Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison for his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
After he was acquitted of the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy on July 2, 2025, the Oct. 3 sentencing concludes the federal case against the disgraced mogul, who authorities say coerced and abused his girlfriends into humiliating sex performances known as “freak-offs.”
During the rapper’s sentencing on Friday, his lawyers presented his charity work through the years and showcased his good behavior in prison. His children spoke on his behalf, promising that Combs had changed since the violent behavior he’d previously displayed and that they would keep him on a positive path if he were released. Combs also spoke ahead of his sentencing, saying he takes “full accountability and responsibility” for his actions, according to CNN.
“I don’t have nobody to blame but myself. I know I’ll never put my hands on another person again. I know that I’ve learned my lesson. I’m willing to comply with any conditions the court puts upon me. Given a chance, when we talk about the possibility of me sharing my story, it’s not just a scheme to try to get less time—it’s that this story is real, this story is tragic,” Combs told the court.
Judge Arun Subramanian was minimally swayed, telling Combs ahead of revealing his fate that he was “sitting right there” as he heard the grueling testimonies of Combs’ exes Cassie Ventura and an anonymous woman named Jane. He abused the women “physically, emotionally and psychologically,” Subramanian said, and “a substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability.”
Combs’ attorneys had advocated for him to await his sentencing from the comfort of his home, but Judge Subramanian considered letters from victims, including Ventura, who wrote to the court that Combs is “likely to pose a danger” to her and other victims if he is released. Ventura expressed similar sentiments ahead of the sentencing this month, when she wrote to the courts, “My worries that Sean Combs or his associates will come after me and my family is my reality.”
“I have in fact moved my family out of the New York area and am keeping as private and quiet as I possibly can because I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse at trial,” she added.
The judge seemed to agree that Combs could still be a threat despite the time he’s already served in connection with his crimes when he said he was “not assured” that if Combs was released, “these crimes will not be committed again.”
He declared that the government’s request that the rapper spend upwards of 11 years behind bars was unreasonable, however, and handed his sentence of 50 months. Combs also received the maximum possible fine of $500,000. Given his time served to date, he could spend just two and half more years in a prison facility to be determined.
The judge told Combs, in conclusion, “You will have a chance to show your children and the world what real accountability and healing look like.”
