Rap music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison Friday after being convicted on prostitution charges.
U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian took time in his sentencing announcement to scold Combs for his treatment of former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and an influencer whose name was not given in the trial but who testified against Combs, according to the New York Post.
“You abused them, physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” he said.
“Why did it happen for so long? Because you had the power and resources to keep it going, and because you didn’t get caught,” Subramanian said.
“A meaningful sentence is needed to protect the public [from] further crimes,” he said.
As noted by The New York Times, he said the sentence was designed “to send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.”
Combs was also fined $500,000, which was the maximum allowed under the prostitution charges upon which he was convicted.
Combs will have five years of supervised release when he leaves prison. He must forfeit property “used or intended to be used to commit or facilitate the commission of the offenses” for which he was convicted.
Subramanian told Ventura and the unnamed women who also testified against Combs that he was proud of them “for coming to the court to tell the world what really happened,” according to the Times.
“You weren’t just speaking to the 12 folks in the jury box. You were speaking to the millions of women out there who have been victims, but who feel invisible and powerless and have had to suffer in silence. You gave them a voice. You stood up to power. It’s not easy. You told those women and the world that violence behind closed doors doesn’t have to stay hidden forever,” he said.
“The number of people who you reached is incalculable. There are millions of survivors out there. Most of those people will never speak up about their abuse. The consequences are often tragic, as they were in this case. I know you still bear the trauma of what happened to you. You likely always will. But what you’ve taught us here by coming forward is that even if you were a victim, you don’t always have to be,” he said.
After being behind bars for 14 months since his arrest, Combs is expected to serve no more than three years in prison, the Post noted.
Prosecutors wanted him locked up for 11 years; the defense wanted him set free with the time served awaiting trial. Federal guidelines called for six to seven years behind bars.
Combs pleaded with the judge, the Times noted, calling his own conduct “disgusting, shameful, and sick.”
“I beg Your Honor for mercy,” Combs said, adding, “No matter what anybody says, I know that I’m truly sorry for it all.”
Diddy sentenced to over 4 years in prison for felony conviction https://t.co/ld8be9HOsb #FoxNews
In addition to the 50-month sentence, Diddy will have five years of supervised release and pay a $500,000 fine.
— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) October 3, 2025
Combs had begged for “another chance,” the Post reported.
“My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will forever have to carry,” he said.
“I’m not this larger than life person, I’m just a human being. I’ve been trying my best. I got lost in excess, I got lost in my ego,” he said.
As noted by CNN, he told the judge, “I have been humbled and broken to my core.”
Combs was convicted of bringing women across state lines to participate in what he called “freak-offs” that involved copious amounts of drugs, alcohol, and sex.
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