Diddy gets 50 months jail term for prostitution related charges

Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in prison after being convicted on two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.

The sentence, handed down by Judge Arun Subramanian, was less than the 11-year term prosecutors had sought but more than the 14 months Combs’s defense team requested.

The sentencing follows a series of high-profile legal battles and public accusations against Combs. The initial federal indictment in May 2024 detailed a series of allegations, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and other sex-related crimes.

The accusations stemmed from a lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in November 2023. Ventura’s lawsuit, which was settled out of court, accused Combs of a decade of abuse, including physical and sexual assault.
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During the trial, prosecutors presented a surveillance video from 2016, which showed Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway. This footage, widely circulated online, became a key piece of evidence. In July, a jury acquitted Combs of the most serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering, but found him guilty of the lesser charges related to transporting individuals for prostitution.

During the emotional, day-long hearing, both sides presented their arguments. Combs’s legal team, led by attorney Nicole Westmoreland, argued for a lighter sentence, portraying him as a “changed man” and a “social justice crusader” who had already served over a year in custody. They presented letters from his six adult children, who pleaded for leniency, emphasising his positive impact on the Black community.

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Conversely, prosecutor Christy Slavik argued for a longer sentence, stating that Combs showed a lack of genuine remorse and believed he was “above the law.” She pointed to his pre-sentencing plans to book speaking engagements, which she described as the “height of hubris.” Ventura also submitted a powerful victim impact statement, describing the years of abuse she endured and urging the judge to consider the “many lives that Sean Combs has upended.” She said she continues to suffer from nightmares and flashbacks.
Ultimately, Judge Subramanian handed down the 50-month sentence, which is just over four years, citing the seriousness of the convictions while also acknowledging the time Combs had already spent in custody.