Sean “Diddy” Combs Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Criminal Case
NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced Friday to four years and two months in a federal criminal case that exposed the hip-hop mogul’s use of paid sex workers for drug-fueled, sometimes violent sex parties he called “freak-offs.”
Combs, 55, was convicted in July of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters. He was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life, but the sentence will nonetheless keep one of the biggest names in music out of the limelight and behind bars for years to come.
Prosecutors had sought an 11-year sentence. In a final statement before sentencing, Combs called his past behavior “disgusting, shameful” and “sick,” while apologizing to those he hurt physically and mentally, as well as his children who were in the audience. He acknowledged his acts of domestic violence as a burden he will carry for life.
Combs’ defense attorneys argued that the sexual encounters were consensual and pushed for his immediate release after he spent more than a year in detention. During this time, Combs reportedly became sober and expressed genuine remorse. The defense presented an 11-minute video in court portraying Combs’ family life, career, and philanthropy prior to his arrest. At one point, Combs was seen putting a hand on his face and crying, his shoulders heaving.
This video was part of an atypical defense presentation, reflecting Combs’ unique status as a wealthy celebrity adept at managing his public image.
The nearly two-month federal trial in Manhattan included testimony from women who said Combs beat, threatened, sexually assaulted, and blackmailed them. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the judge that sparing Combs serious prison time would effectively excuse years of violence. “It’s a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification,” she said. “He didn’t need the money. His currency was control.”
Slavik also criticized Combs for allegedly booking a speaking engagement in South Florida next week, calling it “the height of hubris.” Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson responded that the proposed community events were meant to show what Combs could be doing “if the court let Mr. Combs out.”
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who has twice denied bail, signaled that Combs is unlikely to leave custody soon. The judge noted that the acquittals did not absolve Combs of underlying conduct, including violence and coercion.
Several of Combs’ children pleaded with the court for leniency. His daughters Chance and D’Lila Combs tearfully addressed the judge, with D’Lila expressing her fear of losing her father following the death of their mother, Kim Porter, in 2018. Six of Combs’ seven children spoke, with D’Lila imploring, “Please, your honor, please, give our family the chance to heal together, to rebuild, to change, to move forward, not as a headline, but as human beings.”
Outside the courthouse, journalists and onlookers swarmed the sidewalks as TV crews lined the streets, echoing scenes from Combs’ high-profile trial.
Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution. Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued that the law was misapplied in this case.
During the trial, former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura told jurors that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship. Jurors viewed video footage of Combs dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday “freak-off.”
Another woman, identified only as “Jane,” testified that she was pressured into sex with male workers during drug-fueled “hotel nights” while Combs watched and sometimes filmed.
The only accuser scheduled to speak on Friday, a former assistant known as “Mia,” withdrew after defense objections. She has accused Combs of raping her in 2010 and asked the judge for a sentence reflective of “the ongoing danger my abuser poses.”
Prosecutors also introduced testimony about other incidents of alleged violence. One of Cassie’s friends said Combs dangled her from a 17th-floor balcony. Rapper Kid Cudi testified that Combs broke into his home after learning he was dating Cassie.
Combs’ lawyer Brian Steel urged the judge to consider the case in light of the “untreated trauma” and “ferocious drug addiction” that contributed to Combs’ misconduct. “His good outweighs his bad, by far,” Steel said.
In a letter to the judge submitted Thursday, Combs wrote: “The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn,” promising that he would never commit another crime.
Meanwhile, Cassie described Combs in her own letter as “an abuser who will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is.”
At a hearing last week, Combs told his mother and children that he was “getting closer to going home.”
