Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul facing decades of abuse allegations, received a 50-month prison sentence Friday for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, igniting rage on social media. Users on X blasted the term as equivalent to about four years after crediting pretrial detention, as woefully lenient compared to the graphic evidence of coerced “freak-offs,” assaults, and a criminal enterprise detailed in his federal trial.
On X, reactions erupted with widespread anger over the perceived leniency, especially given the volume. Users highlighted a “two-tier justice system” favouring elites.
One post read: “FOUR YEARS. That’s it. … If it were you or me, they’d bury us under the prison.” @davidson_f14299 Another fumed:
“Diddy only getting 50 months… is an example of how the justice system is absolutely (rigged). There was PROOF,” @youcouldbmywife
Critics compared it to harsher penalties for minor drug offences:
“Diddy getting only 4 years… yet let somebody smoke a…plant and they’re getting life,” @ponytailyuh. Some expressed rage for victims: “I’m so livid & I’m angry for Cassie,” @xmugenyoruichix. A law student @zalophusw lamented: “Diddy getting only 4 years… is disgusting. … The justice system has failed the victims again.”
Read also: Diddy gets 50 months jail term for prostitution related charges
Combs has already served about 13 months in pretrial detention, leaving roughly 37 months to complete.
The sentencing follows a two-month trial that ended in July with Combs convicted on the lesser prostitution charges but acquitted on more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking counts. Prosecutors had sought at least 11 years, citing evidence of a criminal enterprise involving coerced sexual acts known as “freak-offs.” Defence attorneys recommended 14 months, arguing Combs’ actions stemmed from addiction and lacked intent for trafficking.
Before the ruling, Combs apologised in court, calling his behaviour “sickening” and stating he had lost himself to excess.
The case traces back decades but gained momentum in November 2023 when Combs’ ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of years of physical abuse, sexual assault, and forced participation in drug-fueled orgies.
The suit settled within a day, but it prompted federal scrutiny. Combs faced at least 10 civil suits alleging rape, drug-facilitated assault, and abuse, including claims from a minor.
Raids on his Los Angeles and Miami homes in March 2024 uncovered guns, drugs, and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, tied to the alleged events.
Authorities arrested Combs in September 2024 at a New Jersey airport, charging him with leading a racketeering conspiracy that coerced women and others into sex acts, using threats, violence, and drugs. Witnesses, including Ventura, testified about beatings and marathon “freak-offs” lasting days, with Combs allegedly filming and distributing videos. Video evidence from 2016 showed Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway. Despite this, the jury cleared him of the top charges, sparing a potential life sentence.
Combs’ team plans to appeal, calling the sentence excessive for a first-time offender. He will report to a federal facility, possibly in New York or Florida, pending designation.
