EXCLUSIVE: Diddy Gets April 2026 Appeal Date After Fast-Track Approval

Diddy won fast-track approval for his appeal, with oral arguments scheduled for April 9, 2026, after moving to a low-security prison.

Diddy got some good news in his legal fight. His appeal arguments are officially set for April 9, 2026.

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Beth Robinson approved their request to fast-track the appeal process. This means Diddy won’t have to wait years for his day in court.

Case calendaring is the process by which courts schedule dates for hearings and arguments. For appeals, this means setting a specific date for lawyers to argue their case before judges.

Diddy is fighting his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

He got a four-year sentence in October 2025 after a jury found him guilty on those charges. But they cleared him on the bigger charges – sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

Prosecutors tried to paint him as the leader of a criminal enterprise. They said he ran elaborate parties called “freak offs” where he forced people into sexual acts. The jury didn’t buy the government’s case on the most serious charges.

Diddy’s lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, said Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced the Bad Boy mogul to a “draconian” sentence for behavior he was acquitted of. She argues the government used an old law with a troubled history to go after consensual adult relationships.

Federal prosecutors haven’t filed their response to Diddy’s appeal yet. But they will definitely fight back. In January, they told the court they “intend to file its brief on appeal on or before February 20, 2026.”

Diddy is currently serving his sentence at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey. He got transferred there from the harsh Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Fort Dix is considered much more comfortable than MDC.

The 55-year-old mogul is set for release on May 8, 2028, under his current sentence. But his appeal could change everything. If he wins, he could be released much sooner or even have his conviction overturned.

Diddy has maintained his innocence throughout the case. His lawyers say the relationships were consensual and that the government twisted the facts to fit its narrative. But the disgraced mogul admitted he was wrong for abusing the women in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

“I want to personally apologize again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt that I caused to her, emotionally or physically,” Diddy said. “My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick.”

If Combs wins his appeal, the government could ask for a rehearing or take the case to the Supreme Court. But that would take even more time and isn’t guaranteed.

The Bureau of Prisons has Combs scheduled for release in May 2028 based on his current sentence.

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