Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after being convicted on prostitution-related charges.
Judge Arun Subramanian handed down the 50-month sentence on Friday after a tense, emotional hearing in New York. Prosecutors had asked for 11 years, while Combs’s lawyers argued for just 14 months, which would have meant time already served.
Speaking before his sentencing, the 55-year-old hip-hop star told the court he was “truly sorry” and begged for leniency.
“I ask your honor for mercy,” Combs said. “I beg your honor for mercy.”
Combs was acquitted in July of the most serious charges — sex trafficking and racketeering — but found guilty on two counts of transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
His former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, urged the court to consider the damage he caused. In a letter, she described years of abuse and recalled one terrifying incident.
“The entire courtroom watched actual footage of Combs kicking and beating me as I tried to run away from a freak off in 2016,” Ventura wrote.
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She said she continues to suffer nightmares and flashbacks and has moved away from New York with her family for fear of retaliation.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik argued that Combs had shown little genuine remorse.
“It’s as though he thinks the law doesn’t apply to him,” she said, noting he had even scheduled speaking events in Miami next week as if he expected a light sentence.
Combs’s lawyers painted a different picture, calling him “an inspiration” and “a human being who has made mistakes.”
Attorney Nicole Westmoreland said locking him away would help no one.
“It’s of no benefit to anyone to warehouse him in a prison,” she argued.
His six adult children also spoke on his behalf. Eldest son Quincy Brown described him as “a changed man,” while daughter D’Lila pleaded with the judge: “Please, please give our family the chance to heal together. Not as headlines but as human beings.”
Despite the emotional appeals, Judge Subramanian ruled that Combs must serve the 50-month prison term.