Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in federal court after being convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The 54-year-old disgraced music mogul has been in custody since September 2024.
The sentencing comes after hours of remarks from prosecutors, Combs’ defense attorneys and even his children. Before the sentencing began, Combs wrote a letter to the judge saying he takes “full responsibility and accountability” for his actions.
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Even as Combs apologized in court filings, prosecutors questioned his sincerity. According to journalist Matthew Russell Lee, who was in court for the sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told Judge Arun Subramanian that Combs already booked speaking engagements in Miami next week, describing it as “the height of hubris.”
What did Combs say during sentencing?
Following remarks from both sides, Combs was allowed to speak directly to the judge. He described his behavior as “shameful and sick.”
“Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom, I lost the opportunity to effectively raise my children and be there for my mother,” Combs said. “I lost all my businesses, I lost my career, I totally destroyed my reputation.”
Combs said that he knew the prosecutors wanted the judge to make an example out of him but begged the judge to make an example of “what a person can do if they get another chance.”
He said that he knew he had nobody to blame but himself but asked the judge for another chance and said he would comply with any conditions the court set.
“I ask your honor for mercy; I beg your honor for mercy,” Sean Combs said. “I ask your honor for a chance to be a father again. I ask your honor for a chance to be a son again. I ask your honor for a chance to be a leader in my community again.”
During his remarks, Combs turned to his family sitting in the spectators’ gallery and apologized. To his mother, he said, “I failed you as a son, and I’m sorry.”
Before he spoke, the defense played a 15-minute video that Combs requested. The video shows him over the years playing with his kids, giving motivational speeches and helping people in the community.
However, it didn’t sway Judge Arun Subramanian, who sentenced him to less than half of what the prosecution had asked for, which was 11 years.
As the sentencing was read, Combs clasped his hands together and looked straight ahead, not showing much emotion.
Combs ‘deeply sorry’ in letter to judge
In a four-page letter sent to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian on Thursday, obtained by ABC News, Combs wrote that he was “deeply sorry” and begged for mercy.
“I lost my way. I got lost in my journey,” Combs wrote. “Lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core.”
He also apologized to singer Cassie Ventura. He wrote, “I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be. My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry.”
In their Tuesday request for an 11-year sentence, prosecutors cited a letter from Ventura in which she described Combs as a “cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man.”
“I know that who he was to me — the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker — is who he is as a human,” Ventura wrote. “He has no interest in changing or becoming better.”
What did the defense say?
During the defense’s argument, attorney Jason Driscoll recapped their argument that the Mann Act, which Combs was convicted of violating, shouldn’t apply to him. He argued that the act usually targets people who make money off their conduct.
Following Driscoll, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland grew emotional as she told the judge that Combs has been an inspiration for Black people. She later said that Combs changed her life and that, despite his mistakes, he has changed many lives.
“Mr. Combs is not larger than life. He’s a human being. And he’s made some mistakes. He has flaws, like we all do,” she told the courtroom. “But judge, how many of us can say that we helped so many lives, countless lives?”
Combs’ children address the court
After two of Combs’ defense attorneys spoke to the judge, some of his children addressed the court. His eldest son, Quincy Brown, said his father learned a lesson and that he is “completely transformed.”
Combs’ daughters, Chance and D’Lila, both cried as they read their remarks. All four of his children who spoke asked the judge to show mercy on their father.
“We are tired of being strong. We have already lost so much. We have lost our mother, we have lost time with our father, and every day he remains incarcerated, we lose more and more. Please, your honor, please,” D’Lila Combs told the judge.
The judge thanked all the children after their comments and said that he appreciated their words, as it was difficult but important for the court to hear.
After comments, Combs’ lawyers played an 11-minute video showcasing him as a parent, businessman and philanthropist.
After Combs’ children addressed the court, the judge called for a lunch break. When the court returned, Combs’ defense lawyer Brian Steel addressed Judge Subramanian, asking him to see the case through the lens of “untreated trauma” and drug addiction.
Steel also said Combs had “already punished himself more than anyone will be able to punish him” and that it would “stay with him for the rest of his days.”
Rev. Gary Johnson, a Florida chaplain, urged the judge to release Combs on probation. Johnson said it pained him to see the music mogul locked in prison. He said that he would personally make sure that Combs continues rehabilitation if he’s released.
After four attorneys, Combs’ lead lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said that the defense was “asking a lot” with its request of no more than 14 months behind bars. However, he argued that the case has already ended Combs’ business and stained his reputation.
What did the prosecution say?
After several hours of defense arguments, the prosecution was allowed a chance for rebuttal. Prosecutor Christy Slavik previously addressed the court before the defense made its final argument.
Slavik said the video of Combs beating his ex-girlfriend at a Los Angeles hotel “shows the defendant for who he is.” She said that the image he and his defense team presented was “incomplete and misleading.”
During her previous argument earlier in the day, she asked the judge to sentence Combs to 11 years behind bars. She said his crimes weren’t about money but control.
“It’s a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification,” Slavik said. “He didn’t need the money. His currency was control.”
Slavik said not sentencing Combs to her team’s requested 11-year, 3-month prison length would effectively allow him to get away with years of domestic violence.
She also criticized Combs after a non-profit sent a letter to the court saying he was scheduled for “teaching engagements” in Florida later this month.
Slavik asked openly if Combs was a changed man, but even so, his victims can’t move on so easily as he can.
“His victims don’t have the luxury of moving on so easily. They’re still picking up the pieces,” she said.
Ending her argument, Slavik urged the judge to use his sentence to send a message to the victims and any would-be perpetrators that Combs’ actions were serious and should be punished accordingly.
According to CNN Friday morning, the judge said the recommended range of 70–87 months outlined in the pre-sentencing report was appropriate and saw no reason to depart from it.
How we got here
Everything started in 2023, just before the New York Adult Survivors Act expired. The law allowed survivors of sexual violence to file claims after the usual deadline. Ventura’s civil lawsuit that November sparked a wave of more than 100 sexual assault allegations. This includes multiple cases of people who were minors at the time of their assault.
A federal investigation led to Combs’ arrest on Sept. 16, 2024, and he has remained in custody since then. Authorities accused the music mogul of orchestrating encounters that involved transporting women across state lines for prostitution.
Combs’ former ex-girlfriend became a star witness as the trial began in May 2025. Just weeks away from the birth of her third child, she testified for several days about her dealings with Combs.
The court was shown surveillance video from 2016, previously released in part by CNN, that showed Combs chasing Ventura down a hotel hallway. He appeared to strike and drag her after she attempted to call an elevator.
Ventura became emotional while talking about how the abuse affected her mental health. NBC News even reported that she had become suicidal in the past.
Prosecutors push for long sentence
After an eight-week trial, Combs was acquitted on a more serious racketeering charge on July 2, which prosecutors had argued showed a broader criminal enterprise.
Earlier this week, SAN reported prosecutors had pushed for an 11-year sentence and $500,000 fine, arguing that his crimes caused serious harm.
“His crimes of conviction are serious and have warranted sentences over ten years in multiple cases for defendants who, like Sean Combs, engaged in violence and put others in fear,” prosecutors wrote in a filing.
His attorneys requested a more lenient 14-month sentence that would credit Combs for time served.
Subramanian denied Combs’ $50 million bail request while he awaited sentencing. The judge also rejected his bids for a new trial and to throw out his convictions on the two prostitution charges.
What’s next for Combs?
Combs’ lawyers did not suggest a specific prison following sentencing. They said that they would propose one at the beginning of next week.
