Sean "Diddy" Combs (56) will have to remain in prison longer than recently thought. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has set the music mogul's release date for February 20, 2028, as "People" reports citing the agency. Just a few weeks ago, documents showed a date in January 2028, meaning the rapper could have left FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey almost a month earlier.
This followed an incident in July: Combs had gotten into a confrontation with a fellow inmate at the detention facility. What exactly happened is not known. People familiar with the incident described the dispute according to "Deadline" as predominantly verbal, with insults being exchanged back and forth. The guards quickly separated the two men and brought them back to their cells. Several U.S. media outlets reported that Combs was transferred to solitary confinement after the incident; how long this will last remains unclear.
A constant back and forth
Anyone following the case knows the game by now: With the latest change, the agency has moved the date six times since the verdict, sometimes forward, sometimes backward. The documents successively showed June 4, 2028, April 25, 2028, and April 15, 2028. In June, the release slipped to February 23, 2028, most recently even to January. Now it's back to February.
Combs is participating in a substance abuse program at Fort Dix. Participation in what is called a Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program can reduce the sentence by up to one year according to the agency. That's exactly what his defense was aiming for: "To address substance abuse issues and maximize family visits and rehabilitation efforts, we ask the court to strongly recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that Mr. Combs be housed at FCI Fort Dix," attorney Teny Geragos wrote in a motion from October 2025.
Appeal, lawsuits, pending proceedings
A New York jury found Combs guilty last summer in two cases of transportation for purposes of prostitution, resulting in a sentence of 50 months in prison. The approximately 14 months that Combs had spent at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his arrest were credited. He was acquitted of the far more serious charges of illicit relations trafficking and running a criminal enterprise.
Behind bars, Combs continues to fight for his rehabilitation. His attorneys consider the sentence excessive and are demanding an acquittal or at least a resentencing; the appeal is being expedited. A pardon from his former party friend Donald Trump has not materialized so far.
At the same time, Combs faces more than 65 lawsuits involving allegations including inappropriate advances and assault. The musician has always admitted to having been hot-tempered and having had a substance abuse problem that has since been treated, but denies all allegations of inappropriate behavior.
