Grammy-winning music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for the second time as he awaits sentencing on federal prostitution-related charges, with a federal judge ruling that the 55-year-old remains a flight ris and that his legal team has failed to meet the burden for his release.
In a sharply worded opinion issued Monday, August 4, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian wrote:
“Combs fails to satisfy his burden to demonstrate an entitlement to release.”
The decision comes just a week after Combs’ legal team submitted a renewed bail motion following his partial conviction in July. The motion sought his release from the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, citing the facility’s poor conditions and the rapper’s acquittal on more serious charges.
Convicted of Prostitution-Related Charges, Acquitted on Others
Combs, who was arrested in September 2024, was found guilty in July of two counts of transportation for prostitution, following a sensational two-month trial that featured disturbing testimony from former partners, including singer Cassie Ventura. Witnesses described coercion, drug use, and sexual exploitation at the direction of Combs.
However, jurors acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges—offenses that could have carried life sentences. His attorneys hailed the verdict as a partial victory and quickly moved to secure his release on bail before his scheduled sentencing on October 3.
Judge Subramanian, however, was unmoved. In his ruling, he cited the serious nature of the convictions, Combs’ vast financial resources, and admissions of prior violence made during trial proceedings as reasons to deny bail.
“Increasing the amount of the bond or devising additional conditions doesn’t change the calculus given the circumstances and heavy burden of proof that Combs bears,” the judge wrote.
Claims About Jail Conditions Rejected
Combs’ legal team also argued that the conditions at MDC—long criticized for overcrowding, poor sanitation, and safety issues—should warrant his release. But the judge countered that the rapper had not been mistreated.
“As Combs acknowledges, MDC staff has been able to keep him safe and attend to his needs, even during an incident of threatened violence from an inmate,” Judge Subramanian noted.
Facing Up to 20 Years
Combs now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, though sentencing experts suggest he is more likely to receive 2 to 5 years, particularly given his acquittals on the most serious charges and the time already served.
His legal team has also filed a separate motion seeking either a full acquittal or a new trial on the prostitution-related convictions. Judge Subramanian has yet to rule on that motion.
Political Fallout and Public Scrutiny
The case has drawn national attention not only because of Combs’ celebrity status but also due to broader conversations about power, abuse, and accountability in the music industry.
Amid public speculation about whether former President Donald Trump if re-elected, might consider issuing a pardon, Trump dismissed the idea during a recent interview, stating Combs was “very hostile” during the 2020 campaign and that a pardon was “unlikely.”
Once a dominant figure in American pop culture through his Bad Boy Records label and entrepreneurial ventures, Combs now finds himself facing criminal consequences and a growing list of civil lawsuits stemming from similar allegations.
Next Steps
Combs will remain behind bars at MDC until his sentencing hearing on October 3, where Judge Subramanian will determine the final length of his prison term.
