Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a letter to the judge asking for mercy less than 24 hours before he’s set to be sentenced in his federal case.
The mogul wrote a four-page letter to Judge Arun Subramanian asking for leniency in his sentencing. “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,” he wrote. “I take full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs.”
In the letter, Combs states that he understands that saying “I’m sorry” will “never be good enough” as the words “cannot erase the pain from the past.” He reflects on his time spent in prison over the past 13 months, stating that “the scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily. I literally lost my mind.”
He explains that he has come to terms with his past behavior and takes responsibility for it. “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.”
Combs asks for mercy from the judge and says he wants to be a good father to his seven children and resume being the primary caretaker for his ill mother. “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,” he stated. “I am writing this not to gain any sympathy or pity, this experience is simply the truth of my existence and has changed my life forever and I will never commit a crime again.”
Earlier this week, prosecutors in the case asked that Combs be sentenced to at least 11 years in prison on his two counts of transportation for prostitution. This afternoon, Combs’ counsel reinforced their request for Combs to be given 14 months, which would free him by the end of the year, inclusive of time already served. On Tuesday, Judge Subramanian denied Combs’ request for a new trial or acquittal.
Combs is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. ET. He’s expected to speak directly to the Judge during the sentencing.