Updated October 3, 2025 at 11:09 PM EDT
On Friday, Sean Combs was sentenced by a federal judge to 50 months in prison. The 55-year-old music mogul was convicted in July on two counts of transportation for prostitution, but acquitted on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
After a daylong hearing that culminated in Combs himself addressing the judge, speaking at length for the first time during the trial, Judge Arun Subramanian said that a significant sentence was required to "send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability."
Subramanian made his decision after hearing arguments from federal prosecutors, Combs' defense attorneys and Combs himself. His defense attorneys had argued that their client should receive no more than 14 months behind bars. With time already served, that would have meant he'd be released by the end of the year. Federal prosecutors, on the other hand, requested that Subramanian sentence Combs to no less than 11 years and three months in prison. The maximum sentence for the two charges is 20 years.
The hearing was a tense and serious affair, the culmination of a sometimes circus-like, eight-week trial defined by emotionally-charged testimony, celebrity appearances and a buzzing courthouse packed with hordes of Combs' supporters, social media influencers and reporters. Federal prosecutors spent six weeks presenting an elaborate, sometimes meandering case that accused Combs of operating a criminal organization that enabled and concealed sex crimes for decades. Their two main witnesses, the singer Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified using the pseudonym "Jane," told the court that Combs lured them into romantic relationships and then controlled most aspects of their lives, repeatedly forcing them into drug-fueled sex marathons with male escorts.
Combs did not testify during the trial itself, but he made his case for leniency directly to Judge Subramanian at the end of the day-long sentencing hearing. In a 10-minute address, he apologized to Ventura and Jane as well as to all domestic violence survivors who may have been triggered by the CNN video.
"My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick," Combs said. "I have been humbled and broken down to my core. I hate myself right now."
There was a short break after Combs spoke, before Judge Subramanian returned to deliver the sentence. In his remarks, he focused first on the witnesses who testified about abuse at Combs' hands. He quoted Jane's testimony and read directly from a victim impact statement Ventura submitted. Then addressed those witnesses directly, applauding their bravery for speaking out. "What you taught us here by coming forward is even if you were a victim, you don't always have to be," he said.
Speaking to Combs, Judge Subrmanian said that "abuse is not something you can wash away." When the judge announced the sentence, Combs remained stoic.
In a statement following the hearing, Ventura's attorneys Douglas Wigdor and Meredith Firetog said, "While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed. We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue healing knowing that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many."
Combs has been held in a Brooklyn jail since his arrest last September. With the time he has already served and a reduced sentence for good behavior, he could be released in as little as two and a half years, based on federal guidelines. His sentence also includes a $500,000 fine, the maximum allowable for his conviction, as well as five years of supervised release.
Combs' defense team spent much of the trial fighting charges of sex trafficking by working to discredit the testimony of women who alleged that Combs had abused them. Much of this strategy relied on presented text message evidence in which Ventura and Jane each appeared to be agreeing to the encounters and helping to plan them during confrontational cross-examination. After the prosecution presented more than two dozen witnesses — including Combs' former employees, federal agents and friends of the alleged victims — the defense called none, and rested its case in under 30 minutes. Ultimately, a jury acquitted Combs of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, but found him guilty of transporting Jane and Ventura across state lines to engage in commercial sex.
Despite Combs' acquittal on the most serious charges, nobody — not even his own lawyers — denied that he caused harm. A key piece of evidence in the case was a 2016 surveillance video of Combs beating Ventura in a hotel hallway. Throughout the trial, Combs' defense attorneys conceded that their client had a history of domestic violence, but argued the government was not charging him for those crimes.
During Friday's sentencing hearing, several of Combs' defense attorneys spoke on his behalf, detailing his self-made journey to becoming a record producer, rapper and entrepreneur, and underscoring what he represents to the Black community as a successful businessman who broke barriers in music, fashion and media. One of his attorneys broke down in tears as she addressed the judge, explaining his importance to the Black community, and to her personally. The defense contended that Combs had reformed while in prison, getting sober and becoming a mentor to many inmates around him. They also argued that he needs ongoing treatment for mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Midway through the arguments by Combs' attorneys, Six of the rapper's children approached the podium together and made emotional pleas to the judge. Combs' twin daughters discussed how hard it was to lose their mother — referring to the 2018 death of Combs' ex-girlfriend Kim Porter — and asked the judge not to take away their father, as well. When Combs spoke later, he told his kids he was very proud of them for speaking up.
Prosecutors pointed to Combs' violent behavior as a justification for a longer sentence. Subramanian echoed that argument in his address to Combs as he delivered the sentence. Speaking about the abuse suffered by Ventura and Jane, he asked, "Why did it happen so long? Because you had the power and resources to keep it going, and because you didn't get caught."
During his address, Combs said that if released, he hoped to work with and teach other incarcerated men. "I'm sorry to my community. I let y'all down," he said.
While delivering his sentence, Judge Subramanian commended Combs for his charity work and devotion to his family, as well as his dedication to uplifting communities of color. And he acknowledged that the sentence was longer than Combs might have expected, but implored him to think of the difference he could make after serving his time.
"You and your family, you are going to get through this," he said. "There is a light at the end of this tunnel."
This article includes reporting by Juliana Kim.
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