Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after being found guilty on two counts related to the transportation of women for prostitution. The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Judge Arun Subramanian, who described the case as one of “serious and sustained harm.”
In a strongly worded statement, Subramanian said the artist’s conduct “irreparably damaged” two women who continue to live with the consequences of his abuse. “This went on for more than a decade with disturbing frequency,” the judge said, adding that Combs was able to prolong the abuse “because you had the power and the resources to conceal it, and because you weren’t caught.”
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 11 years, arguing that a lengthy term was necessary to reflect the scale of the abuse. While declining to impose that level of punishment, Judge Subramanian emphasized that a “substantial sentence” was needed to send a message that violence against women carries real accountability.
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Evidence presented at trial included text messages, emails, photographs, and video footage, which the judge said revealed “physical, emotional, and psychological” abuse directed at Cassie Ventura and another woman identified only as Jane. Subramanian said the material showed not only broken doors and visible injuries, but also a violent assault caught on tape, which left both women contemplating suicide.
The defense had argued that Combs’ philanthropic record, business achievements, and personal history—including the trauma of losing his father at a young age—should weigh heavily in sentencing. The judge acknowledged Combs’ impact as an entrepreneur and his influence in the Black community but said “a history of good works cannot erase the power and control you exercised over the women you professed to love.”
Combs, who addressed the court before sentencing, was convicted solely on the Mann Act violations, having been acquitted on separate sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The sentence marks a dramatic fall for one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, whose career spanned music, fashion, and business ventures.
