Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced To More Than 4 Years In Prison
On Friday, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to 50 months in prison after he was found guilty on two prostitution related counts in July.
According to the New York Times, Judge Subramanian walked through his reasoning ahead of announcing his sentencing. Subramanian applied a sentencing enhancement due to coercion. This was in response to testimony that Diddy threatened to release videos of the “freak offs.” Subramanian added that the defense’s narrative framing the freak offs as nothing more than consensual sexual encounters between adults was “flatly inconsistent with both reality and any acceptance of responsibility.”
The defense wanted Diddy to be sentenced to only 14 months, which would have seen him released by the end of the year. The prosecution sought a sentence of 11 years and 5 months, and the U.S. probation department recommended a sentence between five to seven years. Judge Subramanian ultimately decided to lean towards the probation department’s recommendation, explaining that while he acknowledges Diddy is a “self-made artist” who has done philanthropic work, “the court has to consider all of your history here.” Combs will receive credit for the 14 months he has already spent behind bars.
“A history of good works can’t wash away the record in this case, which shows that you abused the power and control over the lives of women who you professed to love,” Subramanian said before announcing the sentence. While he said a substantial sentence was necessary “to send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability,” Subramanian found the government’s recommendation of 11 years was “not reasonable.” Diddy was also hit with a $500,000 fine, the maximum possible under the charges.
During her statement ahead of the sentencing, prosecutor Christy Slavik revealed that Diddy scheduled speaking engagements in Miami “for next week,” giving the impression he believed he’d be let off with a light sentence. “That is the height of hubris,” Slavik said. Slavik referenced the testimony of Diddy’s former partner, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who said she still has nightmares about Diddy’s abuse and continues to need therapy to “cope with the horrific memories of sexual and emotional abuse” she endured.
Video leaked ahead of Diddy’s arrest last year, showing him physically abusing Ventura in a hotel hallway. He could be seen striking her from behind while she waited for an elevator, kicking her while she was on the ground, and attempting to physically drag her. During her testimony, Ventura detailed Diddy’s “freak offs,” which were drug-fueled sex parties where Diddy coerced her to have sexual encounters with male prostitutes.
Diddy was arrested last September and indicted on the prostitution charges, as well as counts of racketeering and sex trafficking. He was ultimately found not guilty on the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges, which could’ve seen Diddy facing life in prison.
Diddy wrote a letter asking Subramanian for “mercy” ahead of the sentencing hearing on Friday. “I am writing this not to gain any sympathy or pity, this experience is simply the truth of my existence and has changed my life forever and I will never commit a crime again,” Diddy wrote. “My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry.”
Slavik was critical of the letter, saying that Diddy seemed to be casting himself as the real victim in all of this. “This is not a person who has accepted responsibility,” she said.
The defense argued that Subramanian should show leniency due to Diddy’s entrepreneurship. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland argued that his history as a record producer, label owner, and writer made him an important figure in the Black community. “Mr. Combs wearing all of those hats sent a message that you can do it. You don’t just have to be signed to a label, you can be the label,” defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland said during the hearing.
The defense also played a video meant to showcase Diddy in an inspiring light. It highlighted him running the New York Marathon for charity, and showed him mourning the death of Kim Porter, the mother of four of his children.
Diddy spoke in court ahead of his sentencing. “One of the hardest things I’ve had to handle is having to be quiet, not being able to express how sorry I am for my actions,” he said in his statement to Judge Subramanian. He apologized to Ventura “for any harm or hurt that I’ve caused her, emotionally or physically.” He called his actions “disgusting, shameful, and sick.”
“Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom, I lost the opportunity to effectively raise my children and be there for my mother,” Diddy said. “I lost all my businesses, I lost my career, I totally destroyed my reputation.
“No matter what anybody says, I know that I’m truly sorry for it all,” he said as he concluded his remarks.
While Diddy has been sentenced, his legal troubles aren’t entirely over. Deonte Nash, Diddy’s former stylist, filed a lawsuit last month alleging Diddy physically and sexually assaulted him during his time as an employee.
For more details on everything that led us to this moment with Sean “Diddy” Combs, check out our sister site, Bossip.
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