Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been sentenced to more than four years in prison following his conviction on prostitution-related charges.
The music mogul received a 50-month prison term and a $500,000 fine, marking a dramatic fall for one of the most prominent figures in the industry.
Combs, 55, was arrested last September at a Manhattan hotel as part of a wide-ranging investigation. Initial charges included sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, racketeering conspiracy, and several related offenses. However, after a lengthy and highly publicized trial over the summer, some of the more serious allegations were dismissed, leaving him convicted on two significant counts.
He was found guilty of two counts of transportation for engagement in prostitution, violations of the Mann Act — a federal law prohibiting interstate or international transport for illicit sexual purposes. On October 3, Judge Arun Subramanian of New York handed down the sentence, rejecting the defense’s request for a lighter 14-month term and noting that a harsher sentence reflected the gravity of the offenses. The judge added that while prison would be difficult, Combs would still have a chance to rebuild his life after release.
Earlier testimony revealed disturbing details about Combs’ infamous “freak-offs,” drug-fueled, multi-day sex parties. Witnesses stated that the Bad Boy Records founder watched and filmed male sex workers and his girlfriends during these events. Prosecutors alleged that Combs organized and financed these encounters, which took place across multiple states and even internationally, paying participants to travel and engage in sexual acts.
The convictions stemmed from two separate incidents — one involving payments to sex workers during his relationship with singer Cassie Ventura, and another linked to a different woman whose identity was withheld during the trial. Each count carried a maximum penalty of ten years, underlining the seriousness of the crimes.
Since his conviction in July, Combs has remained in custody, maintaining his innocence and asserting that he was wrongfully accused. His legal team continues to challenge both the verdict and the severity of the sentence.
Federal prosecutors had pushed for a prison term exceeding 11 years, stating that Combs’ actions warranted a stricter sentence. They claimed that one of his accusers still lives in fear, concerned about potential repercussions if Combs were released early.
“His crimes of conviction are serious and have warranted sentences over ten years in multiple cases for defendants who, like Sean Combs, engaged in violence and put others in fear,” prosecutors wrote in a pre-sentence filing on September 30. They described Combs as “unrepentant” and accused him of shifting blame to his victims. “He is not the victim,” they added. “The Court should focus on the very real effects that the defendant’s conduct had on the lives of the actual victims, his victims.”
The defense, meanwhile, requested a maximum 14-month sentence, citing the 13 months Combs had already spent in custody and arguing that his former partners were “not vulnerable or exploited or trafficked or sexually assaulted during the freak-offs.” They also highlighted his personal growth in prison, pointing to his time under suicide watch, his calm handling of violent threats, and his acknowledgment of how substance abuse had contributed to his past behavior.
Despite these arguments, the judge denied the motion to overturn the conviction, confirming that Combs’ 50-month prison sentence would stand.
