Inside the walls of the federal prison at Fort Dix, New Jersey, no one lives like inmate #37452-054.
There are men who cook for him and men who clean for him. There are men who make his bed and men who do his laundry. There is even a man who gives him Chinese massages.
That’s how Sean “Diddy” Combs lives in prison, according to four men who spent time in the same unit as the disgraced hip-hop mogul. They were granted anonymity to speak freely about life in prison.
“This isn’t some normal shit you see in prison. This is some rich shit,” one of the men said. “It sounds crazy, but then again, it’s Diddy.”
This story is also drawn in part from photos and videos taken inside the prison and reviewed by NBC News. They include footage of Combs appearing to use a contraband phone.
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Diddy appears to be using his cell phone in prison
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Combs, 56, is serving a 50-month sentence for prostitution-related offenses. But he still lives a privileged life, sources say, and it’s not just because of inmates willing to do the most basic tasks for him at the right price.
Multiple sources said he used contraband cellphones to scroll through Instagram and scan nude and sexually explicit photos sent to him by a former girlfriend. He was able to buy from other inmates an antidepressant sought after for its mood-enhancing effects: Remeron, or “rem-roms,” as they are called in prison. On weekend evenings, he often dipped into a secret stash of premium alcohol, which was smuggled in by guards and shared with a select group of fellow inmates.
“Of course I drank with him,” said one of the men, who described drinking Hennessy with Combs.
A spokesperson for Combs downplayed details of his life in prison.
“The scrutiny of every mundane detail of Sean Combs’ prison life has reached the point where the media characterizes ordinary prison life as news,” the spokesperson said. “The only real news is that Sean continues to serve his sentence while awaiting the court’s decision on his appeal.”
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said the agency does not comment on a particular inmate’s conditions for “privacy and security reasons.”
“Like all correctional agencies, contraband, particularly cell phones, narcotics and weapons, remains an ongoing challenge, and we continue to address the issue of contraband brought into our facilities,” the spokesperson added in a statement.
Combs’ exalted existence behind bars doesn’t come cheap.
He spent thousands of dollars a month to bring his lifestyle to the low-security prison, sources said, with money from people outside the prison going into the commissary accounts of inmates who did him favors.
Among those paid by Combs were a man who cleaned toilets and showers before using them, and men who secretly prepared special meals for him — chicken curry, pizza, empanadas — using a makeshift heating element submerged in water, sources said.
“After a while, I got tired of cooking,” said one man who described preparing meals for Combs and other inmates. “He started going to the Jamaicans.”
There are also inmates who store Combs’ phone and fan mail for him.
“That’s so much he gets,” one of the sources said. “He doesn’t have room for that.”
Like many other state and federal prisons in the United States, Fort Dix struggles with a contraband problem. Last week, five people, including a former and current corrections officer, were charged with leading a scheme to smuggle illicit items into the South Jersey prison. The contraband included knives, marijuana and cellphones, federal prosecutors said.
Since 2020, authorities have also charged several people for allegedly using drones to drop illicit goods into the Fort Dix prison yard or onto a roof. Suspects included inmates and outside accomplices who had already served time at the facility. In one case, Fort Dix personnel intercepted a 46-pound laundry bag filled with contraband.
Combs isn’t the first famous person to receive special treatment behind bars. Harvey Weinstein, for example, was held in a private room at New York’s Rikers Island prison, with access to his own phone, bathroom and television, according to The City Reporter.
The massive Fort Dix prison, 60 miles southwest of New York, houses about 4,000 inmates.
Combs arrived there in October after being convicted of two counts of transporting people across state lines for the purpose of sex.
The trial featured lurid testimony about highly choreographed sexual encounters organized by Combs and called “freak offs.” They involved sex workers, elaborate costumes, drugs and former girlfriends — including singer Cassie — who filed a lawsuit against Combs, alleging years of physical and sexual abuse. (The case was settled, with Combs denying any wrongdoing.)
His trial ended in a split verdict, with a New York jury finding him not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him in prison for life.
After his conviction, Combs’ attorneys insisted he be sent to Fort Dix, in part because the facility offers a drug treatment program. Completing the month-long program often results in a reduction in an inmate’s prison sentence, making it highly sought after.
Combs entered the program upon his arrival at Fort Dix. Sources said it took him little time to acquire a phone, alcohol and a growing number of inmates under his belt.
“Almost the day he arrived, the party started,” one of the sources said.
Many Fort Dix inmates consume alcohol and Remeron, sources said. The drug is prescribed to inmates suffering from depression and anxiety. But it is also bought and sold on the prison’s robust black market, the sources said.
“You can get just about anything except a front door key and a wife,” one of the sources said.
Among the items Combs got his hands on, according to two sources, was a “jailbroken” tablet that he used to watch movies and documentaries, including “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” the Netflix documentary series produced by his longtime nemesis 50 Cent.
His presence at the prison also led to some surreal moments, according to sources. During his first days, he would walk around in only a towel or boxers after showering, prompting inmates to warn him that he might be targeted for sexual purposes.
“This is not normal,” one of the sources said.
Over the summer, Combs was placed in solitary confinement following a fight with another inmate, NBC News reported in July. He was later kicked out of the drug treatment program, according to sources.
But after he was released from solitary confinement, sources say, he immediately returned to living the life that great wealth can buy you in prison, with a team of inmates looking after him.
“He’s a billionaire. People are impressed by him,” one of the sources said. “Money is power, especially behind bars. »
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