Sean “Diddy” Combs is participating in a drug rehabilitation program in prison that could help reduce his sentence by a year, his spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said.
The program is offered at Fort Dix, the federal prison complex in New Jersey where Combs will serve his sentence.
Combs is “committed to sobriety, focused on healing, and trying to set an example for others,” Engelmayer told the New York Times.
“Mr. Combs is an active participant in the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) and has taken his rehabilitation process seriously from the start,” Engelmayer said. “He is fully engaged in his work, focused on growth, and committed to positive change.”
Combs has been sleeping in a nine-person room within a unit that houses around 200 people and he currently works in the chapel library, Engelmayer added.
On Friday, a report from TMZ claimed that Combs had been caught in prison drinking homemade alcohol, which Engelmayer denied.
Combs’ official X account also shared a statement denying the allegations on Monday, saying, “The rumors claiming Mr. Combs was caught with alcohol are completely false. His only focus is becoming the best version of himself and returning to his family.”
In an Oct. 6 filing, Combs’ legal team requested that he be placed at “FCI Fort Dix for RDAP purposes and any other available educational and occupation programs” in order to “address drug abuse issues and to maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts.”
The news of Combs’ participation in the rehabilitation program comes two weeks after his prison release date was revealed following his sentencing.
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The 55-year-old disgraced hip-hop mogul was originally scheduled to get out of prison on May 8, 2028, but the date has now been changed to June 4, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ online database.
On Oct. 3, Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced Combs to just over four years in prison and a fine of US$500,000, the maximum possible, for his conviction on federal prostitution-related offences. He will also be under five years’ supervised release after his time in prison is served.
In his ruling, Subramanian said that “a history of good works can’t wash away the record in this case, which shows that you abused the power and control over the lives of women who you professed to love.”
“You were no John,” he added. “You were more than that, even if your currency was satisfying your sexual desires instead of money.”
Subramanian said a substantial sentence is required “to send a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.”
Federal prosecutors had asked that Combs, 55, be sentenced to at least 11 years and three months in prison. Combs’ lawyers urged the judge to sentence him to no longer than 14 months, which would have resulted in his near-immediate release, as he has already served nearly 13 months in a Brooklyn jail.
While addressing the judge, Combs thanked Subramanian for “giving me the chance to finally speak up for myself,” as the former rapper did not testify during his trial.
“One of the hardest things that I’ve had to handle is having to be quiet. Not being able to express how sorry I am for my actions,” Combs said in his statement to the court.
“I want to personally apologize again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt that I’ve caused her – emotionally or physically.”
Combs called his conduct “disgusting, shameful and sick.”
“Because of my decisions, I lost my freedom, I lost the opportunity to effectively raise my children and be there for my mother,” Combs said. “I lost all my businesses, I lost my career, I totally destroyed my reputation.”
Combs said he’s “lost my self-respect” and has been “humbled and broken to my core.”
“I hate myself right now. I got stripped down to nothing,” Combs said. “I want to apologize to my seven children. Y’all deserve better.”
The sentencing marked the conclusion of Combs’ New York trial, which began on May 5.
Combs’ legal team filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from the Oct. 3 judgment. Details of the appeal have not been made public other than the legal filing.
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