Diddy’s Lawyers Challenge Prison Sentence, Claim Unfair Ruling
Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs are pushing back against his prison sentence, accusing the judge who oversaw the case of unfairly influencing the outcome.
According to TMZ, Combs’ legal team has filed an appeal seeking to overturn his 50-month federal sentence, handed down just months after he was convicted on two counts of violating the Mann Act, which involves transportation related to prostitution. If the sentence is not overturned, his lawyers are requesting a reduced term.
The “Thirteenth Juror”
The appeal centers on allegations that Arun Subramanian, the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, acted as a “13th juror” during the racketeering and sexual assault trial. Diddy’s lead appellate attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, described the sentencing as a “draconian ruling,” arguing that the judge improperly considered allegations of violent conduct, despite Combs being acquitted of those charges.
Defense attorneys also dispute the court’s interpretation of the evidence, maintaining that Combs did not arrange travel for sex workers, even though he was ultimately convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Notably, near the end of the trial in June, Combs publicly praised Judge Subramanian, telling him he was doing an “excellent job.” Combs also chose not to testify in his own defense.
Combs and His Team is Fighting
Federal prosecutors have until early 2026 to respond to the appeal. In the meantime, Combs is serving his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, where reports say he has taken on work in the prison’s media library. He also reportedly helped arrange a special Thanksgiving meal for fellow inmates last month.
While the legal process plays out, Combs has remained in the spotlight. New allegations surfaced earlier this month in the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning, produced by 50 Cent.
50 Cent has since reacted to the documentary’s success on social media, sharing a post that referenced Netflix’s Stranger Things.
“I know Stranger Things is pissed they spent $500M on a season, only to be beat by Diddy doing stranger things,” he wrote, adding in the caption, “I been working today I haven’t seen anything what’s going on?”
As the appeal moves forward, Combs remains incarcerated while his legal team challenges both the sentence and the process that led to it.
