(MENAFN) US rap entrepreneur Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been handed a prison term of four years and two months for compelling his previous romantic partners to engage in prostitution.

The founder of Bad Boy Records was additionally ordered to pay a $500,000 penalty.

Two of Combs’ former companions, singer Cassie Ventura and another woman referred to in court as Jane, provided testimony alleging that he mistreated them and coerced them into joining alcohol- and drug-fueled “freak-off” sexual gatherings.

Back in July, the jury found Combs guilty on two charges related to transporting individuals with the intent of prostitution.

However, he was found not guilty of accusations involving sex trafficking and racketeering.

In a written statement addressed to US District Court Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs expressed remorse toward those he harmed and accepted accountability for his misconduct.

“I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness,” he admitted.

Cassie Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, supported the court’s decision.

“While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed,” he stated in a public release.

Combs initially gained fame in the 1990s by producing major music stars such as The Notorious B.I.G., and later embarked on a solo music career, earning three Grammy Awards.

By 2022, he was reported to have become one of the most financially successful figures in hip-hop, with an estimated fortune reaching $1 billion.

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