Sean Combs, the rapper and record executive known as Diddy, was sentenced on Friday to 50 months in federal prison and fined $500,000 for two counts of transportation for prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. The sentencing followed a trial that included testimony from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and an anonymous former employee alleging abuse. Combs apologized in court, calling his behavior "disgusting, shameful and sick." Judge Arun Subramanian noted that Combs's "immense financial resources enabled his crimes."
This matters to the art world because Combs was a high-profile art collector, best known for his $21.1 million purchase of Kerry James Marshall's painting "Past Times" at Sotheby's in 2018, which set an auction record for the artist. The Department of Justice had indicated it would seek to seize his assets if he were convicted of sex trafficking. The Marshall painting is currently on view at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where its wall text notes it is held in a private collection without naming Combs. His collection also reportedly includes works by Tracey Emin, Brett Murray, and Random International, raising questions about their future.