Diddy Blows Kiss to Mom, Tells Family He Loves Them as He Seeks to Have Prostitution Conviction Tossed By Elizabeth Rosner and Liam Quinn

Sean “Diddy” Combs made his return to a federal courtroom in New York City for a post-trial hearing on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Following the hearing, during which Combs’ attorney argued that his prostitution convictions should be thrown out, the Bad Boy Records founder blew a kiss to his mother Janice, 84, and told other family members in attendance that he loved them.

Combs, 55, appeared in light-colored prison garb and was sporting a fuller salt-and-pepper beard.

In July, the music mogul was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, following a high-profile federal trial this summer, but guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in racketeering. He remains behind bars, having been denied bail prior to sentencing.

The hearing addressed post-trial motions, including a defense motion arguing that his prostitution conviction should not stand.

Combs’s legal team argued that the First Amendment should protect him from a prostitution conviction, claiming that he was only a viewer of sexual acts.

Judge Arun Subramanian appeared skeptical and asked whether that would mean any filmed prostitution could fall under the First Amendment, though he did not immediately rule on the motion. Combs’ lawyer Alexandra Shapiro countered by pointing to role-playing and wigs as examples.

If his conviction stands, Combs is set to be sentenced in October. In a sentencing memorandum, defense attorneys requested that Subramanian sentence Combs to no more than 14 months in prison, nearly equal to the time he has served behind bars since his arrest in September 2024.

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Though Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges filed against him, he still potentially faces several years behind bars.

Among the several claims made in the filing, Combs’ lawyers say he has experienced harsh conditions while incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

“The Sentencing Guidelines — as well as the data from previous cases discussed above — do not adequately consider the pervasive violence and inhumane conditions of confinement that Mr. Combs has experienced at the MDC,” the filing claims.