Diddy seemingly entered the courtroom Friday with some confidence about his chances at a more lenient sentence, as evidenced by what he’s said to have on the books in the coming days.
As reported by Matthew Russell Lee, a.k.a. Inner City Press, Friday’s hearing saw Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Slavik mention speaking engagements Diddy is said to have scheduled for next week in Miami. When citing these plans, Slavik referred to them as “the height of hubris.”
Complex's Shawn Setaro is also on the ground for Diddy's sentencing hearing. Expect additional reporting in the hours and days to come.
Diddy’s sentencing hearing comes after the Bad Boy Records founder received a split verdict in his much-discussed case. He was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering, but convicted on prostitution-related charges.
In a four-page letter filed Thursday, Oct. 2, Diddy asked Judge Arun Subramanian for “a second chance,” claiming he will work to make him “proud” if allowed to return home.
“My downfall was rooted in my selfishness,” Diddy wrote, adding that he’s since been “humbled and broken to my core.”
Diddy’s push for a lighter sentence was accompanied by letters of support from Yung Miami and others. Meanwhile, Cassie, who testified at Diddy’s trial, was among those who shared letters calling for a lengthier sentence.
“His defense attorneys claim he is a changed man, and he wants to mentor abusers,” Cassie wrote in her letter, available to read in full here. “I know firsthand what real mentorship means, and this disgusts me; he is not being truthful. I know that who he was to me—the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker—is who he is as a human. He has no interest in changing or becoming better.”
Ahead of the sentencing, Complex took an in-depth look at where, exactly, the judge may land in his final decision. Expectedly, the range of possibilities here is wide. Diddy’s legal team entered Friday’s hearing hopeful for time served, while prosecutors have made their case for at least a little over 11 years behind bars.