Diddy Combs pleads with judge for ‘mercy’ for his children ahead of sentencing

Renowned hip hop musician Sean "Diddy" Combs, acquitted of the most serious charges against him after a high-profile sexual assault trial, asked the judge for "mercy" before his sentencing Friday in New York.

In a letter sent Thursday night, the star apologized for his actions and said he was "shattered" by what he did, after he "lost himself in drugs and excess."

In July, after two months of deliberations, the jury dismissed charges of sex trafficking and racketeering against Combs, punishable by life in prison.

However, the 55-year-old former rapper and businessman was found guilty of two counts of human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution, for which he could still receive up to 20 years in prison.

Combs told Judge Arun Subramanian that he was "scared to death" to be away from his family and vowed that he would "never again" commit "a crime." "These have been the most difficult two years of my life, and I have no one to blame for my reality and current situation except myself," the rapper said in the letter accessed by AFP.

Diddy apologizes for abuses committed

The one-time hip hop innovator apologized for physically assaulting Casandra Ventura, his girlfriend from 2007 to 2018, who testified about the brutal beatings as well as devastating emotional and sexual abuse he inflicted on her. He also apologized for having hurt a woman who testified against him under the pseudonym Jane.

The prosecution sought 11 years or more in prison for Combs, emphasizing the seriousness of the crimes, but also the lack of remorse, the trauma suffered by the victims and the threat they say they feel from him.

Defense asks for reduced sentence

The defense, instead, asked that the sentence not exceed 14 months, by highlighting Combs' good behavior since his incarceration and his damaged image. This sentence would allow Combs to be released before the end of the year, considering the time he spent on remand in Brooklyn.

In his letter to the judge, Combs claimed that spending more than a year incarcerated made him "reborn." "Prison will change you or kill you; I choose to live," he asserted.

Rapper pleads for "mercy" for his children's sake

During Friday's sentencing hearing, lawyers, as well as at least one witness called by the prosecution, are expected to address the court. Combs is expected to speak directly to the judge. His letter offered a preview of what he might say.

"I ask for mercy today, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my children," he wrote. "I can't change the past, but I can change the future."

Little chance of receiving a presidential pardon

The defense said it would seek to obtain a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. But the request has little chance of success, as the president rejected the idea in early August, calling him "very hostile."