Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request for an acquittal or a new trial was denied on Tuesday, September 30, just days before his scheduled sentencing.
Judge Arun Subramanian wrote in a judgment obtained by People and Deadline that the “government proved its case many times over” in its federal case against the star. “That by itself might be enough to dispose of Combs’s challenge,” the judge determined.
Subramanian’s decision comes after a Thursday, September 25, hearing in New York to consider the rapper’s latest motion.
Diddy’s attorneys filed a motion in July asking that the disgraced music mogul, 55, either be acquitted or granted a new trial. Earlier that month, the Grammy winner was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges following his September 2024 arrest.
The July 2 verdict came after a highly publicized trial that lasted nearly two months. Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, whom he dated off and on from 2007 to 2018, served as a witness for the prosecution, testifying about alleged physical and sexual abuse during their relationship. (Diddy denied all of her allegations.)
In November 2023, Cassie, 39, filed a lawsuit against Diddy accusing him of abuse. He denied her claims at the time, and the duo settled out of court one day later. Many of those claims were discussed during Diddy’s federal trial, and in May, Cassie testified that she settled the original case for $20 million.
Diddy has asked for bail multiple times since his arrest last year, but Subramanian has denied every request. The latest denial came in August after Diddy’s attorneys argued that “exceptional circumstances” warranted his release. Subramanian, however, said the defense failed to prove such circumstances existed and ruled that Diddy would stay in jail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he has been since his arrest.
When Diddy’s lawyers asked for his release after the verdict was read, Cassie’s attorney asked the judge to deny his bail request.
“Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,” wrote attorney Douglas Wigdor.
The Sean John founder faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, with each transportation charge carrying a maximum of 10 years. He is likely to receive a much shorter sentence, however, and the year he’s spent in jail will count as time served.
Diddy’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, October 3. Prosecutors are seeking an 11-year prison sentence, while Diddy’s lawyers argued that he should serve no more than 14 months in prison followed by a supervised release.
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.
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