Combs sentenced to 50 months, capping ex-mogul’s downfall

Judge says music figure showed 'no remorse' for his crime and tacks on a fine of $500,000.

- BY RICHARD WINTON

EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ Associated Press JANICE COMBS arrives for son Sean Combs' sentencing in New York on Friday.

A judge sentenced Sean “Diddy” Combs to four years and two months in federal prison Friday for transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled sex performances he dubbed “freak-offs,” closing the chapter on the music mogul’s years-long public downfall.

In sentencing Combs to 50 months in prison — of which he’s required to serve 85% — U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said that “exploitation and violence against women must be met with real accountability to promote respect for the law.”

Combs' reputation and business began to publicly unravel in November 2023. He was sued by ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, federal authorities searched his homes, and a video was leaked to the media showing him beating Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel years earlier.

The following September, Combs was charged with serious crimes, including running a mob-style criminal enterprise that could have put him in prison for life. However, in July a jury acquitted him on the most serious charges and convicted him of two counts of transporting prostitutes across state lines. On Friday, Subramanian said testimony at trial played a role in Combs’ fate.

“To Ms. Ventura and the other brave survivors that came forward, I want to say first, ‘We heard you,’ ” Subramanian said.

Before he had learned his fate, Combs apologized to Ventura and her family and to “Jane.”

He acknowledged that the 2016 video that showed him beating Ventura triggered many domestic violence victims and that because of his decisions, he was now in prison.

“I lost my freedom. I lost the opportunity to effectively raise my children and be there for my mother,” he said. “I lost my career. I totally destroyed my reputation.”