Sean "Diddy" Combs Faces Sentencing as Family Pleads for Leniency in Mann Act Case

Several of Combs' children made emotional pleas for leniency during the sentencing hearing.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' sentencing hearing began Friday with prosecutors pushing for an 11-year prison term while his children tearfully begged the judge for mercy. The hip-hop mogul's case involves allegations of flying individuals across state lines for extended sexual encounters.

Combs, 55, was convicted in July under the Mann Act but acquitted of more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that could have resulted in a life sentence.

Defense attorneys argued for his immediate release after more than a year in detention. They presented an unusual approach for a sentencing hearing, showcasing an 11-minute video highlighting Combs' career achievements, family life, and philanthropic efforts.

During the video presentation, Combs became visibly emotional, covering part of his face and crying with his shoulders heaving. He was expected to address the court later in the day.

His nearly two-month trial featured testimony from women who described experiences of being beaten, threatened, sexually assaulted, and blackmailed by Combs.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik urged Judge Arun Subramanian not to excuse years of violence with a light sentence, stating, "It's a case about a man who did horrible things to real people to satisfy his own sexual gratification. He didn't need the money. His currency was control."

Slavik also criticized Combs for allegedly booking a speaking engagement in Miami for the following week, calling it "the height of hubris."

In emotional testimony, Combs' son Justin described his father as "my superhero" and noted that incarceration had forced him to overcome substance abuse issues.

His daughters Chance and Di'Lila spoke through tears, with D'Lila expressing fear of losing her father after already experiencing the death of their mother, Kim Porter, in 2018. In total, six of Combs' seven children addressed the judge.

"Please, your honor, please," D'Lila Combs pleaded while crying, "give our family the chance to heal together, to rebuild, to change, to move forward, not as a headline, but as human beings."

Judge Subramanian, who previously denied bail twice, indicated Combs was unlikely to be released soon. He emphasized that the acquittals did not absolve the music mogul of underlying conduct involving violence and coercion.

Defense attorney Jason Driscoll argued the Mann Act was misapplied in this case. Another lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, became emotional while describing how Combs had personally inspired her, saying, "Mr. Combs is not larger than life. He's a human being. And he's made some mistakes. But judge, how many of us can say that we helped so many lives, countless lives?"

Outside the courthouse, journalists and onlookers gathered in scenes reminiscent of Combs' earlier trial.

During the trial, former girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura testified that Combs ordered her to have "disgusting" sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship. Jurors viewed video evidence of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multi-day "freak-off."

Another accuser, identified only as "Jane," testified she was pressured into sexual encounters with male workers during drug-fueled "hotel nights" while Combs watched and sometimes recorded.

A former assistant known as "Mia," who had planned to speak at the sentencing, withdrew after defense objections. She had accused Combs of raping her in 2010 and requested a sentence reflecting "the ongoing danger my abuser poses."

Trial testimony also included other allegations of violence. One witness claimed Combs dangled her from a 17th-floor balcony, while rapper Kid Cudi stated Combs broke into his home after discovering he was dating Cassie.

In a letter to the judge on Thursday, Combs wrote: "The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn," promising never to commit another crime.

Cassie countered in her own letter, describing him as an abuser who "will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is."

Defense lawyers maintain that the encounters were consensual and argue that imprisonment has already sufficiently punished Combs, forcing sobriety and genuine remorse. At a previous hearing, Combs told his family he was "getting closer to going home."