NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul once celebrated for shaping the sound of modern rap, will return to a Manhattan federal courtroom on Friday to learn his fate in a case that has shaken both the music industry and his personal empire.
Combs, 55, was convicted in July of transporting people across state lines for prostitution, in violation of the Mann Act. Jurors, however, cleared him of the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges that might have carried a life sentence.
The sentencing has been framed as a test of accountability for a man long seen as untouchable in both music and business. Federal prosecutors are pushing for a sentence of at least 11 years and three months. They argue that Combs poses a risk to the public if released.
“Mr. Combs used his wealth and influence to exploit others,” prosecutors wrote in their filing. “A lengthy prison sentence is the only appropriate outcome.”
Defence lawyers see it differently. They are asking Judge Arun Subramanian to release Combs with time served, insisting the proposed punishment is “wildly out of proportion.”
On the eve of sentencing, Combs sent a handwritten letter to the judge, describing himself as “broken to my core” and claiming a personal rebirth after a year behind bars. “I now see how rotten I had become,” he wrote, saying sobriety had given him clarity.
The case has divided public opinion. Some of Combs’ former employees and accusers have written to the court, urging the judge to impose the maximum penalty. Others, including close friends and supporters, appealed for leniency, painting a picture of a man capable of change.
Sentencing guidelines recommend a prison term between 5 years 10 months and 7 years 3 months, but Judge Subramanian has discretion to go higher or lower. The court is expected to weigh not only the statutory limits but also the cultural weight of Combs’ downfall.
In a small but telling detail, the judge has allowed Combs to wear ordinary clothes in court rather than a prison uniform — a privilege denied to him at a hearing last week. His lawyer, Teny Geragos, argued the distinction matters for a man who still sees dignity as essential.
Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024. Friday’s hearing is expected to draw a packed gallery of reporters, fans and critics alike, all waiting to see how far one of hip-hop’s most powerful figures will fall.
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