Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sentenced to 4 years in jail after begging court for forgiveness

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been sentenced to four years and two months in jail.

As well as the 50 months, he has been hit with a $500,000 (£371k) fine.

While Combs, 55, fought for a much shorter sentence of 14 months behind bars, prosecutors initially pushed for 11 years in his sex trafficking trial.

This evening, he was sentenced in Manhattan. His sentencing also saw Combs speak publicly for the first time in 13 months, fumbling his words before checking over his notes.

Standing, Combs thanked the court and US District Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw his seven-week trial, for ‘giving [him] the chance to finally speak up for [himself]’.

‘One of the hardest things I’ve had to handle is having to be quiet—not being able to express how sorry I am for my actions,’ he said.

‘I want to personally apologise again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt I’ve caused her, emotionally or physically. I don’t take that lightly.’

He then apologised to Ventura’s family and to Jane, another of his accusers.

Additionally, Combs begged for forgiveness from his mother, saying: ‘Mommy, I failed you as a son, I’m sorry. You taught me better.’

‘You raised me better,’ he wept.

Combs further said the trial has ‘humbled’ him, leaving him ‘broken to [his] core’.

‘I hate myself right now. I’ve been stripped down for nothing. I really, truly am sorry for it all, no matter what they say.’

As he handed down the sentencing, the judge condemned Combs for his ‘savage’ abuse of ex-girlfriend Ventura.

He said he was making an example of him after he caused ‘irreparable harm’ to his victims.

‘Deterrence requires a significant sentence’, he said, explaining that he was not convinced Combs would not commit the same crimes again should he be released.

The rapper was accused of running a sex trafficking operation and was convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution of his former girlfriend, singer Ventura, and another woman, known as Jane, who had testified in the trial.

In July, he was found not guilty of the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy, as well as two charges of sex trafficking in relation to Ventura and Jane.

The music mogul denied all allegations against him.

Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, which was previously home to rapper R Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell, and has been behind bars for a total of 13 months following his September 2024 arrest.

Ahead of his sentencing, Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ legal team’s request for a new trial or acquittal, ruling that the government ‘presented overwhelming evidence of Combs’ guilt’ during the trial.

‘The government proved its case many times over. That by itself might be enough to dispose of Combs’s challenge,’ he wrote in the document.

‘Had the prejudice indeed been so great, one would expect a jury to convict on the most relevant counts before it could spill over and infect the others. A new trial is not warranted.’

Ventura, who was a key witness during the trial, also submitted a victim impact statement in which she revealed she had moved out of the New York area because she fears retaliation if the musician walks free.

‘I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse at trial,’ the singer said.

‘As much progress as I have made in recovering from his abuse, I remain very much afraid of what he is capable of and the malice he undoubtedly harbours towards me for having the bravery to tell the truth.’

What happened in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial?

Court hearings began in New York in May, with Ventura and fellow rapper Kid Cudi among those taking the stand.

The court heard about Combs’ alleged days-long sex parties, or ‘freak offs’, during which he allegedly coerced multiple alleged victims into sex acts.

After six weeks of testimony, the jury began their deliberations before announcing their unanimous verdict.

Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, and initially charged with three offences – racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Two extra counts of the latter two offences were added in April, bringing the total to five.

What did Cassie Ventura say about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs?

‘The freak offs became a job,’ Ventura previously told jurors, sharing that they could last up to 36 or 48 hours, with the longest one she was involved in taking four days.

Those participating in the marathon sex sessions would routinely require recovery from drug use, dehydration and fatigue, it was alleged.

Combs would allegedly blackmail Ventura with videos of the ‘freak offs’ to get her to do more, she claimed.

Last year, after Ventura and Combs settled a suit in which she alleged rape and physical abuse over the course of their 11-year on-off relationship, CCTV footage emerged of the rapper assaulting Ventura and dragging her across the floor of the InterContinental Hotel in LA.

The harrowing footage was played out during the first day of his trial in May.

Recalling the incident, Ventura said during the trial: ‘I just knew I had to get out. I grabbed my stuff and ran out as fast as I could. I made it to the elevators, got my sneakers on. The next thing I was just thrown to the ground.

‘It was really fast. I ran out without any shoes. It was faster. Sean grabbed me by the back of my neck and threw me to the ground.’ 

Combs previously issued an apology shortly after the video was made public, saying: ‘It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that – but I make no excuses. My behaviour on that video is inexcusable.

‘I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I am disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.’

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