The federal Bureau of Prisons has officially listed May 8, 2028, as the release date for Sean “Diddy” Combs, marking a significant development in the embattled music mogul’s ongoing legal saga. The update comes weeks after Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison following a high-profile federal trial that captivated the entertainment world and exposed the darker side of one of hip-hop’s most powerful figures.
The 54-year-old Bad Boy Records founder was convicted earlier this month of violating the Mann Act a charge stemming from the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution. While the jury found Combs guilty on that count, he was acquitted of the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges that had loomed over him since his arrest.
According to the Bureau of Prisons, Combs’ projected release date accounts for the roughly one year he has already spent in custody at a Brooklyn federal detention center while awaiting trial. Under federal sentencing guidelines, inmates typically serve 85 percent of their sentence, with the potential to earn “good conduct time” under the First Step Act legislation aimed at encouraging rehabilitation and reducing recidivism among federal inmates.
Combs’ eight-week trial, held in the Southern District of New York, was marked by sensational testimony from two of his former girlfriends, who recounted scenes of drug-fueled “freak-off” parties that allegedly stretched on for days. Prosecutors argued that Combs coerced and manipulated women into participating in these events, alleging that his music and fashion empire operated like a criminal enterprise under his command.
Defense attorneys for Combs countered those claims, insisting that the government’s case was built on unreliable witnesses and exaggerated accounts designed to destroy the artist’s legacy. Despite those efforts, jurors ultimately convicted him on the single Mann Act charge, handing prosecutors a partial victory in a case that had drawn international attention.
On October 3, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Combs to four years and two months in prison, rejecting pleas from his high-powered legal team to release him with time served. Following sentencing, Combs requested to serve his term at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey citing the facility’s drug rehabilitation program and proximity to his family.
However, Judge Subramanian denied the request in an October 8 order, noting that while the court could recommend a general geographic location, the Bureau of Prisons would ultimately determine the facility assignment. “The court will recommend a facility in the geographic location of the defense’s choosing, but not the specific facility,” the judge wrote, adding that Combs would be considered for a rehabilitation program once placed in a New York-area prison.
Speculation that former President Donald Trump was considering a pardon for Combs has been flatly denied by the White House. In a recent press conference, a spokesperson dismissed the reports as “fake news,” emphasizing that no such discussions have taken place.
“There is zero truth to the report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” the official said. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”
Trump himself confirmed that Combs whom he referred to by his early stage name, “Puff Daddy” had inquired about a pardon but downplayed the likelihood of granting clemency. “A lot of people have asked me for pardons,” Trump told reporters earlier this month from the Oval Office. “I call him Puff Daddy; he has asked me for a pardon.”
In an August interview, Trump appeared to distance himself from the disgraced producer. “You know, I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well,” Trump said. “But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”
Combs’ legal team has already filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, though details of the filing remain sealed. Legal experts say the appeal will likely center on evidentiary disputes and procedural objections raised during the trial, including the testimony of key witnesses and the admission of certain digital evidence.
Until the appeal is resolved, Combs will remain in federal custody, serving his sentence and awaiting the next phase of his legal battle one that has already reshaped his reputation and cast a shadow over the empire he spent three decades building.