Sean "Diddy" Combs jailed for more than four years in prostitution case

 Katrina, just in the last few moments, a judge run Subramanian has sentenced Sha Combmes to 5050 months in prison for those two offenses. He was found guilty of trafficking to engage in prostitution. Now, bear in mind, Combmes has already been in prison behind bars for 13 months in the Metropolitan Detention Center. Uh so, we're waiting on more details from our colleagues inside the courtroom. There are no cameras inside the court, but one would imagine that the judge would take off the time already served, which would mean Combmes will have another 3 years and roughly 1 month to serve. As I say, those details aren't confirmed uh just yet, but what I do know is that 50 months uh in prison is the time being given to Sha Combmes for those offenses. Now, the judge previously said uh a serious uh sentence was needed, a substantial sentence to quote, "Send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability." Shan Combmes earlier addressed the court for the first time. He did not speak during the trial and gave a lengthy speech to the judge pleading for mercy, saying he was a reformed individual and asking for leniency. The judge said, "Accountability is key here, not reform, but accountability for the crimes you've committed. The sentence is 50 months." And Rich, just talk us through what were the range of options or what were both sides arguing for in terms of what they wanted for a sentence. starkly different. So the judges kind of landed almost in the middle here. The prosecution were asking for 11 years in prison. Now each of the two offenses for which he was found guilty could have separately taken a sentence of up to 10 years. So in theory he could have been looking at 20 years in prison. Uh the defense however were saying that as I said he's he's reformed. He's he's a changed man. He gives to his community. In their more recent arguments, they said he can now work for the government as someone working for young people and and advocating for young people and for prison reform. They were arguing he should only be serving 14 months, bearing in mind the 13 he's already done. So basically, we want him out of jail as soon as possible. So, the judge has to take into account these two arguments, of course. Plus, he had to take into account Shawn Combmes's very groveling, frankly, letter that he wrote the judge, this four-page letter that he sent to the judge yesterday, going on about what a reformed individual he is, the counseling and the therapy he's been through and how he reflects on the selfish character that he once was, and how he apologizes for the hurt that he caused. But as I say that the judge considers that in this case a serious sentence is necessary to send a message to victims and abusers alike that this kind of behavior wielding power wielding influence using your money to gain control over other people is not acceptable behavior. And Rich, just talk to us a little bit about the scene at the courthouse there because this trial lasted for weeks and weeks and there were large crowds outside, some supporting um Shan Combmes and some absolutely not supporting him. >> Yeah, absolutely. It's a real mix. I mean, what we have to start by saying is that media organizations from around the world are here. This has gained a lot of press attention. But immediately outside the court behind me, as we've said, uh opponents and proponents of combs alike, we've had lots of people riding past on their bikes shouting, "Free Diddy. This is There was a gentleman here just a few minutes ago saying this. This is a modern lynching. There are people here to witness a lynching in a digital age is what he said." Then we've also had people demonstrating saying that violence against women and girls, this kind of controlling, coercive behavior that we heard about in court, especially from the star witness Cassie Ventura Combmes's for former partner. These people are saying that a strong message needs to be sent to people like Combmes who want to use their money, power, influence in society, the networks they have to get people to do what they want them to do. And Rich, just remind us how big a star uh he was certainly over the last couple of decades and what people across the country what kind of place he occupies in the national conscious. >> Yeah, I mean he's huge Lewis. He came on the hip hop scene in the early 90s. He's changed his name over many years. So depending on the the the identity he went by, people know him by different things. Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Diddy. Then there was Love, Brother Love, then Back to Diddy. He started a record label in the early 90s which signed major artists like Notorious B.I., Mary J. Blige, Usher. He was heavily involved in the hip-hop conflicts between New York and the West Coast of the '9s, the the shootings of Tupac Shakur and notorious B.I., He started his own fashion label Sha John. He was for many years the face of Siak Vodka, the vodka seen in the high-end nightclubs of New York owned by Diagio over the course of his contract with them. He was paid a billion dollars. He then went on to start another record label, a media production company. This is a man who had his fingers in a lot of pies. And that was a big part of the argument that the prosecution put forward that this was such a powerful, wealthy, well-connected individual that he was able to wield this influence and this control over these people, many of whom uh were young women, as we've heard, who thought that this was their way into the industry or, you know, to to do what Diddy wanted them to. But even those who weren't young or female still felt this pressure on them to do what what Diddy wanted otherwise there would be retribution. And we also heard in the court in the trial about how there was this aggressive character. There was this this violent streak and that is now what the judge has delivered this this serious sentence to serve to show that this kind of behavior isn't tolerated. So 50 months for Shan Diddy Combmes. >> Rich, thank you so much for that. This is BBC News. >> Right, let's bring in our panel to get a bit of reaction there. Mora and Mali are standing by for us. Mora, your reaction to that sentencing there. >> Unfortunately, it just shows the power that people have and the way they abuse it. Uh it's disappointing, you know, just across the board that there are people out there so vehemently defending uh Shan Combmes and what he has done over his career. But I just I think that he is one example of unfortunately probably many who have abused the power they had and and the privilege they had uh and made life difficult for other people. Uh but also is it's a story about you know taking accountability and responsibility uh and who you put your trust in. Uh, and I think it's it's a really really harsh harsh lesson. Uh, but something to watch play out like this and to see people supporting him in the face of what has transpired, what we learned during those court hearings, it's pretty hard to stomach. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Mali, just your initial thoughts there hearing that what, just over four years for the sentence. >> Yeah, I agree a lot with what my panelist just said, my uh co-panelist. This uh sentence I think should have been longer. his uh crimes against women have been detailed and thorough and it's incredibly uh disheartening and disgusting uh what he has done to people and it's on a much uh lower scale but it's similar to Jeffrey Epste. We see a rich and powerful person who is able to abuse women and girls and use their power, wealth, fame, connections to important people to evade responsibility. Um, so I'm glad he's going to prison, but honestly I wish he would be in prison longer. >> And Mali, just just on the point that that Mora was raising there, that that sense of um frustration that many will have seeing people supporting him outside court and indeed uh wider across the country. Does that speak to something about the current climate in the US about people attaching uh to their ideologies and their points of views and their identities more closely than for example the facts that were laid out in court. >> I don't know if this is more uh political and that it it's breaking down on a political side. I think it's more cold of personality. You have folks once they get famous, you'll have people who might irrationally hate them, but you're also going to have folks who irrationally love them. And since you since Diddy was famous, as uh your correspondent outside the courthouse detailed, uh you're going to have people who since they had some association with his music and liked his music, are never going to see uh the wrong he did, even though it's on video and incredibly detailed, uh because he's famous. It's it's unfortunate, but we see that a lot. And Mora, just uh to you on the um I suppose the broader point of American celebrity culture. Is it a sense do you are you agreeing there with with Mali's point that this is a kind of cult of personality and that's why the support was out there? >> Absolutely. I think it's more of that than it is a political thing. I think it's people supported him when he was uh you know really really big here in the United States as far as his music career uh and the really what he built around him. Uh but and hearing the stories and knowing what he built around him plus what he was doing behind the scenes and how he was actually holding people back and and hurting careers that that doesn't necessarily change their viewpoint of him. It's troubling for sure, but I I think that it's something that we've seen not just with Shawn Combmes, but with other celebrities and people who have uh questionable character traits, but yet because of their support for them from years prior or wherever they fell in into the, you know, where they decided that they were on their side for better, for worse, they're going to stay there. Okay, >> Mora, thank you. Mali, thank you. Just want to bring in Rich again just briefly, just 30 seconds. Rich, for people who are just joining us, uh, tell us what we've heard from the court there. >> Yes, Lewis. In the last few moments, the judge Subramanian here in New York has handed down his sentence to Sha Diddy Combmes for those two charges, sex trafficking to trafficking to engage in prostitution. The sentence is 50 months in prison. That's four years and two months. He's already been behind bars for 13 months.