Rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has appealed to a U.S. judge for leniency ahead of his sentencing on Friday, blaming years of dr¥g addiction for his violent past and claiming he has turned his life around after more than a year behind bars.
In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, the 54-year-old apologised “for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused,” admitting that he “literally lost [his] mind” while caught in a cycle of substance abuse and reckless behaviour.
Read Also: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs found guilty on two counts in federal trial
“My domestic vi%lence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry,” Combs wrote. “I’m sorry for that and always will be. I lost my way. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core.”
He also apologised directly to a woman identified only as “Jane,” who testified against him during the trial, acknowledging that his conduct was shaped by “dr¥gs and excess.”
Diddy, convicted in July on two pr%stitution-related charges, faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors are seeking a minimum of 11 years, while his defense team has urged the court to release him this month, citing his efforts at rehabilitation.
The music executive insisted that prison had transformed him, saying, “The old me d+ed in jail and a new version of me was reborn. I am sober for the first time in 25 years.” He added that he now spends his time mentoring fellow inmates about business and personal growth.
However, his accusers urged the judge to impose a lengthy sentence, warning that Diddy still poses a threat. Singer Cassie Ventura, who has accused him of years of abuse, told the court:
“I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up. He has no interest in changing or becoming better. He will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is.”
Prosecutors echoed Ventura’s concerns, dismissing Combs’ plea for mercy as an attempt to minimize his actions. “The defendant tries to recast decades of abuse as simply the function of mutually toxic relationships,” they wrote in their sentencing submission. “But there is nothing mutual about a relationship where one person holds all the power and the other ends up blo%died and bruised.”
The upcoming sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace for Combs, once one of hip-hop’s most influential figures with a career spanning music, fashion, and business.
His case has drawn widespread attention, not only because of his celebrity status but also for how it spotlights long-standing issues of power, abuse, and accountability in the entertainment industry.
As the court prepares to deliver its verdict, Combs stands at a crossroads: either a chance at redemption if granted early release, or the prospect of spending much of his later life behind bars.
