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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sobs in Court as Sentencing Hearing Unfolds
Suggested Title: Diddy Gets Emotional at Sentencing Hearing as Video Plays in Court
Focus Keyword: Sean Combs sentencing
In a highly emotional federal courtroom in Manhattan, music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs broke down in tears on Friday, October 3, 2025, as his defense team played a heartfelt video montage and his six children pleaded with the judge for his freedom . The hearing will determine the sentence for his July conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, with prosecutors demanding at least 11 years in prison while his lawyers argue for a sentence of time served . This Sean Combs sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace for the Bad Boy Records founder, a figure once celebrated for his immense influence on hip-hop culture and business empire, now facing a potential decade behind bars .
😢 A Family’s Plea and a Mogul’s Tears
The sentencing hearing was marked by raw emotion as Combs’s six adult children stood together at the podium, holding onto one another for support . One after another, they made impassioned appeals to Judge Arun Subramanian.
“He is still our dad, and we still need him present in our lives,” said his daughter, Jessie Combs, who cried as she spoke . His son, Quincy Brown, called his father a “changed man” who has “learned a major lesson” . The most poignant moments came as his daughters referenced their two-year-old sister, Love. “We cannot watch our baby sister grow up fatherless… These are the years she will never get back, these are the memories she will never have,” pleaded D’Lila Combs . Combs watched from the defense table, often wiping away tears and hanging his head . Judge Subramanian acknowledged the difficulty of their testimony, stating, “I know how hard it was … but it was very important for me to hear” .
📺 Defense’s Mitigation Video and Strategy
Combs’s defense team presented a nearly 12-minute video that functioned as a mitigation documentary, showcasing Combs playing with his children, running the New York City Marathon, participating in charities, and mourning his late ex-girlfriend Kim Porter . The video, which depicted him as a devoted father and community pillar, caused Combs to sob and tap his feet incessantly . His attorneys argued for a sentence of no more than 14 months, which given his 12 months already served since his September 2024 arrest, could mean a release as early as December .
Defense attorney Brian Steel emphasized that the judge was “not sentencing Sean for RICO or sex trafficking,” and portrayed his client as a broken man battling a “ferocious drug addiction” that began after a medical procedure in the early 2000s . “Sean looks in the mirror and all he sees is the pain he has given to others,” Steel told the court . The defense also highlighted Combs’s positive contributions, noting that he taught a business skills class to other inmates while in custody .
⚖️ Prosecution’s Call for Accountability
In stark contrast to the defense’s appeals for mercy, federal prosecutors maintained that Combs deserves a severe punishment of at least 11 years in prison . They argued that the sentencing is about “accountability and justice for the public and people who have been directly impacted by Combs” . The prosecution also contested Combs’s apparent remorse, stating he “does not appreciate the gravity of his conduct and has not fully grappled with his actions” .
A point of contention arose when prosecutors lashed out at what they called the “height of hubris”—Combs’s team having lined up post-release “speaking engagements” in Miami, presuming a short sentence . The defense clarified these were intended as “teaching” opportunities focused on helping formerly incarcerated people .
🏛️ What’s Next for Sean Combs
Judge Subramanian noted that advisory sentencing guidelines suggest a range of 70 to 87 months (approximately 6 to 7 years) but said he saw no basis for departing from them . This indicates that the final sentence will likely fall between the prosecution’s demand for over a decade and the defense’s request for little additional time. Combs himself is expected to address the court before the sentence is handed down .
The Diddy sentencing hearing is more than a legal proceeding; it is a definitive moment for his legacy, his family, and his future. The outcome will resonate through the entertainment industry and with U.S. readers who have followed his three-decade-long career, signaling how the justice system treats celebrities convicted of serious crimes. For Combs, the final judgment will determine whether he returns to his family in a matter of weeks or spends the next 11 years in prison .
Writer: Sam Michael