New York — Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison on Friday after a jury in July found him guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution. He was acquitted of the most serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian’s sentence fell well short of the 11 years sought by prosecutors but exceeded the 14 months requested by the defense. Each count carried a potential 10-year maximum. Combs, 55, has been detained since September 2024 and will receive credit for 13 months already served. He was also fined $500,000 and ordered to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.
In a hearing that offered dueling portrayals of the defendant, federal prosecutors described Combs as “unrepentant,” arguing he leveraged wealth and power to enable “years of abuse and violence.” Victim-impact statements detailed ongoing psychological harm. The defense countered with pleas for leniency from family members; Combs’ son Quincy Brown told the court, “Before you stands a changed man.”
Addressing the court, Combs apologized to former girlfriends and called his conduct “disgusting, shameful and sick.” Judge Subramanian rejected the defense’s framing of the conduct as consensual, telling Combs: “You mistreated them. This was subjugation.” He said a substantial sentence was warranted both to reflect the seriousness of the offenses and to deter similar conduct.
The verdict followed a high-profile trial in which jurors cleared Combs of racketeering and sex-trafficking allegations but convicted him on the transportation counts, federal offenses tied to moving individuals across state lines for illegal sexual activity. The case drew intense public scrutiny given Combs’ decades-long prominence in music, fashion, and entertainment.
Combs’ legal team said it will appeal the conviction and sentence, maintaining that the interactions at issue were consensual and that the government overreached. Prosecutors, who had urged a much longer term, said the ruling nonetheless delivered accountability.
With credit for time served, Combs will be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to complete his sentence. The court scheduled further proceedings to formalize conditions of supervised release, including compliance, treatment, and restrictions determined by the probation office.
