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Sean "Diddy" Combs is due to receive his sentence on Friday morning by a federal judge in New York, following his guilty verdict earlier this 2025 on federal prostitution-related charges.

Here is a overview of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and potential next steps.

What Was He Convicted On?

During July, following a two-month trial, a jury found Combs guilty of two charges of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was acquitted of the more severe allegations against him, racketeering conspiracy and human trafficking, which could have resulted in the possibility of a life sentence.

The offenses on which he was convicted each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. Combs had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

The presiding judge, Arun Subramanian, who presided over the case, will deliver the ruling on Friday, with the court session set to start at 10am ET in federal district court in downtown Manhattan.

Combs, 55, has been held without bail at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in the previous September. Since the verdict, the judge has rejected multiple bail applications from Combs’s legal team, and earlier this week Subramanian also denied a motion to overturn the guilty verdicts.

What Was Combs Accused Of?

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

The prosecution asserted that for over twenty years, Combs operated a criminal enterprise – assisted by employees and associates – to carry out and hide offenses including sex-trafficking, drug distribution, bribery and kidnapping.

Although found guilty on two charges, Combs has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have maintained that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no criminal enterprise was present.

What Transpired At Trial?

The prosecution presented over thirty witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – artist Cassie Ventura and another woman who testified using the alias Jane – who described the alleged events in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into taking part.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She testified that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to various forms of mistreatment and to blackmail. The court was presented with the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a hallway. Jane also told the court of a physical confrontation with Combs.

Additional testimony included former employees, escorts, police officers, hotel employees and public figures including musician Kid Cudi and singer Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s defense attorneys admitted past instances of abuse, but denied that any force or trafficking took place. They argued that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a “alternative lifestyle”, and argued that Ventura and Jane were willing participants in the encounters.

What Sentence Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have requested the judge for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would allow for his release by year's end. They argue that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by serving 13 months in the “terrible conditions” at the facility.

Federal prosecutors, however, have requested at least 135 months (over a decade) and a $500,000 fine. In court filings, they described Combs as “showing no remorse” and said that “his history and characteristics show a pattern of misconduct.

What Statements Were Made In Victim Impact Statements?

The government submitted several victim impact statements to the court before sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“While the jury did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in freak-offs because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his punishment should account for the truth of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so scared that if he is released, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse, at court,” she said.

“If there is one thing I have gained from this experience, it is that those affected will never be secure,” she continued. “I hope that your ruling takes into account the truths at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Comes After Sentencing?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s attorneys could challenge the sentence. Combs’s team is also expected to contest his conviction.

Additionally, Combs faces numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He has denied every claim in those suits.