Culture Judge says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs must stay in jail...

Judge says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs must stay in jail until sentencing

-

- Advertisment -
ADVERTISEMENT

Disgraced rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs must stay in jail while he waits for his sentencing, a judge said, denying his latest bid for bail.

Combs, 55, has been behind bars since his September arrest. He faced federal charges of coercing girlfriends into having drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them.

He was acquitted last month of the top charges – racketeering and sex trafficking – while being convicted of two counts of a prostitution-related offense.

Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges - 2 July 2025
Sean “Diddy” Combs reacts after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges – 2 July 2025 AP Photo

In denying Combs’ $50 million bond proposal, Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip-hop impresario hadn’t proven that he did not pose a flight risk or danger, nor shown an “exceptional circumstance” that would justify his release after a conviction that otherwise requires detention. 

Combs’ arguments “might have traction in a case that didn’t involve evidence of violence, coercion or subjugation in connection with the acts of prostitution at issue, but the record here contains evidence of all three,” the judge wrote.

Combs’ conviction carries the potential for up to 10 years in prison. However, there are complicated federal guidelines for calculating sentences in any given case, and prosecutors and Combs’ lawyers disagree on how the guidelines come out for his case.

The guidelines aren’t mandatory, and Subramanian will have wide latitude in deciding Combs’ punishment.

Courtroom sketch of Judge Arun Subramanian
Courtroom sketch of Judge Arun Subramanian AP Photo

Since the verdict, Combs’ lawyers have repeatedly renewed their efforts to get him out on bail until his sentencing, which is set for October.

They have argued that the acquittals undercut the rationale for holding him, and they have pointed to other people who were released before sentencing on similar convictions.

In a recent interview, Donald Trump called Combs “half-innocent”, but said that it’s “more likely a no” that the rapper would get a presidential pardon.  

“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” Trump told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, adding: “[He’s] still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory.” 

When asked whether he would consider pardoning Combs, Trump recalled that he was “very friendly” with the rapper and that he “got along with him great.” 

Indeed, Trump reportedly attended some of Combs’ VIP parties in New York City and once called the rapper “a good friend” during a 2012 episode of The Apprentice. 

However, Trump added: “But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. It’s hard, you know? We’re human beings. And we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office, and he made some terrible statements. So I don’t know…. it makes it more difficult to do.” 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest news

Newly discovered document adds evidence that Shroud of Turin is fake

ADVERTISEMENT The Shroud of Turin is one of the most treasured ancient artefacts, attracting countless tourists to the Italian city - despite the fact that the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin only publicly displays it on special occasions. Also known as the Holy Shroud, the linen cloth bears the faint image of

Original Harry Potter director on reboot series: ‘What’s the point?’

ADVERTISEMENT Chris Columbus, the celebrated American director of both Home Alone films, Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter films, has questioned the need to reboot the series with the upcoming HBO adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels. The filmmaker is currently promoting his Netflix film The Thursday Murder Club, which is based on the

Film of the Week: ‘Sorry, Baby’ – A masterful exploration of trauma

ADVERTISEMENT The scariest thing about life’s worst moments is the silence in which they often unfold. The world goes on, night falls, the windows of a suburban house glow as cars drive by. Yet for the person inside, existence has cracked; an irrevocable disconnect between who you once were, and the confused ghost you’ve become. 

From Taylor to Twin Peaks: The most iconic rings in pop culture

ADVERTISEMENT Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have set the internet ablaze with news of their engagement, and all eyes have been on the ring.  According to US reports, Kelce worked with New York designer Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry to design the ring and since the news of the engagement broke, the designer’s website has
- Advertisement -

165-million-year-old dinosaur with ‘weaponised tail’ found in Morocco

ADVERTISEMENT Scientists have unearthed the remains of a heavily armoured dinosaur, complete with rib spikes, a bony neck collar and a tail that may have doubled as a weapon. The fossil, discovered in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, dates back 165 million years and belongs to a newly identified species of ankylosaur called Spicomellus. And this wasn’t

Why is Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum warning it may have to close?

ADVERTISEMENT Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh, has issued an extraordinary warning: without fresh government funding, it may be forced to shut its doors. The museum says a shortfall in state support threatens a €104m renovation plan - and with it the safety of the

Must read

Newly discovered document adds evidence that Shroud of Turin is fake

ADVERTISEMENT The Shroud of Turin is one of the most treasured ancient artefacts, attracting countless tourists to the Italian city - despite the fact that the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin only publicly displays it on special occasions. Also known as the Holy Shroud, the linen cloth bears the faint image of

Original Harry Potter director on reboot series: ‘What’s the point?’

ADVERTISEMENT Chris Columbus, the celebrated American director of both Home Alone films, Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter films, has questioned the need to reboot the series with the upcoming HBO adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s novels. The filmmaker is currently promoting his Netflix film The Thursday Murder Club, which is based on the
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you