Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been sentenced to several years in prison, three months after the rapper known as P Diddy was found guilty on the counts of the Mann Act transportation of his two former girlfriends. The Mann Act is defined as "a federal law that criminalizes the transportation of 'any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose'." He has now been sentenced to 50 months, or just over four years, by Judge Arun Subramanian. The sentence was much longer than the 14 months Diddy's legal team had asked for, but shorter than the 11 years proposed by the prosecution.
The rapper has already spent over a year in jail – he was arrested in September 2024 – and he will get credit for time served. During remarks, the Judge praised Cassie Ventura and the other "brave" women who came forward, adding: "I want to say first: We heard you." He also told Diddy that he had used his power to subjugate and abuse two women, adding: "This is the reality of what happened." Combs had also been ordered to pay a $500,000 fine.
"You abused them, physically, emotionally and psychologically," the Judge continued, rejecting the idea put forward by the defense that the relationships were consensual, adding: "You had the money and the power to keep it going. This was subjugation." The judge also said that after seeing all of the evidence, including video of the rapper beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway, a significant sentence was "to send a message".
The BBC has reported that after the court was adjourned, Sean turned to his family and seven children and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry". He is a father to 17-year-old twins Jessie and D'Lila, as well as Quincy, 33, Justin, 30, Christian, 26, Chance, 18, and Love, two. His eldest children have always publicly stood by him.
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for TAOThe music mogul had originally been charged on five counts. He was found not guilty on three counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of Cassie, and sex trafficking of a former girlfriend, only known to the courts as "Jane." The original indictment alleged that he ran a "criminal enterprise that he engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor or, kidnapping, arson and other crimes."
In 2024 the musician's homes were raided by the FBI before he was arrested in the dead of night in Manhattan New York City, and he was later denied a $50 million bail.
© Getty Images for Sean Diddy CombCassie had a decade-long relationship with the rapper that involved alleged sexual and physical abuse. The former couple parted ways in 2018, and Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. She bravely took to the stand in front of Diddy during the trial, during which time she was eight months pregnant with her third child.
Cassie was proudly supported by her husband, personal trainer Alex Fine, whom she married in August 2019 with a romantic ceremony in Malibu, California. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Frankie, in December 2019, and their second daughter, Sunny, in March 2021. They are now parents to their son as well, who was born two weeks after the trial ended.
Diddy welcomed 32-year-old son Quincy in 1991, son Christian "King," 25, and twins D'Lila Star and Jessie with the late Kim Porter, who passed away in 2018; the former couple began dating in the early 1990s, and were on-again-off-again for many years before going their separate ways in 2007.
He shares Justin, born in 1993, with stylist Misa Hylton, whom he also dated in the early 1990s, plus Chance, born in 2006, he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman, and Love with model Dana Tran.
© GettyEarly on during the trial, the six eldest children released a statement in defense of their father. It read: "Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media.
"We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family."
