Diddy's Grainy Mugshot Confirms The Courtroom Sketches Weren't Exaggerating

A photo of Sean "Diddy" Combs' has people realizing how different he looks while locked up. On October 30, the Bad Boy music honcho was transferred to Fort Dix prison in New Jersey to serve his four-year sentence. While there, Diddy was able to nab one of the most highly sought after jobs in the federal prison, working as a chaplain's assistant in the church, per CBS News. The work assignment may have been relatively cushy, but it wasn't enough to put a smile on the "I'll Be Missing You" artist's face when he posed for a mugshot.

Not much had been seen of Diddy during his incarceration besides courtroom sketches, so when his intake photo for Fort Dix was shared online, it came as something of a shock to social media users. Even though the snap was of poor quality, people could see how different Diddy looked living behind bars versus in the mansion where he enjoyed his former lavish rap mogul lifestyle. His hair had grown out and was predominantly gray with large silver streaks on the sides and top of his head. The music producer had also grown out his facial hair, which was mostly gray as well. Diddy was stone-faced for the intake pic, and the shading of the image made him appear to have dark circles around his eyes.

As the pic made the rounds, people commented on how much Diddy seemed to have aged. "He looks like a grandpa now," one X user wrote. "HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE MORGAN FREEMANKKKKKKKKK," another joked. "I can still see his big ego," an Instagram user commented. That was an interesting observation, as Diddy's prison life reportedly has some perks that might explain why his ego has remained intact.

Sean "Diddy" Combs may have had an unlavish birthday in prison, but he has reportedly enjoyed some special treatment while serving his time at Fort Dix. Just days before his intake photo went viral, insight into Diddy's time at the federal prison was shared by celebrity gossip writer Rub Shuter on his Substack. According to multiple sources from inside the prison, the disgraced hip hop producer has been given multiple luxuries in lockup and has even managed to gain access to a cellphone. "He acts like it's a luxury rehab, not a federal facility," one source told Shuter for a piece published on November 8. The preferential treatment has reportedly emboldened Diddy as an inmate. "He hasn't changed. Diddy still thinks he's in charge, even behind bars. It's the same arrogance — just with concrete walls," another insider said.

That ego had been on display during Diddy's trial when he was apparently unhappy with how he was portrayed in sketches. Sketch artist Jane Rosenberg told Reuters in June that Diddy made a request about how she drew him. "Soften me up a bit, you're making me look like a koala bear," he told the sketch artist. Those sketches showed Diddy with large patches of gray hair on the sides and top of his head. Plus, there was evidence of his beard going gray. When the prison mugshot was released, it became clear that Rosenberg had done a solid job of accurately depicting Diddy.