Sean “Diddy” Combs has petitioned an appeals court to grant his release from prison and set aside his conviction on two prostitution-related offences.

In documents filed to fast-track the appeal, lawyers for the rap mogul contended that his sentence was wrongly imposed and that the actions leading to his conviction did not amount to criminal conduct.

His attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, described the 50-month jail term as “unlawful, unconstitutional, and a perversion of justice”.

She urged the appeals court to order a fresh sentencing if it decides not to overturn the conviction entirely.

This move marks the most recent effort by Combs’ legal team to either shorten his prison term or nullify the conviction.

Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, who led the case against Combs, declined to comment on the appeal before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Combs’ legal team had earlier indicated plans to challenge both his conviction and sentence.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Combs leveraged his wealth, influence, and threats of violence to pressure women into sexual encounters against their will.

At a widely followed trial earlier this year, jurors heard testimony from two former partners of Combs — Cassie Ventura and another woman identified in court as “Jane Doe”. Both testified that Combs subjected them to abuse and compelled them to take part in what were referred to as “freak-offs” involving male escorts.

While the jury cleared Combs of the most serious allegations, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, it convicted him on two counts of transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution.

Following the verdict in September, Combs asked Judge Arun Subramanian to acquit him or order a new trial, arguing that prosecutors had misapplied the Mann Act, a federal anti-prostitution law. The request was denied.

Prior to sentencing, his lawyers pushed for a minimal sentence that would effectively amount to time already served, which would have allowed for his immediate release. Prosecutors, however, urged the court to impose a prison term of no less than 11 years.

Judge Subramanian ultimately handed Combs a sentence of just over four years. In delivering his ruling, he acknowledged Combs’ charitable work and the character references submitted on his behalf, but stressed that “a history of good works can’t wash away your record”.

In the appeal, Combs’ lawyers argue that the judge failed to properly apply sentencing guidelines in imposing the 50-month term.

They further claim that the court “flouted” updated guidelines and wrongly factored in conduct for which Combs had already been acquitted, accusing the judge of acting as a “thirteenth juror” and branding the sentence “draconian”.

Before sentencing, Combs offered an apology to Ms Ventura and “Jane.”

“My actions were disgusting, shameful, and sick,” Combs said. “I got lost in excess, I got lost in my ego.”

Beyond the criminal case, Combs is also facing numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, rape, and sexual exploitation.

Several of the suits allege that he used his celebrity status and influence to intimidate accusers into silence, while others claim that victims were drugged at parties before the alleged assaults, either by Combs himself or individuals associated with him.

Representatives for Combs have consistently denied the allegations, insisting that he “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor”.

A new documentary produced by rapper and filmmaker 50 Cent, detailing the rise and fall of Sean “Diddy” Combs, premiered on Netflix on Tuesday, featuring fresh allegations, unseen archival material, and interviews with former insiders.

The second episode of the multi-part series, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” released on December 2, includes accounts from former Bad Boy Records staff and artistes who revisit long-standing controversies surrounding the deaths of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. In their recollections, they suggest that Combs had a notable influence on events connected to both cases.

The documentary also features testimony from rapper Mark Curry, Craig Mack’s former wife Roxanne Johnson, and Bad Boy Records cofounder Kirk Burrowes. Their interviews allege that Combs exploited artistes under the label and contributed to the East-West hip-hop tensions that shaped the industry in the 1990s.

"I think Sean had an envy for his own artistes, he was jealous of their talent," Burrowes said.

One interviewee alleged that Combs pressured him into surrendering his 25% stake in the record label they cofounded, claiming the threat was made while Combs held a baseball bat.

The episode also explores the intensifying rivalry between Combs’ Bad Boy Records and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records on the West Coast.

At the time, Death Row featured artistes such as Dr. Dre and later Tupac Shakur, while Bad Boy represented Biggie Smalls, Faith Evans, 112, and Mase.

According to those interviewed, the feud was not primarily driven by the artistes themselves but escalated when executives—including Combs—heightened tensions between the camps.

Responding to the allegations, Combs’ representatives told USA TODAY that “Netflix’s so-called ‘documentary’ is a shameful hit piece.”

"Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they're simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification," he added

Engelmayer added, "Sean Combs will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production."

Diddy, Suge Knight label war turned into deadly turf war

The label war eventually bled into a gang war, the documentary argued, with the Crips on the side of Bad Boy and Biggie, and the Bloods on the side of Knight and Death Row.

Combs was at the centre of it all, the documentary alleged, connecting to drug boss Duane "Keffe D" Davis through Eric Von Zip.

Davis is currently awaiting trial for the killing of Shakur.

Von Zip, who Combs claimed was his uncle, loomed large in the New York gang scene.

In recordings accompanied by commentary from former Los Angeles Police Department detective Greg Krading, Davis was allegedly heard recounting how he and his nephew, Orlando Anderson, pulled off the 1996 Las Vegas shooting of Shakur.

Davis alleged that Combs had agreed to pay him and other gang members to do away with Shakur and Knight, who was in the car the night of the shooting.

The money never materialised, he alleged, in part because Knight wasn't killed and because it was funnelled through Von Zip, who has since died.

"I think that Sean, now in my mature mind, had a lot to do with the death of Tupac," Burrowes said.

He claimed that following the shooting, the Bad Boys crew knew it was dangerous to be in Los Angeles but that Combs pushed them to go anyway.

He said Diddy urged Biggie Smalls, real name Christopher Wallace, to go to LA for promotion for his album against the rapper's wishes.

Wallace was shot and killed during that trip in 1997.

"He ushered Biggie to his death," Burrowes argued, claiming in later years that Combs lied about the artiste's desire to be in Los Angeles, alleging it was Biggie's idea and not his own.

In September, USA TODAY uncovered court files in which Davis, a former LA gangbanger, claimed that Combs put a $1 million bounty on the heads of Shakur and Knight.