Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced on Friday to four years and two months in federal prison, marking the most severe consequence yet in the downfall of one of hip-hop’s most powerful and once-celebrated figures. The sentence comes after a jury convicted the 55-year-old music mogul of violating the Mann Act by transporting women across state lines for what prosecutors described as coercive, drug-fueled sex acts.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian handed down the sentence in a Manhattan courtroom, calling the punishment “a message to abusers and victims alike that exploitation and violence against women is met with real accountability.” The judge added, “Victims who have the courage to report their abusers and relive the excruciating trauma of that abuse by testifying in court should see that their efforts can result in meaningful accountability.”

The decision far exceeded the 14-month term requested by Combs’ defense team, who argued that he was seeking treatment for addiction and had turned his life around. Judge Subramanian rejected the proposal, describing it as “effectively time served,” given Combs’ year-long detention since his arrest. He cited “the conduct at issue, the violence, the drugs, the coercion, and the devastation that it caused” in imposing a longer sentence.

The court also ordered five years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine, the maximum allowed. Combs, wearing a dark suit, appeared stunned as the sentence was read. Turning to his family, he said quietly, “I’m sorry. I love you,” before being led back into custody.

Prosecutors had asked for more than 11 years, describing Combs as “unrepentant” and driven by power and sexual gratification. They accused him of years of physical and psychological abuse toward his ex-girlfriends, including singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, and another woman identified as Jane. The federal probation office, considered a neutral party, recommended between six and seven years.

“A history of good works can’t wash away the record in this case,” Judge Subramanian said. “You abused the power and control that you had over the lives of women you professed to love dearly. This was subjugation, and it drove both Ms. Ventura and Jane to thoughts of ending their lives.”

In a statement to the court, Combs appeared emotional. “I want to personally apologize again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt that I’ve caused to her emotionally or physically,” he said. “I got lost in the excess. I got lost in my ego. I’ve been humbled and broken to my core. I hate myself right now.” He also apologized to his mother and six children, calling himself a “failure” as both a parent and a son.

His daughters, Jessie and D’Lila Combs, spoke in his defense, urging leniency. “We know he isn’t perfect and he has made many mistakes,” Jessie said through tears. “But he is still our dad, and we still need him in our lives.”

Judge Subramanian commended Ventura and Jane for their courage, saying their testimony “gave a voice to millions of women out there who have been victims, but who feel invisible and powerless.”

In a written victim impact statement, Ventura described years of manipulation and physical abuse. “Sean Combs used violence, threats, substances, and control over my career to trap me in over a decade of abuse,” she wrote. “He groomed me into performing repeated sex acts with hired male sex workers during multi-day ‘freak offs.’ These events were degrading and disgusting, leaving me with infections, illnesses, and days of exhaustion before he demanded it all again.”

Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said after sentencing that the ruling “recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed” and praised Ventura’s resilience.

Combs’ defense team said they plan to appeal, accusing the judge of weighing conduct for which Combs had been acquitted. “The sentence was driven by conduct the jury rejected,” attorney Alexandra Shapiro said outside the courthouse. “The judge acted as a 13th juror.”

Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transporting individuals for illegal sexual activity, but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. Prosecutors presented testimony from multiple women, including Ventura, who described routine violence and coercion. Others, including former staff members, testified about incidents of assault and intimidation.

Combs’ legal troubles extend beyond the criminal conviction. He faces several civil lawsuits from women alleging sexual assault and physical abuse, some dating back two decades. One plaintiff, Thalia Graves, who accused him of rape in 2001, said in a statement that she was “glad Mr. Combs has to serve four years and won’t be released right away.”

Once hailed as a business visionary who built Bad Boy Records into a cultural empire and turned his ventures into a billion-dollar fortune, Combs’ sentencing formalized the collapse of a career that helped shape the sound and image of hip-hop in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“The court’s sentence,” Judge Subramanian said, “has to reflect the brutal violence the defendant perpetrated against Cassie and Jane. Admitting to violence in front of a jury as part of a trial strategy is not accountability. A substantial sentence is.”