Sean “Diddy” Combs held his head in his hands and appeared stunned as a judge handed down a 50-month sentence in a New York courtroom on Friday for prostitution-related offences. The sentence was far less than the life term he potentially faced, but Combs appeared shocked by the outcome.
The judgment came minutes after Combs pleaded with Judge Arun Subramanian that he took full “accountability and responsibility” for his actions, stating he was a changed man who would devote himself to his family and community if released. However, the judge was unmoved, pointing out that Combs had engaged in an abusive “freak-off” with a witness even after posting an Instagram apology for beating another former girlfriend.
“You abused them, physically, emotionally and psychologically,” Subramanian told Combs. “Why did it happen for so long? Because you had the power and resources to keep it going, and because you didn’t get caught.” The judge praised the victims for coming forward, calling them “strong women”.
Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution in July, but found not guilty of more serious conspiracy charges. The sentence of four years and two months was less than the 11 years prosecutors requested and 10 months less than a sentencing panel recommended. With time served, Combs is likely to spend only three more years behind bars.
Outside the courtroom, there was a palpable sense of deflation as neither prosecutors nor Combs’s defence got the result they wanted. The trial, which heard graphic accounts of sexual abuse, ended with a whimper. Combs’s family members and supporters had been warned to keep their feelings in check during sentencing.
