Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced on Friday to more than four years in prison over his conviction on prostitution-related charges, with the judge rebuking the hip-hop mogul for subjecting two former girlfriends to years of abuse.
Combs, 55, was stoic as U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian announced the 50-month sentence at the end of a day-long hearing in Manhattan federal court.
He could be released in less than three years after receiving credit for the time he has already spent locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his September 16, 2024 arrest.
Combs had faced a maximum possible sentence of 20 years behind bars over his conviction in July on two counts of arranging for paid male escorts to travel across state lines to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances with Combs’ girlfriends while he recorded video and masturbated.
The jury acquitted him on the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, which could have earned him a life sentence.
Those charges hinged on prosecutors’ accusation that Combs used violence and threats to coerce two of his girlfriends - the rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane - to take part in the performances, sometimes known as “Freak Offs.”
COMBS APOLOGIZES
Despite his acquittal on those charges, Subramanian said a significant sentence was justified given the harm Combs had caused Ventura and Jane.
“The court rejects the defense’s attempt to characterize what happened here as merely intimate, consensual experiences, or just a sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll story,” Subramanian said. “This was subjugation, and it drove both Ms. Ventura and Jane to thoughts of ending their lives.”
Combs pleaded not guilty. He will appeal the sentence, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo told reporters after the hearing, arguing that Subramanian “second-guessed the jury’s verdict.”
In addressing the court before Subramanian imposed the sentence, Combs apologized to Ventura and Jane and said he had learned his lesson.
“I know I’ll never put my hands on another person again,” said Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, who is credited with elevating hip-hop’s stature in American culture.
The New York-born entrepreneur is one of the most prominent men in the entertainment industry to have faced trial on sex crimes charges.
“While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed,” Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ventura, said in a statement.
COMBS’ CHILDREN URGE LENIENCY
Combs’ lawyers acknowledged Combs had physically abused his girlfriends, but argued they willingly took part in the sexual performances.
Defense lawyers said the appropriate sentence would have been 14 months, while prosecutors had pushed for a sentence of at least 11-1/4 years.
At the hearing, prosecutor Christy Slavik said the judge should consider his abuse of his girlfriends.
“To not account for it now would be to let the defendant get away with years of domestic violence and abuse,” Slavik said.
Before Combs spoke, his children urged leniency for their father, telling Subramanian that he had become a better man in the year since his arrest.
“We aren’t here to excuse any of his mistakes,” Combs’ 18-year-old daughter Jessie Combs said through tears. “But your honor, he is still our dad, and we still need him present in our lives.”
Combs put his head down as his children spoke, and had tears in his eyes when their remarks concluded.
Combs’ lawyers also showed the court a video about his background and philanthropy. The video showed Combs playing with his children, speaking to public school students, and running in the New York Marathon to raise money for charity.
Subramanian said prosecutors’ request for a harsh sentence did not take into account mitigating factors, including Combs’ charitable acts.
At the end of the hearing, the judge thanked Ventura and Jane for testifying, and said they could encourage other women to report sexual abuse.
“The number of people who you reached is incalculable,” Subramanian said.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
