Sean “Diddy” Combs, the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul, is set to be sentenced Friday in a federal court in New York City. He was found guilty of two counts of transporting people across state lines for prostitution, a violation of the Mann Act. Since his arrest in September 2024, Combs has been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn and has repeatedly been denied bail.
The verdict followed a nearly two-month trial that revealed shocking details about Combs’ actions and behavior over the years. The jury found him guilty of arranging flights to move women and male sex workers around the country for sexual purposes, but he was cleared of more serious charges like racketeering and sex trafficking that could have put him behind bars for life.
During the trial, several women testified about being beaten, sexually assaulted, threatened, and blackmailed by Combs. One of the most disturbing pieces of evidence shown in court was surveillance footage of Combs attacking his former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
In a powerful letter to the court, Ventura said that Combs continues to be a danger to her and others. She described him as “the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker,” and said she believes he “will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is.”
Prosecutors are pushing for a long prison term, over 11 years, saying that Combs has shown no remorse for his actions. Their 164-page sentencing request recommends a sentence of 135 months (just over 11 years) and a $500,000 fine. They argue that the punishment should reflect the deep emotional and physical harm Combs caused his victims.
Combs’ defense team, on the other hand, is asking for a much lighter sentence, no more than 14 months, roughly the time he has already served. His lawyers submitted more than 70 letters from family, friends, and colleagues, all describing him as a changed man. They say he has been sober for the first time in 25 years and is committed to turning his life around.
In his own letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs apologized and wrote, “The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn.” However, Ventura says she still lives in fear. She told the court that she continues to have “nightmares and flashbacks on a regular basis” and worries that Combs or people working for him might harm her or her family.
Another woman, identified only as “Mia,” a former personal assistant, is expected to speak during the sentencing. She plans to urge the judge to consider the ongoing risk that Combs poses to her and other survivors.
Combs could face up to 20 years in prison in total, as each of the two counts carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. He is expected to address the court before the judge delivers the final decision.
This case, which began with Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit accusing Combs of years of abuse, has sparked widespread discussions about power, accountability, and abuse in the entertainment industry. The outcome of Friday’s sentencing will determine whether the once-celebrated music icon spends many more years behind bars, or walks out with time served.
