Three months ago, Sean Diddy Combs fell to his knees in a Manhattan courtroom after a New York jury acquitted him of charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
I'm coming home, he said, turning around to face his family, who had supported him every day of the trial.
On Friday, a subdued version of the hip-hop mogul sat emotionless and still in his chair, as the judge sentenced him to over four years in prison.
After Judge Arun Subramanian finished reading his sentence, the rapper turned around to look at his family and appeared to mouth the words: I love you, I'm sorry.
It was a quiet moment to mark the end of a chaotic eight-week trial that forever altered the public's image of Combs - once one of the world's most famous rappers. The jury saw graphic videos of Combs' so-called freak offs - sex parties he had filmed featuring hired male escorts and his ex Cassandra Ventura and Jane, an anonymous victim. They also saw a video, that had previously gone viral, of him beating Ventura in a hotel hallway.
In July, a panel of 12 New Yorkers acquitted Combs, 55, of sex trafficking and racketeering charges - which carried the potential of life in prison - but found him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.
His attorneys hoped he would be out of prison in a matter of weeks, asking the court for a sentence of 14 months, 13 of which he had already served. Prosecutors accused Combs of running a criminal enterprise to coerce women into unwanted and drug-fuelled sex acts. Although he had been acquitted of those most serious of those charges, sex-trafficking and racketeering, they had asked for a sentence of over 11 years in prison.
Ultimately, Judge Subramanian told a downcast Combs that his crimes and abuse of his ex-girlfriends warranted 50 months in prison.
As he told the court that Combs had used his fame and power to subjugate his victims, the music mogul did not look up, remaining expressionless for the judge's 20-minute speech. His entourage of over 30 family members were packed in the courtroom behind him.
During the all-day hearing, the court listened to hours of speeches from several of his attorneys, his children, a pastor and a criminal justice reform advocate who told the court that Combs was a changed and sober man since detention. They also watched a video compilation from his legal team showing him with his children as well as the funeral of his former girlfriend Kim Porter, the mother of some of his children who died in 2018.
But the court did not hear from the victims themselves. Subramanian called the letter from Combs's defense calling one of the victims a liar inappropriate, thanking the strong women who came forward with allegations against Combs.
Combs also addressed the court, pleading for mercy while expressing remorse for failing his family. The hearing was filled with emotion, as several of his children spoke, asking for a lighter sentence due to their need for their father.
The judge, while acknowledging Combs' family ties, emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the damage caused to the victims. Combs, now facing a lengthy prison sentence, was advised that there could be hope for the future beyond his incarceration.
As the proceedings concluded, Combs was led back to a federal jail in Brooklyn, leaving behind a courtroom filled with emotional supporters.
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