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Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to be his sentence on Friday morning by a US district judge in New York, after his guilty verdict earlier this 2025 on federal prostitution-related charges.

Here is a summary of his legal proceedings: the charges he faced, what happened at trial, and what might happen next.

What Charges Was He Found Guilty Of?

In July, after an eight-week trial, a panel of jurors convicted Combs of two charges of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was acquitted of the most serious charges against him, racketeering and sex trafficking, which carried the potential of a life sentence.

The offenses on which he was convicted each carry a maximum sentence of a decade. Combs had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

The presiding judge, Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will hand down the ruling on Friday, with the hearing set to start at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in federal district court in downtown Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been held without bail at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in September last year. Since the decision, the judge has rejected two bail requests from Combs’s lawyers, and recently Subramanian also denied a motion to overturn the convictions.

What Was Combs Facing?

Federal prosecutors accused the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his status and resources, and employing intimidation and coercion, to force former partners into engaging in sex parties involving drugs with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the defendant as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs orchestrated, observed, pleasured himself to and sometimes filmed.

The government alleged that for more than two decades, Combs operated a illegal operation – assisted by staff and allies – to carry out and hide offenses including sex trafficking, drug distribution, corruption and kidnapping.

Despite being convicted on two counts, Combs has denied any misconduct. His attorneys have insisted that every encounter was consensual and that no criminal enterprise existed.

What Transpired During the Trial?

The government's case called more than 30 witnesses, including former partners of Combs – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a second individual who testified using the alias Jane – who recounted the alleged events in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs coerced and threatened them into participating.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She stated that during her 11-year, on-off relationship with Combs, he exposed her to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and to extortion. The jury was presented with the 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a corridor. Jane also told the court of a physical confrontation with Combs.

Additional testimony included ex-staff, male escorts, police officers, hotel staff and public figures including rapper Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs chose not to take the stand.

Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged past instances of abuse, but disputed that any coercion or trafficking took place. They maintained that every sexual act was agreed upon and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were willing participants in the sex acts.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s attorneys have asked the court for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in prison, which, considering time served, would allow for his freedom before the end of the year. They claim that Combs has already been “adequately punished” by serving 13 months in the “harsh environment” at the detention center.

Federal prosecutors, however, have sought a minimum of 135 months (over a decade) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they described Combs as “showing no remorse” and said that “his background and behavior” demonstrate a pattern of misconduct.

What Statements Were Made In Victim Impact Statements?

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

“Although the jurors did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in the events because of the force and coercion the accused used against me, I know that is the reality, and his sentence should reflect the truth of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura stated.

“I am so fearful that if he is released, his first actions will be immediate revenge towards me and other individuals who testified about his abuse, at trial,” she wrote.

“If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that those affected will never be safe,” she added. “I hope that your decision takes into account the truths at hand that the jury failed to see.”

What Happens Next?

After sentencing, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the decision. Combs’s defense is also expected to appeal his conviction.

Additionally, Combs is confronting dozens of civil cases accusing him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He has denied all allegations in those suits.