Watch the Slick 12-Minute PR Video Diddy’s Team Hopes Will Sway Judge at Sentencing

 

Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived in Manhattan federal court on Friday for a sentencing hearing that could see him spend more than a decade in prison armed with a slick 12-minute PR video his defense hopes will sway the judge.

The disgraced music mogul was convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, though he was acquitted of the racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors are pressing for an 11-year sentence, while the defense is fighting for just 14 months.

In a last-minute gambit to influence the severity of the sentencing, Combs’ lawyers submitted a nearly 12-minute video portraying him as a philanthropic father and community figure.

Clips show him playing with his children, donating money to charity, praying, visiting hospitals, and embracing firefighters in a montage capped with his children declaring: “I love you so much.”

The move at image rehabilitation is in part an attempt to reframe the narrative after a bruising trial and comes with a package of other presentencing documents, including a four page letter from Combs to the judge apologizing for his actions and pleading leniency.

From the opening of the hearing, however, prosecutors accused Combs’ team of “bullying” victims in their submissions when it emerged no victims will testify at the hearing.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the court that “Mia,” who testified under a pseudonym during the trial, reversed her decision to speak after one of the letters submitted branded her a liar.

“It appears the defense is trying to drown out the voices of victims in favor of character witnesses,” she said.

Judge Arun Subramanian echoed the concern, warning defense lawyers that the tone of their submissions had been “inappropriate” and “should not be done again.”

Combs defense lawyer Brian Steel told the court that, alongside Combs himself, several of his children and Dr. Reverend Gary Johnson were prepared to speak in his defense.

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