Disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will exit federal custody earlier than originally anticipated. New records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirm that Combs’ projected release date has been moved up to April 15, 2028, marking the second time his sentence has been adjusted this year.
The 10-day reduction follows a more significant shift in March that shaved over a month off his term. Initially, Combs faced a release date of June 4, 2028. The fluctuating timeline comes as the 56-year-old serves a 50-month sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal correctional institution in New Jersey.
Combs was convicted in the summer of 2025 on two counts of violating the Mann Act, specifically for transporting individuals across state lines to engage in prostitution. While federal prosecutors pushed for a decade-long sentence, a New York jury acquitted Combs of the more severe charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking—crimes that carried a potential life sentence.
The recent adjustments to his release schedule are likely tied to his participation in prison programming. In October 2025, Combs’ defense team requested placement at Fort Dix to facilitate his entry into a residential drug-abuse program. Success in such programs, combined with standard “good time” credits, allows federal inmates to reduce their total time behind bars.
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Despite the shortened timeline, Combs’ legal team is aggressively pursuing an outright acquittal. Oral arguments for his appeal are scheduled for April 9, 2026, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan.
Attorneys for Combs argue the trial judge imposed an “overly harsh” sentence based on conduct for which the jury did not convict him. They maintain that the sexual encounters described during the eight-week trial—referred to by prosecutors as “freak-offs”—were consensual. In a March 13 filing, the defense labeled his continued incarceration a “perversion of justice.”
Federal prosecutors remain steadfast. In filings submitted in late February, the government urged the appellate court to uphold the conviction. They characterized Combs as a “repeat and flagrant offender” who utilized violence, coercion, and narcotics to control his victims.
As the April 9 hearing approaches, the music industry titan remains under the supervision of the BOP, balancing a rehabilitative regimen with a high-stakes legal strategy aimed at his immediate release.
