Convicted music mogul says he’s a changed man as he awaits sentencing after year in jail

Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded with a federal judge for mercy ahead of his sentencing, declaring that a year behind bars has left him a changed man.

The 55-year-old music mogul faces up to 11 years in prison after being convicted in July on two prostitution-related charges. He was acquitted of the most serious counts — sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy — following a trial that featured harrowing testimony from 34 witnesses.

In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs described his incarceration as a turning point. “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. “I no longer care about the money or the fame. There is nothing more important to me than my family.”

Federal prosecutors have pressed for a sentence of 11 years and three months, branding Combs “unrepentant” and violent. His defence team, however, has argued that his year in custody has been punishment enough.

During his two-month trial, jurors were shown security-camera footage from 2016 of Combs attacking then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel. Ventura, who testified while eight months pregnant, recounted years of alleged physical and emotional abuse. She said Combs had raped her after their breakup in 2018 and threatened to sabotage her career if she did not comply with his demands.

Another woman, known only as Jane, testified that Combs pressured her into group sexual encounters, using rent payments and threats of releasing explicit videos as leverage. She described feeling “trapped” and recounted an altercation in 2024 that left her with a black eye.

In his letter, Combs issued apologies to both women. “The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily,” he wrote. “I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved.” Addressing Jane’s testimony, he added: “After hearing her testimony, I realized that I hurt her. For this I am deeply sorry.”

Combs admitted that his downfall stemmed from excess, drugs, and selfishness. “I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness,” he said. “The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame – it’s so hard for me to forgive myself.”

The letter also painted a grim picture of his time in a Brooklyn federal jail, where he claimed he has endured “inhumane” conditions: a windowless room with 25 inmates, dirty air, broken facilities, and unsafe drinking water.

Still, Combs said he has used his time to rehabilitate. He has become sober, undergone therapy for anger and drug issues, and even created a course for fellow inmates, Free Game With Diddy, which shares lessons from his business career and personal failures.

He pleaded not just for himself but for his family, especially his seven children and 84-year-old mother. “As I write you this letter, I am scared to death. Scared to spend another second away from my mother and my children,” he said.

Combs insisted he seeks a second chance to rebuild his life: “If you allow me to go home to my family, I promise I will not let you down and I will make you proud.”

Judge Subramanian is expected to deliver his sentence later on Friday.