Sean “Diddy” Combs sentenced to over 4 years in prison on prostitution charges

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been handed a 50-month prison sentence after being convicted on two prostitution-related charges, while being cleared of more serious allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Judge Arun Subramanian delivered the sentence on October 3, according to reports. Along with more than four years behind bars, the Bad Boy Records founder faces five years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine.

During the hearing, Judge Subramanian said the punishment was designed to send a clear message. “The need for general deterrence warrants a significant sentence,” he explained. “A substantial sentence must be given to serve as an example to abusers and victims alike.”

Combs, 55, expressed remorse before sentencing, apologising to his victims, including Cassie Ventura and another woman identified only as “Jane.” “My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick,” Combs told the court. “I was sick from the drugs, out of control, and I didn’t get the help I needed. I’ve been humbled and broken to my core. I hate myself right now. I am truly sorry.”

In a letter submitted a day before sentencing, Combs said he had achieved sobriety for the first time in 25 years and was working to address his “drug abuse and anger issues.” He wrote, “Although this situation has been the hardest and darkest time in my life, good things have come out of my incarceration. I’ve been trying my best to take accountability and heal.”

The letter also included an apology to Ventura, who dated Combs from 2007 to 2018 and testified for the prosecution. Referring to a 2016 video showing him assaulting her, Combs wrote, “The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman I loved.”

Judge Subramanian had earlier denied Combs’ motion for acquittal on the prostitution charges. The music mogul had pleaded not guilty to all five counts in his federal trial, which originally carried a potential life sentence.