Diddy returns to court a week before he faces sentencing l Here's what could happen
Diddy back in court for pre-sentencing hearing
Sean "Diddy" Combs returns to court for a hearing that could help decide how long the Grammy-winning producer will stay in prison. FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti has the latest details.
NEW YORK CITY - Sean "Diddy" Combs returns to court on Thursday for a hearing that could help decide how long the Grammy-winning producer will stay in prison.
Judge Arun Subramanian plans to listen to arguments from lawyers on points of law that could help him decide a sentence for the Bad Boy Records founder, who was convicted of prostitution-related charges in July.
Combs, 55, will have been jailed for nearly 13 months when he's sentenced on Friday, Oct. 3.
What could happen on Thursday?
What they're saying:
Diddy's lawyers argued in court papers submitted this week that he should be sentenced to no more than 14 months in prison. With credit for good behavior, that would mean he would be released immediately. In their submission, Diddy’s legal team argued he has already paid a heavy price.
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)
"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 Subramanian.
Inmate approached Diddy with a shiv, lawyers say
The filing also revealed new details of Diddy’s life in custody, describing threats, constant surveillance and degrading conditions. 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.
Suicide watch
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.
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As his legal issues unfold, scrutiny falls on Diddy’s close associates and family, including his children and mother, who have appeared in NYC court, though their views remain unclear.
"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, also claiming his meals sometimes contain maggots.
The other side:
Meanwhile, prosecutors have suggested that they believe he should spend at least several more years behind bars, although they haven't submitted their sentencing recommendations to the judge yet.
(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. (Photo by LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)
The judge has signaled that he, too, is leaning toward a substantial amount of prison time, twice refusing to grant bail since the jury returned its verdict, citing Combs' history of violence.
The backstory:
Combs was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that could have led to a life sentence, but convicted of arranging interstate travel for people engaged in prostitution. Prosecutors said he arranged for paid sexual encounters between male sex workers and his girlfriends, some of whom testified about being beaten, kicked and choked by Combs.