Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs froze in disbelief in court after being sentenced for more than 4 years
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appeared visibly shocked in court after the verdict in his trial was delivered, as per The Blast.
The music mogul received a four-year prison sentence and was fined $500,000.
The ruling was handed down in a Manhattan courtroom, leaving Diddy looking devastated during the hearing.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sentenced to 50 months in prison
The music mogul faced numerous charges and accusations over an extended period. He and his legal team had hoped for a lighter sentence of 14 months, with time already served counting towards it, but that did not happen.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the case, delivered the sentence, leaving Combs shocked and frozen for a few seconds.
Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison following his conviction for arranging drug-fueled sexual encounters across state lines. Diddy will have about 13 months counted toward his sentence for time already served behind bars. After he gets out of prison, he will have to follow certain rules and be monitored for five years
Subramanian said the sentence reflects the seriousness of Diddy’s actions and sends a message to stop others from doing the same.
“A substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability,” the judge told the courtroom.
Diddy addressed the court during a 12-minute statement, and said in a shaking voice, “I beg your honor for mercy."
“No matter what anybody says, I know that I’m truly sorry for it all," he continued.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ legal team pushes for leniency
During the hearing, Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ defence team made several arguments to persuade Judge Subramanian to show leniency.
They stressed that he was 'not a pimp,' despite the prostitution-related charges.
“Pimps seek out and recruit women with one sole intent: to prostitute them out to other people. He is not that man,” said Diddy’s lawyer, Xavier Donaldson.
He also mentioned the rapper’s drug addiction as a factor in his actions.
“Before he started using drugs… when he was that person, he was focused, he was determined. He had this idealistic view of the world. That person still exists,” Donaldson added.
The hip-hop mogul was convicted on two counts of prostitution-related charges during a grueling eight-week trial in July.
Additional charges of trafficking and racketeering were later added against him.
Lawyers’ claims rejected as prosecutor hits back at Diddy
The prosecution countered Diddy's lawyers’ claims that he was not a pimp.
“Really, what are pimps? Pimps exploit and control their victims. That’s what the defendant did here,” said prosecutor Christy Slavik.
Slavik called Combs a “master puppeteer of his own image” and explained how he used wealth and power to portray a misleading public persona.
“He uses his wealth and power to portray a particular image to the world, but that image is incomplete and misleading,” she said.
She also argued that despite Diddy’s apparent show of remorse, he cannot be trusted.
“You can’t trust his words. This case shows that behind closed doors, he wasn’t helping others; he was exploiting and violently abusing them.”
Who was present from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ family in courtroom
The courtroom and overflow rooms were packed with Diddy’s family.
His mother Janice, six of his children, his sister Keisha, and producer Dallas Austin were all there. Some of his children also participated in parts of the hearing.
Diddy wore a tan sweater and dark trousers. He spent most of the time whispering and passing notes to his lawyers, Brian Steel and Nicole Westmoreland.
He grew emotional during an 11-minute video showing the late Kim Porter, the mother of four of his children.
