P Diddy‘s attorneys have officially filed the paperwork for his appeal against his 50-month sentence (via Billboard). The appeal comes two weeks after Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced the hip-hop mogul to 4 years and 2 months in prison, a $500,000 fine, and five years of supervised release after his jail time.
Diddy was found guilty of two counts of transportation for the purpose of pr*stitut*on. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of s*x trafficking and racketeering. According to the paperwork filed on October 20, Diddy will fight the conviction and sentence in front of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
In his sentencing, Judge Subramanian claimed that the longer prison time was necessary to “send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability” (via The NY Times). However, Marc Agnifilo, Diddy’s defense attorney, shared outside the court that they had a “strong basis to appeal” (via LiveNOW/YouTube).
He shared that the jury found out that there was no coercion, but the judge brought it up numerous times. He shared, “The jury reached a verdict on coercion and found there was not coercion and I think the judge said coercion today as a basis for his sentence at least a dozen times.”
He shared that it was “unconstitutional.” Agnifilo shared that he thinks the jury’s verdict “should mean more,” for which reason they are planning to appeal. When asked about what would happen if the prosecution files an appeal for a higher sentence, Agnifilo shared, “He would not get a higher sentence and they’re not going to cross-appeal.”
Another attorney for Diddy, Brian Steele, told CNN that the sentence “sends the wrong message.” He shared that Combs was sentenced for conduct that the jury did not find him guilty of, adding that it was “un-American.” He shared that this was a “very hard” sentence.
Will Donald Trump Commute P Diddy’s Sentence?
A high-ranking White House official allegedly told TMZ that President Donald Trump is “vacillating” on commuting Diddy’s sentence. The source claimed that Trump would “do what he wants” and added that he could set the music mogul free this week. Interesting, Trump commuted the sentence of former Congressman George Santos, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to identity theft and wire fraud.
On October 6, Trump shared that Diddy had reached out to him to ask for a pardon. He shared with reporters in the Oval Office, “A lot of people have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon” (via ABC News).
Earlier, Deadline reported that the White House was seriously considering pardoning Diddy. Interestingly, Diddy and Trump have a friendship that goes way back. Trump made an appearance at Diddy’s 29th birthday party in 1998. Trump publicly called Diddy “legendary” at the time. However, their relationship took a hit in recent years.
Diddy was vocal about removing Trump from the presidency in 2020 and publicly endorsed Joe Biden. He also expressed his anger at Trump’s policies affecting the marginalized community. Trump hasn’t forgotten Diddy’s betrayal when he recently addressed his conviction and potential pardon. He told Newsmax (via The Guardian):
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. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.
Trump shared that Diddy’s hostile attitude towards him made pardoning Diddy “more difficult to do.” He also shared that Diddy was “sort of half innocent”, adding that “it wasn’t as good as a victory.”
Sources Claimed Diddy Was Paranoid After the Chances of His Release Faded
A source told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter that Sean Diddy Combs came to the realization that he would be incarcerated for a long time without any hope for pardon (via Substack). This realization is allegedly making him “agitated and paranoid”, as prison insiders revealed to Shuter.
One of the prison staffers told Shuter, “He’s learning he’s not special here. He’s just inmate 62189.” Shuter also got a statement from a senior law enforcement official regarding Diddy’s prison sentence. The source shared, “There’s no deal, no pardon, no rescue plan right now.”
A source also told Shuter that Diddy believed his release “was a done deal.” The source claimed, “He was telling people he’d be out in weeks. Now reality’s sinking in.” Shuter’s insider further revealed that Diddy’s team had been trying to reach out to their allies in Washington, D.C. for “months,” but they had no luck. The insider claimed, “Turns out, no one’s returning his calls anymore.”
A few days after his sentencing, Diddy requested to serve his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey (via TMZ).
What do you think of Diddy’s next steps? Let us know in the comments below!
