Legal representatives for Sean Diddy Combs have asked a United States appeals court to overturn his prison sentence of more than four years, arguing that the punishment was improperly calculated.
The 56-year-old music executive was sentenced in October following a high-profile trial that drew widespread attention over allegations surrounding events described as “freak-offs.”
While a jury cleared him of more serious accusations, including sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs was convicted on two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.
At a hearing held Thursday at a Manhattan courthouse, defence lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued before a three-judge panel that the sentence—four years and two months—was excessive and based on flawed reasoning.
According to Shapiro, the trial judge, Arun Subramanian, relied on evidence connected to charges for which Combs had already been acquitted. She maintained that such material should not have influenced the final sentence.
“The evidence the judge relied on was tied to conduct the jury did not convict him of,” she told the court.
Prosecutors, however, pushed back against the defence’s position. Representing the government, Christy Slavik argued that certain incidents were directly relevant to the charges that led to conviction.
She cited an example involving a woman identified as Ventura, where Combs allegedly used recorded material to pressure her into continued involvement in organised encounters. Prosecutors said this behaviour was connected to the transportation offences.
In illustrating the complexity of the case, Slavik compared the evidence to slices of a pizza, suggesting that individual elements contributed to the broader legal picture considered during sentencing.
The panel did not deliver an immediate decision. One of the judges, William Nardini, described the matter as “exceptionally difficult,” signalling the legal intricacies involved.
Combs, who was not present at the hearing, is currently serving his sentence at Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey. He is projected to be released in the spring of 2028.
In addition to challenging his sentence, the music mogul is also appealing his conviction, although that issue was not the primary focus of Thursday’s proceedings.
