So, you’re probably scrolling through your feed and seeing a bunch of conflicting headlines about Sean "Diddy" Combs. One minute it’s "life in prison," the next it’s "he's getting out soon." It’s a mess. Honestly, the internet has a way of making legal stuff feel like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, but the reality is actually pretty specific. If you’re wondering how long is Diddy serving, the answer isn't a guess anymore—it's a matter of court record.
As of right now, in early 2026, Sean Combs is serving a sentence of 50 months in federal prison.
That’s four years and two months. If that sounds short to you, you aren't alone. When the news first broke about his arrest in September 2024, the feds were throwing around words like "racketeering" and "sex trafficking." Those are heavy-hitters. We're talking potential life-in-prison type charges. But the trial didn't go exactly how the prosecution planned.
The Sentence Breakdown: Why 50 Months?
On October 3, 2025, Judge Arun Subramanian handed down the final number. It was a tense day in that Manhattan courtroom. Diddy was dejected. He even apologized to his seven children, calling his own behavior "disgusting" and "sick."
But why 50 months?
The jury actually acquitted him of the biggest charges—the racketeering and the sex trafficking. Those were the ones that carried the "forever" jail time. Instead, they found him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. Basically, the jury believed he moved people across state lines for sexual encounters, but they didn't buy the "criminal enterprise" narrative the government tried to build.
💡 You might also like: Amy Slaton Now and Then: Why the TLC Star is Finally "Growing Up"
- Total Sentence: 50 months.
- Credit for Time Served: About 13 months.
- The Fine: $500,000.
- The Aftermath: 5 years of supervised release.
Because he had been sitting in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn since his arrest in late 2024, that year-plus counts toward his total. He’s already "paid" a chunk of that 50-month debt.
Where Is He Now?
Diddy isn't in that rough Brooklyn jail anymore. His legal team fought hard to get him moved. Currently, he's at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey.
It’s a low-security federal correctional institution. It’s definitely not a "club fed" resort—prison is prison—but it’s a far cry from the high-security chaos of the MDC. He’s reportedly working a prison job and participating in a substance abuse program called RDAP.
Interestingly, there’s a bit of a strategy there. Completing programs like RDAP can sometimes shave time off a federal sentence.
The Release Date: When Is He Coming Home?
If you look at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) tracker, his scheduled release date is May 8, 2028.
📖 Related: Akon Age and Birthday: What Most People Get Wrong
That’s the "official" date, but in the federal system, things can shift slightly. Good behavior credit is a real thing. Usually, federal inmates serve about 85% of their time if they don't cause trouble. If he keeps his head down at Fort Dix, he could potentially see the outside of a cell a few months earlier than May '28.
Wait. What about the pardon?
You might have heard the rumors. In early 2026, there was a lot of talk about Diddy sending a personal letter to President Trump asking for clemency. It was a whole thing on TMZ. But in January 2026, the White House pretty much shut that down. Trump told reporters that while Diddy did ask, he wasn't considering it. So, for now, that 2028 date is the one to circle on the calendar.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that he "beat" the case. He didn't. He’s a convicted felon.
People also get confused about the civil suits. Just because he’s serving time for the criminal charges doesn't mean the civil side is over. He’s still facing dozens of lawsuits from people alleging all sorts of misconduct. He even had to sell his prized matte black Gulfstream G550 jet—the "Combs Air" plane—in late 2025 to help cover his astronomical legal bills and settlements.
👉 See also: 40 year old celebrities: Why the 1985 and 1986 Crew is Actually Winning
It’s a staggering fall.
He went from being the king of the Hamptons and the face of Cîroc to a prison bunk in New Jersey. Whether you think 50 months is too light or just right, the legal system has made its call.
What’s Next for the Case?
His lawyers aren't sitting still. They filed an appeal in late 2025, trying to argue that the trial was unfair and that the "transportation" charges shouldn't have stuck. These appeals usually take a long time to grind through the system. Until a higher court says otherwise, he stays put.
If you want to stay updated on the specifics of his release or any changes in his status, you can actually check the BOP Inmate Locator yourself. Just search for "Sean Combs" and look for register number 37452-054. It’s the most accurate way to see where he is and if his release date moves.
Actionable Insights:
- Monitor the BOP Site: Official release dates are updated there first if he earns "good time."
- Watch the Civil Courts: The criminal sentence is just one piece; the civil judgments will determine if he has any wealth left when he gets out.
- Track the Appeal: If his legal team wins a retrial, that 50-month clock could reset or vanish entirely.
The "Bad Boy" era is effectively on ice until at least 2028.