Ahead of his sentencing slated for Friday, October 3, rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs penned a 4-page-long letter addressed to Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing his trial. The rapper, who was found guilty on two counts of a prostitution-related offense, apologised “for all of the hurt and pain” that he has caused. In his letter, he has an entire paragraph dedicated to his “inhumane” life behind the bars.
The Bad Boy Records founder claims that he is a changed man after spending 13 months in a Brooklyn jail. “Prison will change you or kill you,” he writes, adding, “The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you—I choose to live.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs wrote a letter to the federal judge who will sentence him tomorrow in Manhattan.
“I lost my way. I got lost in my journey. Lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core.“ pic.twitter.com/XQXtayYCOE
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) October 2, 2025
Since his arrest last September, Diddy has been in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, New York. Sharing his ordeal, Diddy revealed in his letter than he has been locked in a room sans window or any natural air with 25 people. “For over a year, I have been locked in one room with twenty-five other incarcerated people, sharing the same one room. In this room that I share, there are no windows, there is no natural/clean air, there is no sunlight and we all live in one room. We eat, sleep, use the toilet, take showers, and prepare meals all in the same room,” he wrote.
The rapper went on to describe the conditions in the Brooklyn jail as “inhumane.” P Diddy also clarified twice that his intent is not to gain “pity or sympathy.” He added in his letter that he doesn’t have access to clean drinking water and that he lives with a “constant threat of being stabbed” by his inmates.
“The conditions that my actions have placed me in are inhumane. I don’t tell you this for pity or sympathy. I’m simply sharing my truth and the truth of my fellow incarcerated people. We have no clean drinking water and we boil our drinking water. We all share one washing machine (which is broken). I am surrounded by drugs and live every day with the constant threat of being stabbed or losing my life. Again—I am not expecting pity or sympathy, but my time at MDC has changed me forever,” read an excerpt from the letter Diddy wrote to Judge Arun Subramanian.
Asking for “mercy” for the sake of his 7 children, the rapper added, “I have failed my children as a father.” He recounted the time his father was murdered when he was 3 and wrote that he would not want his kids to grow up without a father. “More than anything, I just want the opportunity to return home and be the father that they need and deserve,” Diddy wrote.
Sharing more personal anecdotes about his family, Diddy described his mother’s struggles and mentioned that his 84-year-old mother, who recently had a brain surgery, attended his trial every time. He continued, “I have always been her primary caregiver. It breaks my heart that I put myself in this situation and for the first time, I am unable to be there for my mother when she needs me most. As I write you this letter, I am scared to death.”
In his letter, Diddy further added, “Prior to being in jail, I took care of and was present for my family. Being in jail, and because of my conduct, I lost the ability to care for my mother. I lost the ability to effectively raise and support my children. I have missed my three (3) daughter’s proms and graduations. I have missed taking one of my daughters to college. I have lost the freedom to teach my two-year-old how to speak, dance, play, or be there to console her when she falls down or has a nightmare.”
The rap mogul, no stranger to controversies, has previously been accused of sexual assault and rape in more than 50 civil lawsuits. One of the accusers mentioned that he was 10 during the time of the alleged assault. Earlier this year, he was acquitted of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Besides his hip-hop career, Diddy’s work credits include a reality television show gig, record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, and liquor brand deals.
