Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs reportedly already had plans before his sentencing on Friday, October 3.
The prosecution in Diddy’s sex trafficking case told the judge that the rapper, 55, had at least seven speaking engagements scheduled, an act they described as the “height of hubris,” according to a New York Times report on the day of the sentencing. The prosecution also filed a letter from Giovanni Sairra, who founded a nonprofit that assists inmates as they readjust to life outside of prison.
Sairra’s letter claimed the group had “secured approval from correctional agencies like GEO Group, Inc. and community partners to host Mr. Combs as an instructor teaching both virtually and in person.”
The events were largely scheduled to take place in Miami, where Diddy lived before he was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking, transportation and racketeering. (Diddy was found not guilty of the two more serious offense, racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking, but found guilty of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has maintained his innocence and denied all charges.)
The Times also reported that Diddy’s lawyer Xavier Donaldson later tried to reclassify the events and dispute the idea that Combs scheduled them under the assumption he would be released.
“Contrary to what the government said — and I’m going to say this blatantly — we do need something for him to do if he does get out today,” he said before adding that Combs would spend time “not with speaking engagements, but with teaching engagements.”
Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison on Friday, with the time he’s already served counting toward his sentence. He was also fined $500,000 and ordered five years of supervised release upon leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“Jane [Doe] and Cassie Ventura have been through abuse and trauma we couldn’t imagine. I can only say your families are proud of you and your children will be proud of you for coming to the court to tell you what really happened,” Judge Arun Subramanian said as the sentence was handed down. “You weren’t just talking to the jury, you were talking to the women who feel powerless.”
After his 2024 arrest, Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to Us Weekly that his client was “imperfect” but “not a criminal.”
“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” Agnifilo added. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy has remained behind bars in Brooklyn since he was arrested. His trial began on May 5 and focused primarily on the allegations of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie (as well as an unnamed Jane Doe), who took the stand and shared the alleged sexual and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of Diddy throughout their on-and-off relationship, which spanned from 2007 to 2018.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
