Fallen music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 4 years in jail at his sentencing Friday after jurors discovered him responsible of prostitution expenses — however acquitted of intercourse trafficking — in a salacious intercourse crimes trial this summer season.
He spoke to the court docket to plead his case earlier than the choose introduced he’d spend 50 months in jail for his crimes. Right here is his speech.
I need to thanks for giving me the possibility to lastly communicate up for myself.
One of many hardest issues that I’ve needed to deal with is having to be quiet, not having the ability to specific how sorry I’m for my actions.
I need to personally apologize once more to Cassie Ventura for any hurt or damage that I’ve triggered to her emotionally or bodily. I don’t take that flippantly. I wish to apologize to her household. I’m so sorry.
I wish to apologize to Jane. I didn’t imply to harm you. I’m sorry that I introduced you into my mess.
I additionally need to personally apologize to all of the victims of home violence, as a result of I do know that that video, that disgusting, despicable video, triggered lots of people all all over the world.
Home violence will all the time be a heavy burden that I must perpetually carry. My actions have been disgusting, shameful, and sick.I used to be sick. Sick from the medicine. I used to be uncontrolled.I wanted assist, however I didn’t get the assistance. Due to that, I could make no excuse.
I might actually make no excuse as a result of, as a result of I knew higher. My mom raised me higher. I used to be taught higher. My religion taught me higher. I acquired misplaced in my journey of life. I’m not this bigger than life individual. I’m only a human being. And I be attempting my finest. I acquired misplaced within the extra. I acquired misplaced in my ego.
And due to my choices, I misplaced my freedom. I misplaced the chance to successfully elevate my kids and be there for my mom. I misplaced all my companies. I misplaced my profession. I completely destroyed my status. However most of all, I misplaced my self-respect.I been humbled and damaged to my core. I hate myself proper now. I been stripped all the way down to nothing. I actually am actually sorry for all of it, it doesn’t matter what they are saying.
I need to apologize to my seven kids, Quincy, Justin, Christian, Jessie, D’Lila, Probability, Love, I failed as a father. I’m so sorry. Y’all deserve higher.
To my mom, mommy, I failed you as a son. I’m sorry. You taught me higher. You raised me higher.
I do know to whom a lot is given, a lot is anticipated. I do know I failed my neighborhood.
Rising up as a child, I simply wished to be a shining instance of what we might do. After I say we, we as folks of colour, that we might personal our personal companies, handle our personal communities, elevate our personal kids, clear up our personal issues, create our personal wealth, handle our personal issues.
And that was my mission. And I acquired misplaced. I’m not this dangerous individual. I’m sorry to my neighborhood for letting y’all down.I would like your Honor to know that if given an opportunity, folks can change.
I do know I’ve modified. I do know this as a result of there’s occasions — there’s generally one thing can occur in your life that irrespective of who you have been earlier than, what you have been going via, you get so shaken that it simply modifications your trajectory.
It simply modifications you. And it modifications you for the higher. Generally you need to undergo life experiences. These should not excuses.
I do know that I’ve been modified for the higher. I can’t change the previous, however I can change the long run.
I ask your Honor for mercy. I encourage your Honor for mercy.I ask your Honor for an opportunity to be a father once more. I ask your Honor an opportunity to be a son once more.
I ask your Honor for an opportunity to be a pacesetter in my neighborhood once more. I ask your Honor for an opportunity to get the assistance that I desperately have to turn out to be a greater individual. As a result of I don’t need to let God down. I don’t need to let my household down. They want me. I allow them to down. They don’t haven’t any different guardian. They’re scared. I’m scared. And I’ve no person guilty however myself.
I do know I’ll by no means put my arms on one other individual once more. I do know that I’ve discovered my lesson. I’m prepared to adjust to any circumstances the Courtroom places upon me. Given an opportunity, after we discuss the opportunity of me sharing my story, it’s not for a scheme to attempt to get much less time. It’s that this story is actual. This story is tragic. And if there’s any approach, I don’t don’t have anything else. I’ve my household, and that’s all I want. I don’t care in regards to the fame or the cash or making data or performing.
If there’s an opportunity for me to enter, and contact some children and contact some inmates which have misplaced hope. I really feel like in case your Honor provides me an opportunity by sharing that story, that this can have a constructive consequence. This can have a therapeutic impact. In order that at the very least I might assist one individual for not ending up like this.
I need to say thanks to the jury. And, your Honor, your Honor gave me the boldness to consider within the jury and to consider that I didn’t should testify. And the jury got here and so they sacrificed their time, eight weeks in the summertime.Sacrificed time with their kids. They usually weighed the proof. And I thank them for the not responsible verdicts.
And I don’t take flippantly my Mann Act conviction. I perceive the severity of it, and I’m having to take care of the results. And I take full accountability and accountability.
Your Honor, I do know that the prosecution desires you to make an instance of me. I simply need you to consider making an instance of what an individual can do in the event that they get one other probability. For those who give me one other probability, I gained’t allow you to down.
And the proof of which are these stunning kids that acquired up there and spoke for me.Thank y’all. I like y’all a lot. Happy with y’all.
I’d by no means, ever, ever jeopardize being on this scenario once more, being away from my household that wants me.That’s my deterrence. I don’t assume no person desires to return and be on this place.
It doesn’t matter what anyone says, I do know that I’m actually sorry for all of it.
Thanks.
