Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to four years and two months in prison, a federal court judge in Manhattan ruled Friday.
The “Bad Boy For Life” rapper will need to pay a $500,000 fine to court and be involved in a program for mental health and substance abuse issues. There is no compensation.
Judge Arun Subramanian said at the mogul moment before the decision, “I thought about the fact that you are the businessman who inspired and lifted the community.”
“You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically,” the judge added, referring to the victim. “Why did it happen for so long? Because you had the power and resources to keep doing it.”
Subramanian concluded that “the courts do not guarantee that these crimes will not be committed again,” and pointed out the importance of sending messages to other abusers.
The sentence comes three months after Combs was convicted of two transports engaged in prostitution, and he faced 20 years in prison. At the time, he was not guilty of sex trafficking and assault, which could have led an even more miserable life in prison.
Combs has already served in prison for a year, so this sentence means he will be released in about three years.
Attorneys for Cassandra “Cathy” Ventura said in her ruling Friday that she was “aware of the impact of the serious crimes he committed.”
“We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ventura will continue to heal her courage and know that her gushing and that Juu is inspiring so many people,” he added.
Combs, 55, was not in his prison jumpsuit as his lawyer had requested earlier and approved him to be in standard civil attire for hearings.
Instead, he wore an oatmeal-colored sweater over a button-down shirt, slacks and loafers, and salt and pepper hair in a trimmed gray whisker.
Previously, Combs had stood before the court and issued an apology to Ventura, another important witness who testified to “Jane Doe” and his family about the “harm or wounds” he caused.
“I knew better so I couldn’t make excuses. My mother raised me better. I taught me that. I got lost on my journey of life,” he said.
“Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom. I raised my children effectively and lost the opportunity to be there for my mother. I lost all my business and I lost my career – completely destroyed my reputation.
“I miss you,” the rapper begged the judge “for mercy,” and said, “I don’t want to disappoint God, so I need to be a good person desperately. I don’t want to disappoint my family.”
Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo told the judge that the defense is seeking a 14-month sentence.
Up until the hearing, the lawyers plead for the release of Bad Boy Records’ founder of almost imitation, pointing out that he has been “serving more than a year in one of America’s most notorious prisons,” and begging him to “continue treatment and make the most of it.”
Combs also wrote a letter to the judge on Thursday, saying he was taking “full responsibility and accountability of the past.”
“This has been the most difficult two years of my life and no one blames anyone other than the reality and circumstances of the present,” the “Coming Home” rapper added. “In my life, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I’m not running away from them anymore.”
He argued that his physically beaten Ventura image “every time I’ve had my head over and over again every day,” and that he admitted that “it’s wrong to put (his) hands on the woman he loved.”
Combs also shared that he has “settled for the first time in 25 years” and said, “I have done my best to deal with the issues of substance abuse and anger, carry on accountability, and take a positive step towards healing.
However, prosecutors argued that “unrepentant” entertainers were behind bars at least 11 years later.
75 Combs loved ones, including family and former colleagues, also wrote heartfelt letters to the judge in defense on behalf of entertainers.
Perhaps one of the most shocking character witness letters was written by former music mogul “Gina” Huin, as he denounced “(her) stomach stomping” in a 2019 interview.
This model was supposed to be a key witness during the trial, but refused to testify.
In her letter, Huynh wrote:
“Our relationships, like many, have been constantly not perfect, have experienced ups and downs and made mistakes, but he was willing to admit his mistakes and make better decisions in the future.”
However, Ventura issued a letter strongly against the release of Combs.
“I still have nightmares and flashbacks on a daily basis, and I continue to need psychological care to deal with my past,” the “Me&U” singer writes, referring to allegations of abuse she endured during her 11-year relationship.
Ventura also explained to the judge that she was afraid that the “Mo Money Mo issue” rapper would “chase” her and her family.
“In fact, I have driven my family out of the New York area, but keeping it as private and quiet as possible because when he walks freely, his first actions will be swift retaliation against me and others who spoke about the abuse he had at trial,” she added.
Ventura stood up for four days in May, the third stage of her pregnancy, and testified to verbal, emotional and physical abuse that she allegedly caused medical problems, including a few days of “freak-off” with escorts who participate in that escort.
Aside from the singer of “Long Way 2 Go,” other famous names who filmed the stands were rapper Kid Cudy and former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard.
Following Combs’ verdict, Ventura’s lawyers praised his client “the way for the ju-decided judges to find that he had committed the crime of engaging in prostitution,” and praised the “indistinguishable mark in both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
He concluded, “This incident proves that change has been delayed for a long time, and we will continue to fight on behalf of the survivors.”
Despite the end of the Combs federal lawsuit, the “Last Night” rapper still faces several civil lawsuits.
