In a desperate attempt to reduce his time in prison, disgraced rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs wrote a four-page letter to the judge, expressing his deep regret for the hurt and pain he has caused through his actions. His sentencing is scheduled for this Friday.
“For the past thirteen months, I have had to deeply reflect on my life like never before,” Combs stated in the letter, as reported by TMZ. “My suffering became my teacher, and my sorrow became my driving force. I must admit, my downfall was a result of my selfish behavior.”
Combs was found guilty in July of charges related to facilitating prostitution, according to CrimeOnline. His legal team has made several attempts to have him released prior to sentencing, but Judge Arun Subramanian has consistently denied these requests, including a recent motion to overturn his conviction.
During the trial, the jury was presented with testimonies from three women who accused Combs of physical or sexual abuse. Cassie Ventura, Combs’ partner from 2007 to 2018, testified that he hindered her music career while coercing her into “freak offs,” which required her to engage in sexual acts with other men while Combs watched.
A 2016 video was leaked prior to the trial, showing Combs beating and kicking Ventura in a hotel hallway.
In his letter to Subramanian, Combs said the video “of me assaulting Cassie plays over and over in my head daily.”
“I literally lost my mind,” he wrote. “I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be.”
He also referred to another witness at the trial, a woman who used the alias “Jane” and was in a relationship with Combs from 2021 to 2024.
“Your honor, I believed I was supporting Jane and her child, but her testimony made me realize the pain I caused her,” Combs wrote. “For this, I am truly sorry.”
Combs did not mention the third victim, who used the alias “Mia” and who worked as Combs’ assistant for eight years. She accused Combs of forcing her to perform oral sex and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her without her consent. She also claimed Combs hurled objects at her and threw her against a wall.
In the remaining three pages of the letter, Combs claims he got “lost in the drugs and excess” but has now “been humbled and broken to my core.” He wrote that he’d realized that “only God can save me” and that he has now been sober for the first time in 25 years. He wrote about teaching a course about being a successful businessman to his fellow inmates and then asked for mercy “not only for my sake, but for the sake of my children.”
He also wrote about his 84-year-old mother who “sacrificed her life and dreams to provide for me and my younger sister, Keisha,” adding that she’d recently had brain surgery and decrying that he was “unable to be there for my mother when she needs me most.”
Combs wrote about what he called the “inhumane” conditions of living in jail and said that he has “lost all of my businesses” and his career.
“If you give me a chance, I would like the opportunity to share my story with people to prevent at least one person from making the mistakes that I’ve made,” he wrote.
I would ask Your Honor to make me an example of what a person can do if afforded a second chance,” he added. “If you allow me to go home to my family, I promise I will not let you down and I will make you proud.”
Prosecutors have asked Subramanian to sentence Combs to 11 years in prison. Combs’ attorneys are seeking a sentence that will essentially be for time served.
