Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a 500,000 USD fine for his conviction on two counts of transporting individuals to engage in prostitution, according to CBS News.
Combs, who has been detained at a federal facility in Brooklyn since September 2024, faced up to 10 years for each count. A jury in July acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, which carried the possibility of life in prison.
Sentencing Debate
Federal prosecutors pushed for more than 11 years, citing years of alleged abuse toward girlfriends and employees, and argued that Combs “has shown no remorse.”
His defense team countered, requesting time served—about 14 months—and insisted the judge should not consider evidence linked to charges on which Combs had been acquitted.
The U.S. probation office recommended a sentence of five to seven years.
Victim Testimonies and Letters
At sentencing, prosecutors presented victim statements. Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine, Combs’ former longtime girlfriend, submitted a letter urging the court to “consider the victims” and said she feared for her safety if he were released. Another former employee, identified as Mia, testified in person and alleged abuse during her nearly decade-long employment.
Combs’ defense presented more than 70 letters of support from family, friends, and business associates, including Caresha “Yung Miami” Brownlee of City Girls, who described him as a “good man.”
In a late submission, Virginia Huynh (known as Gina) claimed she was pressured by prosecutors to portray herself as a victim, even when she denied being one.
Combs’ Statement
Combs also wrote a four-page letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, expressing remorse and pledging to change. His legal team portrayed him as sober for the first time in two decades, framing the case as “a sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll story.”
Judge’s Decision
Judge Subramanian ultimately imposed a 50-month sentence, rejecting Combs’ earlier bail requests and his attempt to overturn the conviction.
In her statement, Cassie Ventura described him as “the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker,” and said he had “no interest in changing or becoming better.”
The sentencing closes a dramatic chapter in the federal case against one of hip-hop’s most recognizable figures, though Combs and his legal team are expected to explore possible appeals.
