New York.— Music producer and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison after being found guilty of transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution in cases involving his former partners Cassie Ventura and a woman identified as Jane Roe. The verdict was issued by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian following an eight-week trial that featured testimony from former assistants, federal agents, and music artists.
During the hearing, Combs apologized publicly to Ventura, acknowledging shame and self-destruction. “I’ve been humiliated and broken to the core. I’m not this bad person. I apologize to my community for letting them down,” he said before sentencing. His defense argued that he has long served as a role model in the African American community and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Prosecutors had sought an 11-year sentence, citing a lack of genuine remorse.
Judge Subramanian criticized Combs’ behavior as a prolonged abuse of power, noting that the misconduct lasted for more than a decade. “It went on for so long because you had the power and resources to sustain it,” he stated. However, he also offered words of encouragement, telling Combs there was “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Combs was convicted of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting individuals across state lines for purposes of prostitution. Though acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs remains incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held since September 2024. The sentence marks the culmination of a high-profile case that has reshaped public perceptions of one of the most influential figures in modern hip-hop.