Sean “Diddy” Combs has been dealt another legal blow just days before his sentencing, with a New York federal judge rejecting his request for either a new trial or an acquittal. The ruling leaves the hip-hop mogul facing the likelihood of a lengthy prison sentence following his July conviction on prostitution-related charges.
In July, a Manhattan jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act – a federal law prohibiting interstate commerce connected to prostitution. He was acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, offences that carried potential life sentences.
Combs’ legal team argued that evidence presented for the sex trafficking and racketeering charges, which he was ultimately acquitted of, unfairly prejudiced the jury on the lesser counts. They also attempted to narrow the legal definition of “prostitution,” claiming the government had failed to prove Combs was specifically transporting people for paid sex.
Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed both arguments in a written decision this week, saying prosecutors had presented “overwhelming evidence” of Combs’ guilt. “Had the prejudice indeed been so great,” Subramanian noted, “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.”
Prosecutors have asked the court to hand down a sentence of at least 11 years in prison, alongside a fine of US$500,000 (AU$756,000). By contrast, Combs’ defence team has requested no more than 14 months, arguing he has already suffered during his 13 months in custody and has shown signs of change while imprisoned under suicide watch in Brooklyn.
The court also received victim impact statements ahead of sentencing, including one from Combs’ former partner Cassie Ventura, who played a central role as a witness during the trial. Cassie, who first met Combs as a teenager and later signed to his Bad Boy Records label, described enduring years of violence, coercion, and control throughout their relationship.
In her statement, Cassie revealed she had moved her family out of New York due to fears of retaliation if Combs is released. “I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up,” she wrote. “As much progress as I have made in recovering from his abuse, I remain very much afraid of what he is capable of.”
Another woman, identified in court only as “Jane,” testified that she too was pressured into sex with male escorts during drug-fuelled “freak-off” parties that Combs organised, often recording the encounters. Both Cassie and Jane alleged incidents of violent assaults at Combs’ hands, including being beaten and placed in chokeholds when they resisted.
The sentencing hearing on Friday will mark a stunning fall from grace for one of hip-hop’s most influential figures. Born Sean John Combs in Harlem, the 55-year-old began his career as an intern at Uptown Records before founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. His label helped launch the careers of artists including The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and 112, shaping the sound of ’90s hip-hop and R&B.
As a performer, Combs himself found massive chart success with hits like I’ll Be Missing You (1997), which spent 11 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. His work earned him three Grammy Awards and a reputation as both a producer and entrepreneur.
But Combs’ personal life has long been plagued by controversy. Allegations of violence, abuse, and misconduct have trailed him for decades, though few ever reached the courtroom until now. His conviction marks the first time the Bad Boy Records founder has been held criminally responsible for behaviour described by accusers as systemic, controlling, and abusive.
As he awaits sentencing, prosecutors say Combs remains “unrepentant,” arguing that he continues to downplay his role and shift blame onto his victims. His legal team counters that his incarceration has changed him. On Friday, Judge Subramanian will decide which version of Diddy’s story carries more weight, the superstar producer who defined a generation of hip-hop, or the convicted abuser facing more than a decade behind bars.
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