Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail once again by a federal judge as he remains in custody ahead of his sentencing scheduled for October 3, 2025. Despite being cleared on the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, a judge has ruled he must stay behind bars following convictions on lesser, prostitution-related charges.
Legal History and Trial Outcome
Combs was arrested in September 2024 and held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn pending trial. A federal jury delivered its verdict on July 2, 2025, finding him not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, but guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. While the jury rejected the most severe accusations, the convictions still carry up to 10 years in prison per count, meaning Combs faces a possible maximum of 20 years. Prosecutors have stated they may seek a sentence in the 51 to 63‑month range (approximately four to five years), though the final sentence will rest with Judge Arun Subramanian, who retains flexibility under federal sentencing guidelines.
Latest Bail Denial
On August 4, 2025, Judge Subramanian formally rejected Combs’s fifth request for bail. Defense attorneys had proposed a $50 million bond, home incarceration in his Miami residence, travel restrictions, electronic monitoring, and private security arrangements. The judge ruled that Combs had not met his legal burden to prove he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. The court held that increasing bond amount or adding conditions would not sufficiently offset concerns about his history and conduct. Moreover, there were no “exceptional reasons” — such as severe medical or age-related factors — that would warrant an exception to mandatory detention policy.
Judge’s Concerns: Risk, Violence, Coercion
The judge pointed to Combs’s extensive history of domestic violence, including surveillance footage from 2016 showing him kicking and dragging ex‑partner Cassie Ventura, citing these patterns as evidence that he poses a danger and might intimidate witnesses or flee. Prosecutors also argued that evidence from the trial demonstrated a pattern of orchestrated coercion: Combs allegedly arranged elaborate “freak-off” parties involving female partners and male sex workers under drug-fuelled circumstances, filming the events and controlling participation through threats and false promises. While the defense insisted that the acts were consensual and part of a “swingers” lifestyle, the government emphasized that the behavior documented during the trial placed the case outside typical prostitution scenarios and highlighted risk and coercion.
What Comes Next
Combs remains detained pending his sentencing hearing on October 3, 2025, during which Judge Subramanian will consider all relevant sentencing factors. There remains considerable disagreement about how the federal sentencing guidelines apply in his case, and defense and prosecution continue to advocate for markedly different outcomes. Combs will receive credit for approximately ten months already spent in custody, which will reduce the potential incarceration time should the judge impose a multi‑year sentence.
Conclusion
In summary:
- Diddy has been denied bail for the fifth time, despite multiple proposals including a massive bond and strict supervision plans.
- The judge cited risks of flight and public danger, referencing documented violence and coercive conduct.
- Although he was acquitted of the most serious charges, his convictions on prostitution-related counts carry significant prison exposure.
- Sentencing remains scheduled for October 3, 2025, at which point his fate will be determined.
