Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the hip-hop mogul, is facing disciplinary action at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institute for an unauthorized three-way phone call, compounding earlier allegations of him consuming homemade alcohol in prison, underscoring his challenging adjustment to incarceration.
On November 3, just four days after his transfer to the New Jersey facility, Combs made a phone call that violated prison regulations by including a third party. According to documents obtained by CBS News and reported by Page Six, he initially spoke with a woman—whom he later identified as his attorney—about arranging weekend visitors and suggested they bring ‘200 singles’ in cash, which is prohibited as only coins are allowed for vending machines.
During the call, Combs expressed a need to speak with someone described as ‘the digital person’ regarding blogs, and when the woman asked if she should add that person, he affirmed. This action constituted a three-way call, strictly forbidden by the Bureau of Prisons due to security concerns, such as potential coordination of criminal activities. Combs defended the call as protected attorney-client communication aimed at drafting a statement for The New York Times, denying any discussion of blogs.
Prison officials have recommended severe penalties for this infraction, including the loss of 90 days of phone privileges and 90 days of commissary access. The ruling was filed on November 4, Combs’ 56th birthday, though it remains unclear if it has been enforced. A source close to the investigation described it as a ‘serious offense that shows a disregard for the rules,’ while his publicist, Juda Engelmayer, argued it was a procedural call and thus improper to penalize.
This incident follows shortly after TMZ reported that Combs was allegedly caught drinking a fermented mixture of Fanta soda, sugar, and apples—a makeshift alcoholic beverage—shortly after his arrival at Fort Dix on October 30. His family, managing his social media accounts, denied these ‘rumors’ as ‘completely false,’ and Engelmayer emphasized that Combs is focused on adjustment and personal growth, urging the public to grant him privacy.
Despite these setbacks, Combs is actively engaged in prison life, working as a chaplain’s assistant in the chapel library, a coveted role that involves maintaining religious materials and assisting with records. He is also enrolled in the Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP), an intensive rehabilitation effort that could reduce his sentence by up to one year, reflecting his commitment to addressing substance abuse issues cited during his trial.
Combs is serving a 50-month sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, with a scheduled release in May 2028. His legal team had previously advocated for his placement in a facility that would support drug treatment and family visitation, and in a sentencing memo, Combs acknowledged his struggles with drugs and anger, vowing that ‘prison will change you or kill you—I choose to live.’
As Combs navigates these early days of incarceration, the repeated rule violations raise questions about his adaptation to prison norms and the potential impact on his rehabilitation journey. With disciplinary actions pending and his participation in key programs, his experience at Fort Dix will likely influence both his sentence management and public perception as he works toward reintegration.
