Diddy’s prison release date pushed back again

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ prison release date has been pushed back again.

The 56-year-old rapper is currently serving a 50-month sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs was arrested in September 2024 and, including time already served, was initially expected to be released in June 2028.

His projected release date has since changed several times. Last week, it was reported that he would be released from FCI Fort Dix on January 21, 2028, replacing his previous projected date of February 5.

However, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has now scheduled his release for March 2, 2028.

Why has Diddy’s release date changed?

The latest change comes amid a report by NBC News detailing allegations about Combs’ life inside the low-security federal prison.

The report alleged that Combs spends thousands of dollars a month having fellow inmates provide services including massages, cooking, cleaning and laundry.

It also alleged that he has access to a contraband cellphone and alcohol smuggled into the facility.

The BOP declined to comment on Combs’ specific circumstances.

“For privacy, safety and security reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including reasons for a change in release date,” a BOP spokesperson said.

A representative for Combs said they were not aware of why his projected release date continues to change.

“We are never given any explanation for how the BOP calculates or adjusts projected release dates, so we cannot speak to the reason for any change,” the representative said.

“Sean remains focused on serving his time, awaiting the decision on his appeal and looking forward to spending quality time with his family when he returns home.”

Reports of an investigation

Following the publication of the NBC News report, TMZ reported that Combs was being moved back into the Special Housing Unit, commonly referred to as solitary confinement.

Sources told the outlet that this is typical procedure when prison officials are conducting an investigation into an inmate.

The NBC News report cited four men who shared a unit with Combs at the prison.

According to the report, one inmate claimed Combs paid another prisoner to clean toilet and shower areas before he used them, while others allegedly prepared special meals for him, including pizza, curry and empanadas.

One of the men told NBC News: “This is not some normal s*** you see in jail. This is some rich s***. It looks crazy, but again, it’s Diddy.”

Another said: “He’s a billionaire. People are in awe of him. Money is power, especially behind bars.”

The report also alleged that Combs was able to watch television shows and films on a tablet and use a cellphone to access Instagram and receive messages.

NBC News reported that Combs allegedly spends “thousands of dollars a month” maintaining aspects of his lifestyle in prison, with associates outside the facility allegedly adding money to the commissary accounts of inmates who perform services for him.

Bureau of Prisons responds

The BOP told NBC News that it would not comment on the specific allegations.

“Like all correctional agencies, contraband, particularly cell phones, narcotics, and weapons, remains a constant challenge, and we continue to tackle the problem of contraband being introduced into our facilities,” a spokesperson said.

Combs’ representative, meanwhile, dismissed the significance of the allegations.

“The continued scrutiny of every mundane detail of Sean Combs’s life in prison has reached the point where the media characterises ordinary prison life as news,” the spokesperson said.

“The only real news is that Sean continues to serve his sentence within the rules and he patiently awaits the court’s decision on his appeal.”

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

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