Sean "Diddy" Combs will spend this Christmas far from the lavish celebrations he once hosted, trading his sprawling estates and star-studded gatherings for the stark confines of Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC). Arrested in September and facing sex trafficking and racketeering charges, the 55-year-old music mogul has been denied bail multiple times and now awaits a May 2025 trial. As the holiday approaches, he finds himself settling into a reality of cinder-block walls, limited visitation, and austere meals.
In years past, he was surrounded by famous friends and loved ones, says a source familiar with the family's situation, according to US Weekly magazine. This season, when Combs awakes at 6 a.m. on December 25, he'll do so in a dormitory-style unit.
"He's doing fine," says a jail employee to People magazine. "Nobody wants to be here." Despite the grim surroundings, those inside say he's kept an upbeat demeanor. "He's well-liked inside prison," says a former inmate, "People are getting along with him."
The holiday at MDC offers slight reprieves. According to individuals familiar with the institution, breakfast may be the standard cereal with skim milk and fruit, but lunch could include items like Cornish hen, mac & cheese, cranberry sauce, and rolls. "It wasn't like being at a restaurant," recalls former inmate Brad Rouse of his past experience, "but [the staff] put a little effort in." Later, the inmates may receive a bagged dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and fruit.
"When everybody was locked in their cells, they would bring bags on a push cart and give them out," another former inmate remembers, adding, "It was cool. It really felt like a gift."
Small comforts and gestures emerge during the holidays. "It's like a hodgepodge of candies and cookies, and then they put a little bit of water or milk into it, and they mash it into a ball and it's their version of a little holiday treat," says federal prison consultant Sam Mangel, describing the prison-made sweets known as "FOGU." A former inmate notes that tempers often cool temporarily: "If somebody's gonna get hurt, don't do it on Christmas. Wait until tomorrow, you know?"
For recreation, Combs may opt to join fellow inmates in card games or three-on-three basketball. "He'll probably play some basketball," says another inmate at MDC. "He likes it." Simple activities become a welcome distraction in what Rouse describes as "a very hard, difficult place." Still, phone calls are limited to 15 minutes, and visits-if they occur-are brief. Family members "are trying to speak to him as much as they can," says a source.
On the outside, Combs' children struggle with the absence of their father. Before Thanksgiving, an eyewitness at a November court hearing recalled how "he smiled, waved, blew them kisses and mouthed 'I love you' to them." His mother, Janice, travels back and forth to provide emotional support, hoping to keep the holidays meaningful for the younger kids.
Outside the criminal trial, more than 30 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and other abuses have piled up. Though Combs settled a case last month brought by R&B singer Cassie Ventura the day after it was filed, fresh accusers have emerged. Three men sued him anonymously on Dec. 12, claiming they were drugged and attacked. Combs' attorneys called the allegations "full of lies" and promised to "prove them false."
Meanwhile, prosecutors allege he attempted to influence witnesses. "The defendant, simply put, can't be trusted," said prosecutor Christy Slavik in court. Accusations of sexual assault continue to surface, though Combs denies them all. "He's been lining up character witnesses and people who can speak for his side," says the source. "This is the toughest time of Diddy's life, but he's not giving up on himself."
The star once known for extravagant celebrations now faces a subdued holiday defined by institutional routines, distant family bonds, and the weight of an uncertain future.
