Sean “Diddy” Combs, a 55-year-old rap entrepreneur, has been sentenced to 50 months in prison for crimes relating to prostitution and sexual abuse. Judge Arun Subramanian, who is from India and is in charge of the high-profile case, gave the punishment, which is equal to four years and two months.
The conviction was based on accusations that Combs exploited his power to fly people around the country for sexual encounters, which he allegedly called “freak-offs.”
Judge Subramanian Sends a Message About Responsibility
Judge Arun Subramanian gave Combs a long term, saying that his “impressive” music career didn’t change the fact that he had a history of sexual abuse and needed to be held accountable.
The court told Combs directly, “You were no john,” rejecting the defense lawyers’ claims that the sex was consensual and that the artist was at most a “john” (a customer of a prostitute).
“You were more than that, even if what you wanted was sex instead of money. The court said, “But the coercion was the same, if not worse.”
The New York Times says that Judge Subramanian said that the sentence was necessary “to send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.”
The judge also said that Combs exploited his celebrity and authority to “subjugate” his victims. The BBC said that the rapper didn’t look up when he heard this.
Combs later seemed to express to his friends and family in the courtroom, “I love you, I’m sorry.”
Victims face terrible consequences
Judge Subramanian told Combs again how bad the crimes were, saying, “I know you feel like you’re in a dark place right now, but these crimes were very serious, and your violence, coercion, and abuse have had terrible effects on the women involved, women who loved and depended on you.”
The judge also gave the defendant a $500,000 fine on top of the 50-month prison sentence.
How to Figure Out Jail Time
A 50-month sentence would usually mean that Combs will stay in jail until January 2031. But the fallen star might be able to go early because he has already served 12 months in prison, which is said to be the amount of time he has already served.