Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing imminent sentencing in his high-profile sex-trafficking case, as a federal judge has decisively rejected his motions for a new trial or acquittal. This ruling extinguishes any last-minute hopes for a reprieve, including any lingering, albeit dismissed, speculation about a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.
Judge Arun Subramanian's 16-page order, recently entered into the federal docket, emphasized the "overwhelming evidence" of Combs' guilt under the Mann Act. This evidence, meticulously presented by the government, included compelling testimony from his former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a pseudonymed "Jane," along with accounts from escorts and corroborating text messages and emails. The judge stated unequivocally that the prosecution "proved its case many times over."
Following a brief September 25 hearing in a rain-soaked New York City, where Combs' defense presented its post-trial motions, Judge Subramanian had promised a swift decision. However, after presiding over Combs' often intense eight-week trial, which culminated in a July 2 jury verdict finding him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, the judge took several days to deliver his final ruling.
With this ruling, the path is now fully clear for the long-scheduled October 3 sentencing of the 55-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records. Despite the almost certain federal government shutdown slated for midnight Tuesday, courts are expected to remain operational, ensuring no delay for Diddy's sentencing.
Any hopes the defense might have harbored due to the longer-than-expected wait for a decision on a new trial or acquittal were completely quashed by the judge's statement. Judge Subramanian noted that the jury's decision to not convict Combs on other severe charges, such as arson or forced labor, demonstrated that any potentially inflammatory evidence did not prejudice their verdict on the Mann Act charges. He concluded definitively, "A new trial is not warranted."
Combs was present in court last Thursday, appearing in prison attire for the first time since his trial concluded nearly three months prior. He was joined by numerous family members and close associates, all of whom are anticipated to return for the sentencing hearing later this week.
While the jury acquitted Combs of the more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering charges—a significant setback for the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Southern District of New York—thereby sparing him a potential life sentence, his convictions on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carry a maximum of 10 years each. However, observers do not expect the Grammy winner to serve anything close to a 20-year term.
On the morning of September 30, East Coast time, federal prosecutors filed their sentencing recommendation, proposing 11 years and three months in federal prison for Combs, coupled with a substantial six-figure fine. In contrast, the defense, led by Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, is pushing for a considerably lighter sentence of 14 months, with time already served. Such an outcome would see Combs, currently held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest, released before Christmas.
The judge's denial of a new trial and acquittal came as little surprise, given his consistent refusal of Combs' $50 million bail requests—including two post-trial—and other attempts to derail the case, often citing Combs' admitted history of violence and abuse.
On September 24, Combs' lawyers attempted to pivot the case towards a First Amendment defense, arguing that the drug-fueled, paid "freak offs" were merely their now-sober client producing "highly choreographed" sex tapes with his lovers for private viewing. Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro further asserted at the September 25 hearing that the "racist and sexist" Mann Act should be construed narrowly, applying essentially only to "pimping."
The federal prosecutors, however, swiftly rejected this constitutional argument. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik underscored the severity of the abuse suffered by Combs' then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who was "getting punched in the face," and "Jane," who was "getting hit and kicked," while Combs provided drugs to all parties. Slavik clarified that the Mann Act criminalizes the transportation of individuals for prostitution, not the filming of sex acts.
Before concluding proceedings last Thursday, Judge Subramanian inquired if the defense would raise any objections to the sentencing should their motions be denied, to which attorney Shapiro confirmed they would not.
Earlier, on September 25, the judge denied an initial defense request for Combs to wear "non-prison clothing" for the hearing and subsequent sentencing, citing insufficient explanation. However, after receiving a renewed and more detailed letter from Combs' team on Friday, which emphasized the "significant importance" of the sentencing proceeding and the desire for Combs to appear "dignified and respectful," Judge Subramanian issued an order. He permitted Combs to receive specific non-prison clothing at the MDC for his October 3 sentencing: "one button down shirt, one pair of pants, one sweater, and one pair of shoes without laces."
Adding another layer to Combs' legal woes, his former stylist, Deonte Nash, recently filed a sexual battery and human trafficking civil lawsuit against him in Los Angeles Superior Court. The 37-page complaint alleges that Nash endured "sexual, physical, mental, and emotional abuse" during his ten-year employment, detailing claims of "forced tests of loyalty and manipulation, sexual harassment and sexual assaults, physical violence and manhandling, labor trafficking, threats of harm, and threats of death." Nash, who previously testified at Combs' criminal trial under subpoena, stated on September 24 that he found the courage to take action after years of abuse, asserting that Combs has "never taken accountability."
Combs' lawyer, Erica Wolff, immediately dismissed the new civil suit, calling Nash an "opportunist looking to profit off his proximity to celebrity." Reiterating past defense rhetoric, Wolff claimed the complaint was "riddled with falsehoods" and contradicted established court records, adding that Combs has dedicated his career to "uplifting artists" and intends to "clear his name again."
Further complicating the periphery of the case, the lead prosecutor, Maurene Comey, is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. This connection briefly fueled speculative mentions of a potential Trump pardon, especially given the ongoing political entanglements between Donald Trump and the Comey family, underscoring the former president's tendency to personalize such matters.
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Originally published at: https://deadline.com/2025/09/diddy-no-new-trial-1236556188/
