Diddy Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Prostitution Convictions: ‘This Was Subjugation’

Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 4 years successful situation Friday (Oct. 3) for violating national prostitution laws, capping disconnected a year-long prosecution of embattled hip-hop mogul.

In a packed Manhattan national courtroom, Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the prima imprisoned for 50 months, according to the New York Times and different outlets. Diddy’s lawyers had sought just 14 months; prosecutors had asked for more than 11 years.

The justice had harsh words for Diddy earlier handing down the sentence: “This was subjugation, and it drove some [victims] to thoughts of ending their lives,” helium said, adding that his condemnation would “send a connection to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and unit against women is met with existent accountability.” But helium besides said the decade-long condemnation sought by prosecutors was “not reasonable.”

Before sentencing, Diddy himself spoke to the judge, apologizing to his victims for “disgusting, shameful and sick” behaviour and asking for a 2nd chance: “I inquire your grant for mercy. I beg your grant for mercy,” helium said. Prosecutors, meanwhile, urged the justice to cull his promises of change, calling him a “master puppeteer of his ain image.”

The condemnation is acold little than the beingness condemnation Combs could person faced erstwhile helium was charged with racketeering (RICO) and enactment trafficking. But the jury’s July verdict acquitted him connected those counts and lone convicted him of violating the Mann Act, a national instrumentality that bars transporting radical crossed authorities lines for prostitution.

Given that Combs has already been successful jailhouse for much than a year, the situation word volition spot Combs, 55, locked down bars for a small implicit 3 years. But helium is besides inactive facing dozens of civilian lawsuits implicit akin maltreatment allegations, and has suffered terrible reputational harm to his once-formidable euphony and concern empire.

Along with a ruling this week refusing a caller trial, the sentencing volition wide the mode for Diddy to motorboat an entreaty of some his convictions and sentence. The appellate tribunal could instrumentality much than a twelvemonth to scope a ruling; if upheld, helium could record a long-shot entreaty to the U.S. Supreme Court. His squad has reportedly besides lobbied the Trump medication for a pardon.

Combs, who roseate to fame arsenic an artist/producer successful the 1990s with his Bad Boy Records and aboriginal expanded his concern empire into fashion, TV and liquor, was arrested and charged successful September 2024. Prosecutors claimed he’d tally a sprawling transgression cognition aimed astatine facilitating “freak-offs” — elaborate events successful which helium allegedly forced women to person enactment with antheral escorts portion helium watched, masturbated and sometimes filmed.

The lawsuit centered connected allegations from Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s longtime ex-girlfriend, who said he’d subjected her to years of specified abuse. Ventura’s November 2023 civilian lawsuit was the archetypal to impeach the prima of wrongdoing and sparked dozens of different alleged victims to travel guardant with akin cases. A surveillance video of Combs assaulting Ventura astatine a Los Angeles edifice successful 2016 made headlines erstwhile it was leaked successful May 2024 and has remained an indelible representation of the case.

At a blockbuster trial this spring, prosecutors told jurors that the prima had abused his powerfulness for decades to “feed his each desire,” including coercing Ventura and others to prosecute successful the freak offs and past silencing them with threats: “For 20 years, the defendant, with the assistance of his trusted interior circle, committed transgression aft crime,” a authoritative told the jury.

But from the precise outset, Diddy’s lawyers said specified allegations were intelligibly overblown. They acknowledged and apologized for home violence, and said helium had lived a “swinger lifestyle.” But they argued that his alleged victims had been consenting participants, and that &l...