rehabilitation efforts and charitable contributions. The judge acknowledged Combs’s cultural impact but ruled that such achievements “could not outweigh the gravity of the offences.” He also commended the women who testified, stating, “We heard you.”

Key witnesses included singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman identified as “Jane,” who described physical abuse and manipulation that prosecutors said reflected a pattern of control. The court also viewed videos and surveillance footage said to corroborate the victims’ claims.

Combs apologised in court, calling his conduct “disgusting, shameful and sick,” while pleading for leniency and asserting he had changed during his year-long detention. Legal experts noted that the ruling illustrates how federal courts can impose severe penalties under transportation-for-prostitution laws, even when sex-trafficking or racketeering charges fail to secure conviction.

Defence lawyers have already signalled plans to appeal the sentence, accusing the judge of acting as a “thirteenth juror” by handing down a term harsher than what the mixed verdict implied. The Mann Act allows for penalties of up to 10 years per count, but sentencing depends on victim impact and judicial interpretation of coercion versus consent.

Combs was arrested in September 2024 and held for over a year before sentencing. The case drew global media coverage and testimony from multiple celebrity witnesses, while civil suits related to the allegations remain active. The ruling is expected to prolong legal scrutiny over Combs’s business interests and public partnerships as his appeal progresses.