Sean Combs Sentencing: Key Details You Should Understand

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

This article provides a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, what happened at trial, and potential next steps.

What Was He Convicted On?

During July, after an eight-week trial, a jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was found not guilty of the more severe allegations against him, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which carried the potential of a life sentence.

The offenses on which he was found guilty each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. Combs had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will hand down the sentence on Friday, with the hearing set to start at 10am ET 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 verdict, the judge has denied two bail requests from Combs’s legal team, and recently Subramanian also rejected a request to overturn the convictions.

What Allegations Was Combs Accused Of?

Federal prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of using his power, fame, wealth and influence, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to coerce former partners into engaging in sex parties involving drugs with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the accused as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs orchestrated, watched, pleasured himself to and occasionally recorded.

The government asserted that for more than two decades, Combs ran a criminal enterprise – aided by staff and allies – to conduct and hide offenses including sex-trafficking, drug dealing, bribery and kidnapping.

Despite being convicted on two counts, Combs has denied any misconduct. His attorneys have insisted that all sexual activity was consensual and that no criminal enterprise existed.

What Happened During the Trial?

The prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – artist Cassie Ventura and a second individual who testified under the pseudonym of “Jane” – who recounted the so-called “freak-offs” in graphic detail, and alleged that Combs coerced and threatened them into taking part.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She stated that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to various forms of mistreatment and to blackmail. The court was presented with the 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura in a hallway. Jane also told the court of a violent altercation with Combs.

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

Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged past instances of domestic violence, but disputed that any force or sex trafficking took place. They argued that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the encounters.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have asked the judge for a penalty of a maximum of 14 months in prison, which, considering time served, would permit his release before the end of the year. They claim that Combs has already been “adequately punished” by spending over a year in the “harsh environment” at the detention center.

The prosecution, however, have sought at least 135 months (11 years and three months) and a $500,000 fine. In court filings, they portrayed Combs as “showing no remorse” and said that “his history and characteristics show a pattern of misconduct.

What Statements Were Made By the Victims?

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

“Although the jurors did not seem to understand or believe that I participated in freak-offs because of the pressure and intimidation the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his sentence should account for the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a survivor,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so fearful that if he walks free, his initial steps will be immediate revenge towards me and other individuals who spoke up about his misconduct, at trial,” she said.

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

What Happens Next?

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

Separately, Combs faces numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of misconduct and other misconduct. He has denied all allegations in those proceedings.