Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs are asking a federal judge to sentence the music mogul to 14 months, effectively equal to the time he has already served, following his July 2 conviction for transportation for the purposes of prostitution.
Combs, 55, was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering but has remained in custody for over a year at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. In a 380-page sentencing memo filed Monday, his legal team argued that no punishment beyond time served would be fair or just.
“Mr. Combs’s near-13 months in prison has been life-changing, productive, and a testament to his desire to return to his family and community and lead the best life possible,” his lawyers wrote, adding that he has used his incarceration to pursue rehabilitation, including sobriety from substance use.
The filing also includes letters of support from Combs’ mother, children, friends, and longtime business associates. It pushes back against expected recommendations from prosecutors and the Probation Department for a far lengthier sentence, reportedly around five years. “The prosecutors, for their part, have lost all perspective,” the defense argued, calling their stance a “draconian approach” that disregards the jury’s partial acquittal.
The defense memo also seeks to frame Combs as a man scarred by loss and trauma who is now seeking redemption. It cites the deaths of his father, his best friend Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, longtime partner Kim Porter, and mentor Andre Harrell as events that fueled years of unaddressed struggles with anger, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Combs’ sentencing is scheduled for October 3. A federal judge already denied his July request for release pending the hearing.