By Bekka Barnard,Dan Grennan

Copyright dailystar

P Diddy has been sentenced to just over four years in prison following his highly publicized trial. The rapper was arrested on September 16, 2024 and has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Centre ever since.

The high profile trial began back in May, but just two months later in July a New York jury acquitted the rapper of the more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. But Combs faced 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution.

The business mogul’s defence team asked that the I’ll Be Missing You hitmaker be sentenced to no more than 14 months, while prosecutors sought more than 11 years of prison time for the rapper. Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced him to 50 months in prison.

Subramanian also imposed a fine of $500,000 (£371,000), the maximum possible as he said he took Combs’s “immense financial resources” into account, saying they “enabled his crimes.”

In sentencing, the judge said the defence’s call for 14 months was not sufficient because it does not account for aggravating factor – “the violence, the drugs and coercion”. Subramanian added that the sentence will be “hard time in prison” away from his family but he will still “have a life afterwards”.

Turning to Combs and his family, the judge told the rapper he understands he is in “a dark place” but added “you will get through this” and “there is a light at the end of the tunnel”.

He also said it is clear how important Combs is to his children and their mother. The judge added he now has “a chance for renewal and redemption”.

The judge also addressed the “strong women who came forward to tell their stories – stories of courage”. He said former partner’s Cassie and “Jane” – who testified under a pseudonym – went through “abuse and trauma we couldn’t imagine”.

Turning to Cassie and “the other brave survivors who came forward”, he said: “We heard you… these horrible acts were made public and Sean Combs will never be able to wash them away.

“I can only say your families are proud of you and your children will be proud of you… You weren’t just talking to the jury you were talking to the women who feel powerless – you gave them a voice, you stood up to power, it’s not easy.”

He added that the survivors showed the world that violence “doesn’t have to stay hidden forever” as he thanked them again for their courage.

Ahead of today’s hearing, the judge received dozens of letters from Combs’ loved ones, friends and family pleading for him to be released, while other witnesses including singer and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura sent letters calling for him to be given a harsher sentence.

Cassie wrote: “I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up,” before explaining that she’d moved her family out of New York and is trying to stay extremely private to protect their safety.

She added: “If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe. Although I can hope for justice and accountability, I have come to not trust anything.”

On 2 October, one day before his sentencing, Combs wrote a letter to the judge overseeing his trial and apologised “for all of the hurt and pain that he has caused,” saying he has turned over a new leaf after his time behind bars.

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