Diddy’s lawyers say he’s 'suffered enough' as sentencing nears: Details
Diddy faces Oct. 3 sentencing after conviction on prostitution charges
Sean ?Diddy? Combs is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3 following his July conviction on two prostitution-related charges.
BROOKLYN - In just over a week, Sean "Diddy" Combs will learn his fate after spending more than a year behind bars in Brooklyn.
What we know:
Now, his lawyers are urging a judge to sentence him to no more than 14 months for his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. If granted, the request would mean his release almost immediately.
In their submission, Diddy’s legal team argued he has already paid a heavy price.
"Mr. Combs’s celebrity status in the realms of music, fashion, spirits, media, and finance has been shattered and Mr. Combs’s legacy has been destroyed," the lawyers wrote to Judge Arun Subramanian, who is scheduled to decide the former hip-hop mogul’s sentence on Oct. 3.
The filing also revealed new details of Diddy’s life in custody, describing threats, constant surveillance and degrading conditions.
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Inmate approached Diddy with a shiv, lawyers say
Diddy’s prison experience has been harrowing, according to his lawyers.
In one incident, they say an inmate approached him with a makeshift blade and accused him of taking his chair. Diddy apparently managed to calm the man down.
Diddy suicide watch
Media is setting up in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center, (MDC) in Brooklyn. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
Diddy has also been kept under constant suicide watch, required to show guards his ID every two hours and frequently woken from sleep in a brightly lit cell. His lawyers said he heats his water because he does not trust it is clean and sleeps just feet away from other inmates in a dorm-style room where the bathroom has no door.
"Mr. Combs has not breathed fresh air in nearly 13 months, or felt sunlight on his skin, often walking with a limp due to a painful knee injury that requires surgery," they wrote. They also claimed that his meals sometimes contain maggots.
How much time will Diddy serve?
Diddy was convicted in July of two violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits interstate prostitution. Prosecutors said he arranged paid sexual encounters between his girlfriends and male sex workers. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
His lawyers pointed out that the jury acquitted him of the most serious charges, calling the verdict itself a message.
"He has served over a year in one of the most notorious jails in America, yet has made the most of that punishment. It is time for Mr. Combs to go home to his family, so he can continue his treatment and try to make the most of the next chapter of his extraordinary life," they wrote.
Prosecutors are expected to argue for a much longer sentence.
Diddy sober for first time in 25 years, lawyers say
Prison has forced Diddy into sobriety for the first time in 25 years, his lawyers said. They described him as someone who now recognizes how drug abuse, including prescribed medications, fueled violent behavior.
"Without minimizing Mr. Combs’s conduct, this is in many ways a ‘sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll’ story," they argued.
At trial, two former girlfriends testified against him. Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura said he beat her when she displeased him, while another woman, identified as "Jane," recalled being pressured into sex with male sex workers and described being put in a chokehold and punched.
His lawyers insisted Diddy has become "a humbled man." They quoted him telling a probation officer, "I used to call myself a king. But I didn’t act like a king. I didn’t act like a man. This situation has made me become a man, a man who knows and understands his responsibilities."
Lawyers say Diddy’s career, reputation ruined
(L-R) Jessie Combs, Chance Combs, D'Lila Star Combs, daughters of Sean "Diddy" Combs depart Manhattan's Federal Court in New York City on May 13, 2025. Sean "Diddy" Combs used violence and threats of reputational ruin to control women he abused for y
The collapse of Diddy’s empire has been wide-reaching, his lawyers said. More than 100 employees lost their jobs, and many have struggled to find new work because of their association with him.
His seven children have also suffered "devastating consequences," including lost opportunities in acting, fashion and concerts. Some were even named in nearly 100 civil lawsuits filed since his arrest.
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Diddy was also stripped of several honors.
He was removed from the boards of three charter schools he founded in New York and Connecticut and lost his honorary doctorate from Howard University, which announced plans to return his donations.