Sean Combs Sentencing: Key Details to Know

Sean "Diddy" Combs is scheduled for sentencing on Friday morning by a federal judge in New York City, after his conviction earlier this 2025 on federal prostitution-related charges.

Here is a recap of his legal proceedings: the charges he faced, what happened at trial, and potential next steps.

What Charges Was He Found Guilty Of?

During July, after an eight-week trial, a jury convicted Combs of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering and human trafficking, which carried the potential of a life sentence.

The charges on which he was found guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years. Combs had entered a not guilty plea to every count.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the case, will deliver the sentence on Friday, with the hearing set to start at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in September last year. Since the decision, the court has denied multiple bail applications from Combs’s lawyers, and earlier this week Subramanian also rejected a request to overturn the convictions.

What Was Combs Accused Of?

Federal prosecutors accused the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his status and resources, and employing intimidation and coercion, to coerce former partners into participating in drug-fueled sexual marathons with male escorts. Such events were often called by the defendant as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs organized, watched, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.

The government alleged that for more than two decades, Combs operated a illegal operation – assisted by staff and allies – to carry out and conceal crimes including sex trafficking, drug dealing, corruption and abduction.

Although found guilty on two counts, Combs has disputed wrongdoing. His attorneys have insisted that all sexual activity was mutually agreed and that no criminal enterprise was present.

What Transpired At Trial?

The government's case called over thirty witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – artist Cassie Ventura and another woman who gave evidence using the alias Jane – who recounted the so-called “freak-offs” in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into taking part.

Ventura was the key witness for the prosecution. She testified that during her 11-year, on-off relationship with Combs, he exposed her to various forms of mistreatment and to extortion. The court was shown the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a hallway. Jane also testified of a violent altercation with Combs.

Additional testimony included former employees, escorts, law enforcement agents, hotel employees and public figures including rapper Kid Cudi and singer Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s defense attorneys admitted past instances of abuse, but denied that any coercion or trafficking took place. They argued that all sexual activity was agreed upon and part of a “alternative lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the sex acts.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have asked the judge for a penalty of a maximum of 14 months in jail, which, given time already served, would allow for his release before the end of the year. They argue that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by spending over a year in the “harsh environment” at the facility.

Federal prosecutors, however, have requested a minimum of 135 months (11 years and three months) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they described Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his history and characteristics show a pattern of misconduct.

What Was Said By the Victims?

The government submitted several victim impact statements to the court before the sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“While the jury did not seem to understand or believe that I participated in the events because of the force and coercion the accused used against me, I know that is the truth, and his punishment should account for the truth of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so fearful that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his misconduct, at court,” she said.

“If there is one thing I have gained from this ordeal, it is that those affected will never be secure,” she continued. “I hope that your ruling takes into account the truths at hand that the panel overlooked.”

What Happens Next?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the decision. Combs’s defense is also likely to contest his conviction.

Separately, Combs is confronting dozens of civil cases accusing him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He has disputed all allegations in those suits.