- U.S. judge upholds Sean “Diddy” Combs’ prostitution-related conviction.
- Prosecutors seek 11¼ years, citing decades of abuse and coercion.
- Victims, including singer Cassie, testified about violence and exploitation.
- Defence pushes for a lighter sentence of no more than 14 months.
- Sentencing set for October 3 in New York.
A U.S. federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday refused Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to overturn his prostitution-related conviction. The ruling clears the way for prosecutors to push for a long prison term of more than 11 years for the 55-year-old music mogul.
Judge Arun Subramanian said the evidence against Combs was “overwhelming,” pointing to testimonies from R&B singer Casandra Ventura, better known as Cassie, and another woman identified only as Jane.
Both women told the jury that Combs assaulted them and forced them into drug-fueled sexual encounters with male escorts, which he called “Freak Offs.” Prosecutors said Combs arranged the travel, watched the acts, recorded them, and threatened to cut off support if the women refused.
“The government proved its case many times over,” Judge Subramanian noted, rejecting claims that unrelated charges unfairly influenced the jury.
Combs was found guilty on July 2 of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He had denied the charges but was arrested on September 16, 2024, and has remained in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre since then. His lawyers say he will appeal.
Prosecutors are seeking a 135-month term, roughly 11¼ years, highlighting what they described as years of violence, manipulation, and drug use.
“There is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up bloodied and bruised,” they said.
The defence, however, is calling for a sentence of no more than 14 months, which could see Combs walk free this year with credit for time served.
In a statement to the court, Ventura accused Combs of trapping her into abuse from the age of 19.
“Sex acts became my full-time job,” she wrote, describing how his threats and drugs left her powerless.
Judge Subramanian also dismissed Combs’ argument that the Mann Act did not apply because he did not directly pay for sex. He ruled that the law covered his actions and that recording the encounters was not protected under the First Amendment.
Combs, who built Bad Boy Records and became one of the biggest names in American music, is now facing the harshest chapter of his life. His sentencing will take place on October 3, marking a dramatic downfall for a once-celebrated figure.
