Sean “Diddy” Combs Sells Star Island Mansion While Serving Prison Sentence

A Miami-area real-estate holding company, JFStar LLC, purchased Sean “Diddy” Combs’s waterfront mansion at 1 West Star Island for $55 million in an off-market deal. The six-bedroom, eight-and-a-half-bathroom property, built in 1940 and expanded in 1995, sits on more than an acre with 240 feet of water frontage, a pool, spa and private dock. Financing came from an $18.5 million mortgage provided by Axos Bank of San Diego. Combs bought the estate in 2021 for $35 million from Gloria and Emilio Estefan. He retains ownership of the adjacent 2 Star Island residence, which remains his primary home.

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Combs is serving a 50-month federal sentence after a 2025 trial convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges. The conviction followed a September 2024 arrest that stemmed from a Department of Homeland Security raid on his 2 Star Island home in March 2024. A $500,000 fine accompanied the sentence. The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists his projected release as Feb. 23 2028, a date that has been moved up from an earlier June 2028 estimate. Combs’s legal team continues to appeal the sentence before a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

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• Sean “Diddy” Combs – rapper, Bad Boy Records founder, defendant.

The Spokesman-Review

• Juda Engelmayer – Combs’s attorney.

US Weekly

• John A. Franklin – buyer who filed a lawsuit alleging the seller’s company was not ready to close.

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• JFStar LLC – Newport News-based holding company that acquired the property.

In Touch Weekly

• Axos Bank – lender for the mortgage.

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• Sale price: $55 million.

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• Mortgage financing: $18.5 million.

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• Original purchase price (2021): $35 million.

Sportskeeda

• Mortgage payoff (Aug. 20 2024): ?$18 million to free the home for a proposed bail package.

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• Fine: $500,000.

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Combs’s representative told TMZ the seller entity, 1 West Star Island, LLC, was prepared to close on the agreed date and labeled Franklin’s lawsuit as “frivolous.” Attorney Engelmayer said his client remains “remarkably positive,” is “focused on the appeal,” and is using the time to reflect on personal improvement.

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John A. Franklin sued 1 West Star Island, LLC, claiming the company was “not ready or able” to complete the transaction, prompting a default notice in May 2026. Separately, ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed a 2023 lawsuit alleging rape and abuse, which was settled the next day but sparked numerous additional complaints, including one from a former child star alleging assault.

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Sources differ on Combs’s release timeline: some list Feb. 23 2028, while others note an earlier projected date of June 4 2028. The exact month of sentencing is cited as “October” without a year in some reports, creating minor ambiguity about the sentencing chronology.

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• “During Freak Offs, Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant,” — Federal indictment

E! News

• “1 West Star Island, LLC was ready and on standby to close the transaction on the date agreed,” — Combs’s representative, statement to TMZ

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• “He’s focused on the appeal,” — Juda Engelmayer, attorney

US Weekly

• “John Franklin, failed to perform; therefore, a notice of default was issued to him on 5/11/2026 with a follow-up on 5/13/2026.” — Combs’s representative, statement to TMZ

Rolling Stone

The sale illustrates how high-net-worth defendants can liquidate assets while incarcerated, influencing bail-bond strategies and the management of collateral in federal cases. It also highlights the intersection of celebrity, criminal prosecution, and real-estate transactions under intense public scrutiny.

Sportskeeda

The appeal before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals remains pending, and Combs’s release date stays set for Feb. 23 2028. Ongoing civil suits, including Franklin’s default claim, may proceed as the parties resolve the sale’s contractual disputes.

Rolling Stone