Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sentenced to four years: What comes next after his high-profile trial

Delivering his remarks in halting sentences, Combs apologized directly to Ventura and Jane, as well as to his family and to the Black community. “I hate myself right now. I’ve been stripped down to nothing,” he said, leaning heavily on the defence table as he trembled.

Judge Subramanian acknowledged Combs’s positive contributions but told him plainly that his actions had inflicted lasting harm. “A history of good works does not excuse the abuse you inflicted,” he said.

The victims’ voices

While Ventura did not attend the sentencing in person, her words reverberated in the courtroom through a written statement submitted earlier in the week. In it, she described her ongoing fear of Combs and her determination to hold him accountable. “I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up,” Ventura wrote.

The judge praised both Ventura and Jane for their courage in testifying. “We heard you,” Subramanian said. “Your families are proud of you. And your children, when they’re old enough, will be proud of you.”

Prosecutors sought a tougher outcome

Prosecutors had painted Combs as a man who exploited his wealth and influence to orchestrate years of abuse. They accused him of staging “freak-off” parties fuelled by drugs and coercion, where women were forced into degrading acts. They argued that the evidence—including photographs of Ventura’s injuries—demonstrated a pattern of violent control.

For prosecutors, the sentence was far too lenient. They had asked for more than a decade behind bars, arguing that Combs posed an ongoing risk. In court filings, they said his decision to book speaking events before sentencing was “the height of hubris.”

What happens now

Combs has already served more than a year at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his 2024 arrest. That time will count toward his sentence, meaning he may spend roughly three more years in prison, possibly less if he qualifies for early release.

Legal experts described the sentence as a compromise—substantial enough to reflect the gravity of his crimes, but shorter than what might have been possible given the 20-year maximum. Judges in such cases can weigh not only the jury’s verdict but also evidence presented at trial, even if it did not result in convictions.

Combs’s lawyers have signalled that they plan to appeal both the conviction and the sentence. They argue that Judge Subramanian’s repeated references to coercion during sentencing were unconstitutional, since Combs had not been convicted of coercion-related charges. Appeals could take months to resolve.

The question of a pardon

One looming question is whether Combs could seek a presidential pardon. While theoretically possible, President Donald Trump has recently cast doubt on the idea. Trump told Newsmax in August that he had once been friendly with Combs but cited the rapper’s “terrible statements” during past elections as a barrier. “That makes a pardon more difficult to do,” Trump said.

Combs’s legal team has confirmed that they reached out to the White House earlier this year. While Trump has shown willingness to grant clemency in other celebrity cases, he has indicated that Combs may not be among them.

A legacy in jeopardy

The sentencing marks a dramatic fall for a man who once symbolized success in the worlds of music, fashion, and business. Combs was not only a chart-topping producer but also a mogul who built an empire spanning clothing lines, spirits brands, and television ventures. Yet the trial revealed a darker side, one that prosecutors said was hidden behind wealth and power.

For his family, Friday’s hearing was about more than punishment. “Please give our family the chance to heal together, not as a headline but as human beings,” his daughter Chance pleaded. But for Ventura and Jane, the case was about accountability and survival.

Combs’s future will now be defined less by music charts and business ventures and more by the slow process of appeals, prison time, and attempts to repair a shattered legacy.