-
US court convicts music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs on prostitution-related offences
-
Ex-girlfriend Cassie’s testimony and video evidence shaped the ruling
-
Judge rejects calls for 11 years but hands four-year prison sentence
Music tycoon Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in prison after a United States court found him guilty of prostitution-related charges.
The 55-year-old rapper and businessman, who had been in custody for over a year in Brooklyn, faced prosecutors’ demand for an 11-year term. Instead, Judge Arun Subramanian on Friday imposed just over four years following a tense and emotional hearing.
Courtroom Testimonies and Evidence
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
Combs was cleared of the heavier charges of sex trafficking and racketeering but convicted on two counts of transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
Before sentencing, he apologised in court, saying: “I am truly sorry. I ask your honour for mercy. Please give me another chance.”
His former partner, singer Casandra Ventura (Cassie), however, submitted a damning letter accusing Combs of years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
“The entire courtroom watched actual footage of Combs kicking and beating me as I tried to run away from a freak-off in 2016,” she wrote.
Another woman, identified as Jane, corroborated Ventura’s claims, alleging coercion into what she described as “freak-offs” — sexual marathons arranged and sometimes filmed by Combs.
READ ALSO: Diddy Begs Court for Mercy, Admits Assault on Cassie Ahead of Sentencing
Prosecutors Demand Accountability
Lead prosecutor Christy Slavik dismissed Combs’ remorse as insincere, accusing him of treating the law with contempt.
“It’s as though he thinks the law doesn’t apply to him,” she argued, citing reports that Combs had booked public speaking engagements in Miami in anticipation of a lighter punishment.
Defence Pleads for Leniency
His defence team, led by attorney Nicole Westmoreland, described Combs as a flawed human being who had inspired millions.
“It’s of no benefit to anyone to warehouse him in a prison,” she told the court.
Six of his adult children also appealed for leniency. His eldest son Quincy Brown described him as “a changed man”, while his daughter D’Lila tearfully begged the judge: “Please give our family the chance to heal together. Not as headlines but as human beings.”
Bigger Implications
The conviction marks one of the most high-profile celebrity prosecutions in recent US history, raising questions about power, exploitation, and accountability in the entertainment industry.
