Diddy’s ex Cassie Ventura has released a statement after Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to four plus years in prison for two prostitution related convictions.
In a statement, Cassie’s lawyer Doug Wigdor said, “While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed.”
“We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue healing knowing that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many.”
It was previously reported prior to sentencing:
A year after being arrested and taken into custody on s*x trafficking and racketeering charges, Sean Diddy Combs seems unlikely to be released from prison anytime soon. He was found guilty this summer on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, a verdict that has raised numerous allegations against the founder of Bad Boy Records via Deadline.
The sentencing hearing for Diddy recently resumed at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. The defense has begun its presentation, but Judge Arun Subramanian has already indicated his thoughts on the potential outcome of the case.
A potential Donald Trump pardon is still in the background and the Joe Biden-appointed judge informed the courtroom Friday that he was pretty much in line with sentencing guidelines from the probation office that would see Combs behind bars for over six years.
It’s important to emphasize, as the judge stated on Friday, that no final decision has been made. However, it now appears that any final sentence for Combs will fall within the range of 70 to 87 months, accompanied by a fine of approximately $200,000.
While Combs’ expensive defense team, led by Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, is arguing for a much shorter sentence of just 14 months, which would allow him to be released by Christmas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has a different perspective. Earlier this week, they recommended a significantly longer sentence of 135 months, or just over 11 years, based on federal guidelines interpreted differently than the defense’s argument.
With a button-down attired Combs in attendance and Trump fired lead prosecutor Maurene Comey absent, the hearing started off with a series of blows against the defense from the bench that picked up steam throughout the morning. After a letter to the judge Thursday that hit almost all the wrong notes, Combs’ hopes for leniency certainly wasn’t helped any more by the revelation from the prosecution that the optimistic ‘All About the Benjamins’ performer has already scheduled lucrative speaking engagements in Miami for next week. An openly dismissive Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik called this “the height of hubris,” in her opening statement this morning.
“This is not a person who has accepted responsibility,” Slavik said to the court on Combs and his conduct over the years and now.
On Friday, Combs was expected to address the court, but unexpectedly, the jury—comprising eight men and four women—found him not guilty of s*x-trafficking and RICO charges on July 2. If convicted, the 55-year-old Combs could have faced a life sentence. Despite repeatedly failing to secure bail, a new trial, or an acquittal, Combs has been teaching a life coaching class to fellow inmates while incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since September 2024.
The guilty verdicts on lesser prostitution charges—which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years each—represented a significant setback for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York after a nearly eight-week trial.
This high-profile trial included damning video evidence, admissions from Combs regarding domestic violence, threats to individuals such as Kid Cudi, and distressing testimonies from ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and “Jane.” Their testimonies included allegations of rape, coercion, and drug-fueled s*xual encounters captured on video with paid male escorts.
Still, in a prosecution case that reeked of overreach and split focus, it didn’t convince the jury. Having said that, with Judge ruling he considered the escorts, as well Ventura (who submitted a scathing impact statement earlier this week) and “Jane” to be victims. Judge Subramanian also is including the larger context of Combs’ acts of admitted violence (like the now infamous LA hotel security footage of the Grammy winner beating the Hell out of Me & U singer Ventura) and other behavior should be a factor in sentencing. The defense has said they view this as a violation of their client’s Constitutional rights, and could be a significant part of any appeal.
