Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to just over four years in prison after being convicted on prostitution-related charges involving his two ex-girlfriends, Casandra Ventura and another woman identified in court as Jane Doe.

The 55-year-old music executive received a 50-month sentence on Friday in a New York federal court, following a two-month trial that drew global attention.

Courtroom Emotions and Apology

Before sentencing, Combs broke his silence, delivering an emotional apology to his victims, his family, and his children.

“My actions were disgusting, shameful, and sick. I got lost in excess, I got lost in my ego,” he told the court. “I don’t have anybody to blame but myself.”

His seven children were present, with several reportedly in tears as they pleaded for leniency. One daughter said, “We can’t watch our baby sister grow up fatherless the same way we grew up motherless.”

Prosecution vs. Defense

Prosecutors described Combs as a man who used his fame and influence to exploit women through coercion, violence, and control. They accused him of arranging “freak-offs” — encounters in which male escorts were paid to sleep with his girlfriends while he watched and filmed.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik argued for a harsher sentence, saying, “He didn’t need the money — his currency was control.”

The defense countered that Combs was “not a pimp,” emphasizing that he did not profit financially from the acts and had undergone personal reform during his 13 months in jail. His lawyers cited his contributions to business, music, and charity, calling him “an inspiration.”



Judge’s Ruling

Judge Arun Subramanian said the sentence was necessary “to send a message” and called Combs’ actions “subjugation.”

“You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” he said. “This was not love. This was control.”

Combs was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and will receive credit for the 13 months already served. His attorneys have stated their intention to appeal the conviction.

Background

Combs was acquitted in July of the more serious charges racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking but convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act, a century-old federal law.

The sentencing marks a dramatic fall for one of hip-hop’s most influential figures, whose career spanned music, fashion, and business empires worth hundreds of millions.