P Diddy’s Inner Circle Ditches Him After He Bet He’d Be Free By Now

So, here we are: Sean 'Diddy' Combs reportedly thought he was going to Houdini his way out of prison in a matter of weeks. Turns out, not so much. Between a firm sentence, a chilly reception in D.C., and a defense team gearing up for an appeal, the music mogul is getting a very different reality than he expected.

What the judge actually handed down

On October 3, 2025, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Combs to 50 months in prison, a $500,000 fine, and five years of supervised release once he is out. The 50 months includes time already served. Prosecutors wanted 11 years, but they did not get it. If nothing changes, the earliest he is looking at the door is 2029.

Reality check behind bars

According to RadarOnline and reporting from Rob Shuter on his Substack, Combs went in believing a quick exit was coming — allegedly telling people he would be out in a few weeks and expecting a presidential pardon to land. That optimism has apparently evaporated. Shuter says Combs' camp spent months trying to work their Washington contacts and got nowhere; as one source put it, nobody is picking up the phone anymore.

'There is no deal, no pardon, no rescue plan right now,' a senior law enforcement official told Shuter.

Inside the facility, Shuter reports Combs is agitated and paranoid as it sinks in that he is going to be there a while. A staffer summed up the vibe bluntly: he is not getting special treatment — he is just inmate 62189. During the sentencing itself, BBC noted he sat quiet and stared down; The Guardian ran a courtroom sketch of him with his hands covering his face.

Hollywood went quiet — except one person

For years, Combs hosted star-studded White parties and had a long list of famous friends. Not many of them wanted their names anywhere near this case. Shuter says no celebrities showed up in court to support him — the lone exception was Kanye West, who continued to insist Combs is innocent.

Defense: we are appealing

Outside the courthouse, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told LiveNOW that they believe they have a strong basis to appeal. His argument: the jury did not find coercion, but the judge referenced coercion repeatedly when imposing the sentence. Agnifilo called that unconstitutional and said the jury's verdict should carry more weight. While they work the appeal, the team is also trying to place Combs at an appropriate facility; per TMZ, they have asked for FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey.

The pardon pitch, and why it is messy

On October 6, Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Combs asked him for a pardon. Trump's words: 'A lot of people have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon,' as reported by ABC News. Deadline previously reported that the White House had seriously considered it.

Combs and Trump go way back — Trump even hit Combs' 29th birthday party in 1998 and called him 'legendary' at the time — but that camaraderie frayed. In 2020, Combs pushed to get Trump out of office and endorsed Joe Biden, blasting Trump's policies. Trump recently told Newsmax (via The Guardian) that Combs became hostile once he ran for office, which, in Trump's view, makes any pardon 'more difficult to do.' He also tossed off that Combs was 'sort of half innocent' and that the outcome 'wasn't as good as a victory.' Make of that what you will.

Quick snapshot

• Sentence: 50 months in prison (including time served), $500,000 fine, five years supervised release; handed down Oct. 3, 2025 by Judge Arun Subramanian.
• Prosecutors sought 11 years; earliest possible release now pegged at 2029.
• Rob Shuter reports Combs expected a fast exit and a pardon; sources say D.C. allies are not returning calls.
• In court support: essentially none from Hollywood; Kanye West showed and maintained Combs' innocence.
• Inside prison: described as agitated and paranoid; staffer tells Shuter he is 'just inmate 62189.'
• Defense says appeal is coming, arguing the judge leaned on coercion despite the jury not finding it; request in to serve at FCI Fort Dix (per TMZ).
• Trump says Combs asked him for a pardon; past friendship complicated by Combs backing Biden in 2020; Trump now says a pardon would be 'more difficult.'

The bottom line

The big plan to shortcut this sentence is not materializing. Unless an appeal lands or political winds shift, Combs is staring at years, not weeks, behind bars. I will update if the appeal moves quickly — or if those Washington phones start ringing again.