After their client received a sentence four times as long as they requested, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyers are arguing the judge is punishing the rap mogul for crimes he’s innocent of.
In exclusive interviews with two key members of Combs’ defense team, his lawyers told ABC News on Friday that they are considering appealing the case and argued that Combs is being unjustly punished.
“The jury made it very clear in their verdict that they acquitted him of the sex trafficking and the RICO counts,” said lead attorney Teny Geragos. “Not guilty means not guilty.”
Combs was sentenced to over four years in prison for his conviction on two prostitution-related offenses. He will get credit for the 12 months he’s already served, as well as be fined $500,000.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs says sorry to his family during his sentencing hearing after being convicted of transporting prostitutes for drug-fueled sexual performances, in New York , Oct. 3, 2025, in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Geragos reiterated that Combs is a “changed man” and rebuked the claim by prosecutors that the rap mogul is trying to skirt responsibility for his actions.
“I can say, from the bottom of my heart, with all the hours that I spent with him getting ready for trial, that he is a changed man,” said Geragos.
Combs’ lawyers have said that their appeal will center on the argument that the judge unfairly considered conduct for which Combs was acquitted. By finding Combs not guilty of sex trafficking, the lawyers said, the jury concluded that Combs did not use force or coercion on his victims.
“That was totally inconsistent with the jury verdict. The Judge acted as a 13th juror,” said attorney Alexandra Shapiro, who will lead Combs’ appeal. “The sentence was driven by the conduct the jury rejected. The jury acquitted Mr. Combs of any coercion.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs listens as Judge Arun Subramanian pronounces the sentence during Combs’ sentencing hearing, after he was convicted of transporting prostitutes for drug-fueled sexual performances, in New York, Oct. 3, 2025, in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
When announcing Combs’ sentence, Judge Arun Subramanian emphasized the repeated nature of Combs’ crimes and violence towards his former partners.
“The court is not assured that if released, these crimes would not be committed again,” the judge said. Subramanian said his sentence should hopefully send a message to other survivors of domestic abuse that “violence against women is met with real accountability.”
When asked by ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Shapiro acknowledged some of the evidence in the trial — including a video of Combs’ assaulting Ventura in a California hotel — was indefensible and contributed to the verdict and lengthy sentence.
“The video was the worst thing in the case,” she said, arguing that Combs has owned up to his violent past.
“We accept the domestic violence. We take ownership of it, and we accept responsibility for it. We said that from day one. I said that over and over and over again myself in the trial, but domestic violence is not what he was convicted of,” added Geragos.
Shapiro argued that the lengthy sentence runs counter to the goal of rehabilitation for Combs, who vowed during his sentencing to lead a new life if given a second chance.
“What is the point of more incarceration for a person like Mr. Combs? He really should be on a path to rehabilitation. He should be able to get treatment. He should be able to start giving back in a way that I think he is uniquely positioned to do, and it seems just senseless to keep him in prison for years more,” she said.
Between his year in prison, the damage to his reputation, professional harm, and a flood of civil lawsuits, Shapiro argued that Combs has been punished enough for his crimes.
“That message has been sent in spades. Mr. Combs’ life has been destroyed by all of this, and additional incarceration isn’t needed to send a message against domestic violence,” she said.
