Sean "Diddy" Combs has been photographed chatting with former NBA player Sebastian Telfair at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, where both men are serving time for separate convictions. The 55-year-old music mogul was transferred to the facility last week to begin his 50-month sentence following his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Images obtained by Page Six and TMZ Sports showed Combs walking in the prison yard, smiling as he spoke with fellow inmates, including Telfair. "His pearly whites were on display on top of his gray beard as he chatted with a group of men out on the prison yard," Page Six reported. "At one point, he even shook one of the guys' hands as if they were happy to be making acquaintance with the Grammy winner."
According to TMZ Sports, "Diddy and Bassy are the most famous inmates doing time at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey ... and they hung out Saturday in the prison yard." A representative for Telfair confirmed to the outlet that the former NBA player was indeed speaking with Combs in several of the photos.
The encounter marks an unexpected reunion between the two New York natives, who briefly crossed paths nearly two decades ago. In 2006, Telfair was robbed outside Justin's, Combs' now-closed Manhattan restaurant, on the same night rapper Fabolous was shot nearby - an incident that led to Telfair missing a Knicks pre-season game to appear in a police lineup.
Combs' move to Fort Dix came after weeks of headlines surrounding his incarceration. The hip-hop executive was transferred from Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center on October 30 following reports that he had woken up "with a knife to his throat," according to his friend Charlucci Finney. "If this guy had wanted to harm him, Sean would have been harmed. It would only take a second to cut his throat with a weapon and kill him," Finney told Daily Mail. "It was probably a way to say, 'Next time you ain't gonna be so lucky.' Everything is intimidation. But with Sean it won't work. Sean is from Harlem."
At the new facility, Combs is expected to participate in rehabilitation and educational programs. His attorney, Teny Geragos, previously requested the transfer to ensure access to "drug abuse programs" and "maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts."
Telfair, meanwhile, is serving a six-month sentence at Fort Dix after failing to comply with probation terms tied to his 2021 conviction in a fraud case involving the NBA's Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. The former Brooklyn basketball prodigy - drafted 13th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004 - was among 18 ex-players accused of submitting false medical and dental claims over three years.
Both men, high-profile figures in their respective fields, now share life in a low-security federal facility that houses roughly 4,000 inmates. While Combs serves out his sentence following a turbulent trial that saw him acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges, his public image continues to shadow him inside and outside the prison walls. Telfair's presence adds another layer of notoriety to the facility, which has hosted several prominent white-collar and celebrity inmates in recent years.
