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Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced the disgraced music mogul to 50 months behind bars, per NBC News.
Following his highly publicized trial, prosecutors sought an 11-year, three-month prison term for his Mann Act conviction, while the defense was trying for a 14-month sentence, which would amount to time served.
Combs, 55, was taken into custody in September last year. His sentence will include the year-plus he has already spent behind bars.
The long-running Diddy sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution case has finally been wrapped up. According to CNN, sentencing recommendations from the defense, prosecution, and probation departments differed tremendously.
As previously reported, in July, Combs was convicted on two counts of transporting women for prostitution under the Mann Act, specifically for the transportation of former girlfriend Jane and the transportation of ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Each charge carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Federal prosecutors were pushing for a sentence of more than 11 years, arguing that Combs physically and emotionally abused girlfriends and employees over the course of many years, all while showing no remorse for his actions.
His defense team, on the other hand, asked for no more than 14 months, including time already served. They strongly believed that the judge should disregard any testimony or evidence tied to charges Combs was acquitted of, including allegations that he coerced victims.
If the judge sided with the defense, Combs could have been released from federal custody almost immediately. Meanwhile, the court’s probation department recommended a sentence between 70 and 87 months. Earlier today, the judge stated there’s no clear reason to stray from those guidelines.
Here’s everything that’s happened throughout the case.
November 2023 – Cassie filed a lawsuit against Combs.
On Nov. 17, 2023, Cassie filed a lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, accusing Combs of rape, sex trafficking, drug abuse, coercion, and repeated violence over the course of their decades-long relationship.
The next day, Combs quickly settled the lawsuit, with terms kept confidential.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Ventura said in a statement at the time. “I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Combs added, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best.”
But the lawsuit was just the tip of the iceberg. Soon, several other alleged victims brought additional civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, forced drugging, and abuse during past relationships with the hip-hop mogul.
March 2024 – Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in LA and Miami were raided by Homeland Security.
In March 2024, properties owned by Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security agents. According to Page Six, the Miami raid uncovered what FBI agents described as “a slew of weapons, several boxes of high-heeled heels typically worn by exotic dancers and lingerie, bottles of baby oil and lubricant, and various bags filled with narcotics.” Meanwhile, the Los Angeles search revealed a similar scene, an “array of weapons” along with a staggering 200 bottles of baby oil and 900 bottles of lubricant, reportedly found scattered throughout the home, including in Combs’ bedroom.
May 2024: Video of Diddy assaulting Cassie in 2016 surfaces.
On May 17, 2024, CNN released surveillance footage showing Combs physically assaulting Cassie during a 2016 incident that closely mirrored the allegations outlined in her November 2023 lawsuit.
The video showed the former singer and mother leaving a hotel room and walking toward an elevator before Combs, wearing only a towel, chased after her. He grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the ground. As Cassie lay motionless, Combs was seen violently kicking her and then walking away with her purse and suitcase.
September 2024 – Diddy was indicted.
Months later, on Sept. 16, 2024, he was arrested in New York on a federal indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty. Multiple bail requests were denied.
May 2025 – The Diddy sex trafficking and racketeering trial began.
The rapper and hip-hop icon’s trial officially began May 5 in federal court in Lower Manhattan, led by Judge Arun Subramanian. Jury selection occupied the early days, and opening statements began May 12. Over the next several weeks, testimony was heard from alleged victims, employees, experts, and others, with the prosecution presenting evidence such as videos, travel logs, and witness accounts.
Prosecutors opened the trial by alleging that the Grammy-winner used his fame, power, and wealth to operate a criminal enterprise that enabled his so-called “freak offs,” drug-fueled sex parties involving both paid sex workers and unwilling participants. They claimed Combs used violence, intimidation, and coercion to force victims—including his ex-girlfriend Cassie—to participate in these disturbing encounters.
Some of the most significant testimony came early in the Diddy trial. LAPD officer Israel Florez, who previously worked in hotel security, was the first witness to take the stand. He testified about being on duty at the Intercontinental Hotel in March 2016, the day surveillance footage captured Combs dragging and kicking Cassie in a hallway.
Later, another witness, Daniel Phillip—a male stripper—testified that he was paid thousands of dollars to perform sex acts with the songstress while Combs watched. He recounted an incident from around 2012 or 2013, describing how Combs allegedly became enraged when Cassie didn’t respond to him immediately. According to Phillip, Combs threw a liquor bottle at her and then dragged her by the hair into a bedroom, where he appeared to physically assault her. Phillip said he was too afraid to intervene, especially with Combs’ bodyguards present.
But the most devastating testimony came from Cassie herself. As reported by NewsOne, during the first week of the trial, she gave a harrowing account of the years of alleged abuse, control, and humiliation she suffered while in a relationship with the hip-hop mogul. She painted a chilling picture of what life was like behind the glamorous façade, recounting not only the physical assaults but also the psychological torment of being forced to participate in the infamous “freak offs.”
“He would smash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down,” Cassie testified at the time of the abuse she endured.
The “Me & U” singer claimed that after one particularly brutal assault in 2008, Combs made her recover in isolation at a hotel. In another haunting moment, Cassie said she wore sunglasses to a red carpet premiere to hide the bruises left on her face. She also described the toll these encounters took on her health, stating that she developed frequent urinary tract infections from back-to-back “freak offs,” to the point where antibiotics no longer worked.
July 2025 – Diddy found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.
After three days of jury deliberations, a verdict was delivered July 2 for the Diddy sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Combs was found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking by force/fraud/coercion charges, but guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. His sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 3.
September 2025: Cassie pens a heartbreaking letter to the court ahead of sentencing, “I’m so scared.”
As previously reported, ahead of the Oct. 3 sentencing hearing for the Diddy sex trafficking and racketeering trial, Cassie once again pleaded with the court, detailing the years of abuse and psychological manipulation she fought through while with Combs. In a powerful three-page victim impact statement obtained by Rolling Stone, she expressed not only the trauma of her past but also the fear she continues to live with today.
“I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up,” she wrote, making it clear that Combs’ release would not just be a legal outcome; it would be a threat to her safety and that of other victims.
“For four days in May, while nine months pregnant, I testified in front of a packed courtroom about the most traumatic and horrifying chapter in my life,” she added. Today, she says she lives “as private and quiet as possible,” constantly looking over her shoulder, fearing what could happen if Combs walks free.
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Shannon Dawson
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