Sean Combs was reportedly placed back in solitary confinement following a NBC News report that the music mogul was using a contraband cellphone to scroll on Instagram, kept a private stash of premium liquor, and had access to a jailbroken tablet where he watched a Netflix documentary about himself.
The 56-year-old was put in a special housing unit, both NBC and TMZ have reported, after footage was released of Combs seemingly using a cell phone while serving his 50-month sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey. This would be Combs’ second time placed in isolation, following a physical fight with a fellow inmate in July.
Last year, Combs was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution following a high-profile criminal trial. Combs recently had his release date bumped up to January 2028, though it is unclear if the apparent violation will push back his homecoming.
In a statement, Combs’ spokesperson chalked up the reporting of Combs’ time behind bars as sensationalization of “ordinary prison life,” adding that “the only real news is that Sean continues to serve his sentence while awaiting the court’s decision on his appeal.”
According to NBC News, Combs had been enjoying a relatively pampered stay at the low-security federal correctional facility. The one-time billionaire reportedly had been directing thousands of dollars to fellow inmates in exchange for favors, including cooking him gourmet meals, and scrubbing down showers and toilets before he uses them. “He’s a billionaire. People are in awe of him,” one source told the outlet. “Money is power, especially behind bars.”
But beyond basic “pampering,” Combs allegedly has managed to secure contraband. He reportedly has a stash of Hennessy liquor, buys Remeron pills, a mood-boosting antidepressant drug, possess a jail-breaked tablet that he used to watch Netflix’s 50 Cent-produced docuseries about him, and has a cell phone that he uses to scroll on Instagram and view nude photos from an ex-girlfriend.
Rolling Stone has reviewed the Instagram account believed to belong to Combs, which is among the 365 accounts his own publicist follows. The anonymous profile follows Combs’ children, longtime family friends who are not public figures, and women romantically linked to Combs. The account has recently reposted videos pertaining to Combs’ former girlfriend Yung Miami, 50 Cent and former Bad Boy artist Mase.
Fort Dix has had issues with contraband being smuggled inside the facility. Last month, five people — including one current and one former Fort Dix corrections officer — were charged with conspiracy to provide contraband in prison. Between May 2025 and May 2026, the defendants are accused of smuggling in knives, marijuana, tobacco, cellular phones, vapes, cell phone chargers, tool kits, and a tattoo kit into Fort Dix, with more than $100,000 being transferred among the co-conspirators, according to the criminal complaint.
