Sean 'Diddy' Combs Says He's 'Broken' as Sentence Is Revealed
Shortly before a judge announced his sentence, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs declared himself "broken" in an emotional statement before the court.
"My domestic violence will be a heavy burden that I will have to carry," Combs said, according to CBS News, just before the judge ordered him to serve four years and two months in prison (50 months). That sentence is more than the 14 months in prison that Diddy's attorneys wanted, but it's less than the 11 years sought by prosecutors. Diddy has already served about 13 months behind bars.
The sentence capped an emotional day in court on October 3. According to CBS:
- Combs said he makes "no excuse because I knew better," and alleged he was "sick on drugs" and "out of control."
- "I've been humbled and broken to my core," Combs said. "... I hate myself right now."
- Combs declared that he took "full accountability and responsibility."
- He spoke for 12 minutes. According to CNN, Diddy also said that his actions were “disgusting, shameful and sick.”
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Needed a Sentence That Addressed the 'Gravity' of His Crimes, the Judge Said
Combs was sentenced by Judge Arun Subramanian.
He said that Combs will have to spend "hard time" in prison, but he added that he will still be young enough to resume his life.
“This is a serious sentence that reflects the gravity of your crimes and conduct,” Subramanian said, according to CNN.
The judge told Combs that the more than four-year prison sentence was necessary. “A substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability," he said.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Kids Grew Emotional as They Addressed the Court
The sentencing comes after six of Combs' seven kids addressed the court, asking for leniency for their father and saying that he is a reformed man.
D’Lila Combs, one of Combs’ daughters, spoke “through tears,” according to CNN.
“We are scared, scared of the thought of not having our dad and our mom present in our lives. We are scared for our 2-year-old little sister that runs to us every night asking where daddy is. We cannot watch our baby sister grow up fatherless the same way we had to grow up fatherless,” she said to the judge.
According to CNN, Combs himself cried when he listened to his kids beg for mercy. Combs also penned the judge a four-page letter in which he apologized for his actions.
During the sentencing hearing, according to TMZ,"prosecutors blasted Diddy for scheduling what they called a speaking engagement this upcoming Monday in Miami."
According to TMZ, Combs apologized to his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, the key witness for the prosecution during the trial. In emotional testimony, she had accused Combs of abuse that left her deeply affected.
Combs is 55 years old. He was previously acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges.