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Sean "Diddy" Combs is scheduled for his sentence on Friday morning by a federal judge in New York, following his conviction earlier this 2025 on charges related to prostitution.

This article provides a overview of his legal proceedings: the charges he faced, what happened at trial, and what might happen next.

What Was He Found Guilty Of?

In July, following a two-month trial, a panel of jurors convicted Combs of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering and human trafficking, which could have resulted in the potential of a life sentence.

The offenses on which he was found guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years. Combs had entered a not guilty plea to all of the charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will hand down the ruling on Friday, with the court session due to begin at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Combs, 55, has been held without bail at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in September last year. Since the verdict, the judge has denied multiple bail applications from Combs’s lawyers, and earlier this week Subramanian also rejected a motion to set aside the guilty verdicts.

What Allegations Was Combs Accused Of?

Federal prosecutors alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of using his power, fame, wealth and influence, and employing intimidation and coercion, to force two of his former girlfriends into participating in drug-fueled sexual marathons with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the accused as “hotel nights”, which prosecutors claimed Combs organized, watched, pleasured himself to and sometimes filmed.

The prosecution alleged that for more than two decades, Combs ran a illegal operation – aided by staff and allies – to conduct and conceal crimes including sex-trafficking, drug dealing, bribery and abduction.

Despite being convicted on two charges, Combs has disputed wrongdoing. His lawyers have insisted that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no illicit organization was present.

What Transpired At Trial?

The government's case presented more than 30 witnesses, including former partners of Combs – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman who testified under the pseudonym of “Jane” – who described the so-called “freak-offs” in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs coerced and threatened them into taking part.

Ventura was the key witness for the prosecution. She stated that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and to extortion. The court was shown the 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura in a corridor. Jane also testified of a violent altercation with Combs.

Additional testimony included ex-staff, male escorts, law enforcement agents, hotel employees and celebrities including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged past instances of abuse, but disputed that any coercion or trafficking took place. They maintained that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a “alternative lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the sex acts.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have asked the court for a sentence of no more than 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would allow for his release before the end of the year. They argue that Combs has already been “adequately punished” by spending over a year in the “terrible conditions” at the detention center.

The prosecution, however, have sought a minimum of 135 months (over a decade) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they portrayed Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his background and behavior” demonstrate years of abuse and violence.

What Was Said In Victim Impact Statements?

The government filed several victim impact statements to the judge ahead of sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“While the jury did not seem to understand or believe that I participated in the events because of the pressure and intimidation the accused used against me, I know that is the reality, and his sentence should reflect the truth of the testimony and my lived experience as a victim,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so fearful that if he is released, his initial steps will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his misconduct, at court,” she wrote.

“If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that those affected will never be safe,” she continued. “I hope that your decision considers the facts at hand that the panel overlooked.”

What Comes After Sentencing?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s legal team could challenge the sentence. Combs’s defense is also likely to contest his conviction.

Separately, Combs faces numerous civil cases accusing him of misconduct and other misconduct. He has disputed every claim in those suits.