Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Begs Judge for Mercy Ahead of Sentencing: “I Was Dead Wrong”
October 4, 2025
Sean “Diddy” Combs, once one of the most powerful figures in music and entertainment, is pleading for leniency just hours before his federal sentencing. The 55-year-old producer, rapper, and entrepreneur submitted a deeply personal four-page letter to Judge Arun Subramanian on Thursday, October 2—acknowledging his crimes, reflecting on his downfall, and asking for a second chance.
Combs, who has been behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September 2024, was convicted in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. He was acquitted on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which could have put him away for life. Even so, federal prosecutors are urging the judge to impose more than 11 years in prison. His legal team is asking for no more than 14 months.
The sentencing—set for Friday, October 3, at 10 a.m. ET in Manhattan—follows a nearly two-month trial that featured shocking evidence, including surveillance footage of Combs attacking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and photographs of her alleged injuries.
A Letter of Contrition
In his emotional appeal, Combs writes that the past two years have been “the hardest of my life” and admits that his selfishness, drug abuse, and violence fueled his downfall.
“I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be,” he wrote. “My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry.”
Combs insists he has changed since entering prison. He says he is sober for the first time in 25 years, has spent his time reading, writing, and attending therapy, and even created a six-week business program for fellow inmates called Free Game.
He also acknowledges the toll incarceration has taken on his family: missing three of his daughters’ graduations, failing to raise his 2-year-old daughter Love, and being absent for his elderly mother, Janice, who recently underwent brain surgery.
“I no longer care about the money or the fame,” Combs wrote. “There is nothing more important to me than my family.”
Support From a Surprise Witness
Adding to the drama ahead of sentencing, Virginia Huynh—known as “Gina” during the trial—submitted her own letter defending Combs. She claims prosecutors pressured her to portray herself as a victim when she was not, saying she was never trafficked or forced into prostitution.
Her statement contradicts parts of the government’s case and could weigh into Judge Subramanian’s decision on Friday.
The Stakes
For Combs, the difference between prosecutors’ recommendation and his lawyers’ request could mean spending either just over a year—or more than a decade—behind bars.
The sentencing also marks a watershed moment in the fall of one of hip-hop’s most iconic moguls. Once celebrated for his influence over music, fashion, and business, Combs now faces the prospect of spending a large portion of his 60s behind bars.
Sean Combs’ Letter to Judge Arun Subramanian (Full Text)
Below is the complete letter submitted by Sean “Diddy” Combs on October 2, 2025:
Dear Judge Subramanian,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health and spirits. Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts to you. First and foremost, I want to apologize and say how sincerely sorry I am for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct. I take full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs. This has been the hardest 2 years of my life, and I have no one to blame for my current reality and situation but myself. In my life, I have made many mistakes, but I am no longer running from them. I am so sorry for the hurt that I caused, but I understand that the mere words “I’m sorry” will never be good enough as these words alone cannot erase the pain from the past.
Over the past thirteen months, I have had to look in the mirror like never before. My pain became my teacher. My sadness was my motivator. I have to admit, my downfall was rooted in my selfishness. The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily. I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be. My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry. The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame. I honestly feel sorry for something that I couldn’t forgive someone else for: if they put their hands on one of my daughters. This is why it is so hard for me to forgive myself. It is like a deep wound that leaves an ugly scar.
Your honor, I thought I was providing for Jane concerning her and her child, but after hearing her testimony, I realized that I hurt her. For this I am deeply sorry.
I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core. Jail is designed to break you mentally, physically and spiritually. Over the past year there have been so many times that I wanted to give up. There have been some days I thought I would be better off dead. The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you—I choose to live.
Every day since my incarceration, as difficult as my circumstances currently are, I have made the best of my time by reading books, writing, working out, or in therapy obtaining the tools and knowledge to deal with my past drug abuse and anger issues. I have been putting in the work and working diligently to become the best version of myself to ensure that I never make the same mistakes again.
I realize that I am in a situation where no amount of money, power or fame can save me. Only God can save me. My grandmother used to teach me that God makes no mistakes and that everything He does is for your good. I believe that a bad situation can be used for good. Although this situation has been the hardest and darkest time in my life, good things have come out of my incarceration. For starters, I am now sober for the first time in 25 years. I have been trying my best to deal with my drug abuse and anger issues and take accountability as well as positive steps towards healing.
One of the most beautiful things I have experienced is being asked by my fellow inmates to teach and mentor them. They wanted to learn what I did to become a successful businessman. I was inspired by their hunger and desire to learn information in order to not only set goals but achieve any goal/dream that their hearts desire. I started teaching a six-week program called Free Game (title given by my fellow inmates), which I was able to have approved and sanctioned by the Bureau of Prisons. I don’t just teach about my success, I also teach about my mistakes and failures. It has truly been a blessing to do something positive in a negative situation.
I ask you for mercy today, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my children. God blessed me with seven beautiful children—three sons and four daughters. Four of my children lost their mother, Kim Porter, when she tragically passed away in 2018. I am their only parent. I have failed my children as a father. My father was murdered when I was three years old so I know first-hand what it is to not have a father. More than anything, I just want the opportunity to return home and be the father that they need and deserve.
My mother is now 84 years old and she recently had brain surgery. Despite her health challenges, she attended my trial every day. I have always been her primary caregiver. It breaks my heart that I put myself in this situation and for the first time, I am unable to be there for my mother when she needs me most. As I write you this letter, I am scared to death. Scared to spend another second away from my mother and my children. I no longer care about the money or the fame. There is nothing more important to me than my family.
Between all of my losses and lessons, I can state for a fact that I will never be in another criminal courtroom again. 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.
I can’t change the past, but I can change the future. Since incarceration, I have gone through a spiritual reset. I’m committed to the journey of remaining drug-free, non-violent, and peaceful.
Today, I humbly ask you for another chance—another chance to be a better father, another chance to be a better son, another chance to be a better leader in my community, and another chance to live a better life.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sean Combs
As Judge Arun Subramanian prepares to hand down Diddy’s sentence, the music mogul’s fate now hangs in the balance of his words and his past actions. His letter is filled with remorse, regret, and promises of redemption—but it cannot erase the images of abuse, the testimony of witnesses, or the pain of those who say they suffered at his hands.
For survivors of personal injury and domestic violence, his plea may ring hollow. For others, it may read as the first step toward accountability. Either way, Diddy’s fall from global icon to inmate will remain a cautionary tale for years to come.
For those following every chapter, our full Diddy crime timeline traces the arrests, trial, verdict, and now sentencing that mark one of the most dramatic downfalls in music history.
