Diddy asks for mercy in letter ahead of sentencing: 'I lost my way'
The future and reputation of Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' verdict declared him guilty of only two out of five counts, but the charges now make him a convicted felon. FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers talks about what people are saying about his future and reputation.
NEW YORK CITY - Sean "Diddy" Combs pleaded with a federal judge for leniency as he faced sentencing on Friday, writing in a personal letter that he is "deeply sorry" for his past actions and is determined to prove he has changed.
- MORE: Diddy sentencing today: Judge to decide fate | Live updates
- MORE: Diddy sentencing timeline: How did he get here
What they're saying:
"Hope this letter finds you well and in good health and spirits. Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts to you," Combs began. "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."
Combs, who has been behind bars for more than a year, described the experience as life-altering: "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."
Diddy addresses abuse of Cassie
In the letter, Diddy spoke directly about the assault of his longtime ex-girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, who testified during his trial.
"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 loved me. 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," he wrote.
He added: "The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame… honestly I 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."
Jail time as a turning point
Diddy said his time at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center has broken him down but also given him a chance to rebuild.
"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," he wrote.
He said he has become sober for the first time in 25 years and has taken part in therapy to deal with anger and drug abuse. He also described mentoring other inmates through a program called "Free Game," where he teaches lessons about success, failure and redemption.
"One of the most beautiful things I have experienced is being asked by my fellow inmates to teach and mentor them," he wrote. "It has truly been a blessing to do something positive in a negative situation."
Plea for a second chance
Diddy emphasized the toll his incarceration has taken on his family, particularly his seven children and his 84-year-old mother, who recently underwent brain surgery.
"I have failed my children as a father," he admitted. "More than anything, I just want the opportunity to return home and be the father that they need and deserve."
He closed his letter by asking the judge for mercy: "I can’t change the past, but I can change the future. If you allow me to go home to my family, I promise I will not let you down and I will make you proud. 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."
Diddy is set to be sentenced today, with prosecutors pushing for at least 11 years in prison and his defense team asking for no more than 14 months.