A newly released photograph of Sean “Diddy” Combs has revealed a dramatic change in the music mogul’s appearance, showing him with grey hair and a noticeably aged look as he serves his sentence in a federal prison. The image, taken inside the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, shows the 55-year-old wearing a dark prison-issued jacket and beanie, with a full grey beard replacing the sharply groomed look he maintained throughout his career.
Combs began serving a 50-month sentence in October after being convicted on federal charges related to transportation to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of more serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, but the conviction still marked a dramatic fall from grace for one of the most influential figures in hip-hop and entertainment.
The mugshot, circulated online this week, offers the first official glimpse of Combs since his transfer from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to Fort Dix, a lower-security facility that houses around 3,000 inmates. The image quickly spread across social media, with many commenting on how unrecognisable he appears compared to his earlier public persona.
Observers have pointed out that the change in his appearance is likely a reflection of prison life, where grooming products and cosmetic treatments are restricted. Combs, who had long kept his hair dyed black and his facial hair immaculately trimmed, now appears almost entirely grey. Those familiar with federal prison routines say such transformations are common, as inmates adapt to more austere conditions and lose access to many of the luxuries they previously enjoyed.
In the months since his conviction, reports from those close to the case suggest Combs has largely kept to himself, participating in basic prison programmes and adjusting to life away from the spotlight. The Fort Dix facility, which has been home to several high-profile inmates over the years, offers educational and vocational programmes as well as a drug treatment course that his legal team reportedly requested he be allowed to join.
The striking difference in his appearance has prompted widespread reflection on his long career and the rapid decline that led to his imprisonment. Once celebrated as one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in American entertainment, Combs built a billion-dollar empire through music, fashion, television, and spirits branding. His label, Bad Boy Records, launched the careers of artists including The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and Mase. Over the decades, he expanded into global ventures under his “Sean John” clothing line and Cîroc vodka partnership, projecting an image of success and style that defined hip-hop luxury culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
That image has since been dismantled amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. His 2025 conviction followed a series of civil lawsuits filed earlier in the year, several of which were settled out of court. Federal prosecutors pursued charges after what they described as a long-running pattern of coercive conduct involving women transported across state lines.
The case, and now the prison photograph, have become defining elements in the public’s reassessment of Combs. Many observers have noted that the picture’s subdued tone — the grey beard, the unstyled hair, the distant stare — symbolises the reversal of his once carefully maintained persona. For years, Combs cultivated the image of a self-made mogul who transcended music to become a cultural icon. The mugshot, by contrast, places him in the same stark setting as any other inmate, stripped of celebrity and status.
Prison officials have not commented on the release of the image, which is standard procedure for inmates within the Bureau of Prisons system. His team has also declined to make any public statement on his current condition or state of mind. However, legal representatives have previously said Combs intends to appeal his conviction and continue cooperating with authorities on any remaining civil matters.
As of now, Combs’s projected release date is May 2028, though this could be reduced through good behaviour credits or participation in rehabilitation programmes. Those familiar with his case say he has expressed an interest in education and fitness activities offered inside Fort Dix, though there has been no independent confirmation of his participation.
The photograph has reignited discussion about how incarceration affects public figures accustomed to wealth and control over their image. For a man who once turned his personal brand into a business empire, the sudden loss of autonomy and the stark visual evidence of ageing behind bars have captured global attention.
In the end, the image serves as both a record and a metaphor: a powerful industry figure now confined within an institution, his once-youthful appearance replaced by the visible marks of time and consequence. It is a reminder of how swiftly reputation, image, and influence can fade — and how, inside prison walls, even the most carefully curated identities are stripped down to their simplest form.