Diddy’s legal team pitches domestic violence advocacy in plea for leniency

While his lawyer frames it as a step toward redemption, critics say Diddy’s proposal to counsel abusers is “a mockery of the system.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial may be over, but the rapper and his legal team are still fighting to lessen his time spent in jail, from requests to be released on bond to a potential presidential pardon. Now in his latest bid to avoid prison, Combs’ lawyer says the Bad Boys mogul hopes to counsel other domestic abusers. 

“That’s something that he actively wants to pursue in the future,” defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro told Business Insider. “The idea is that he would work with programs and be able to go in and talk to people, talk to youth, talk to others about the issue in a proactive way and be an advocate for this. And sometimes, people like him can be the best spokesperson to try to help.”

Combs reportedly wants to “help in whatever ways he can to kind of encourage other people not to do this and really to help in positive ways in the future.” The rapper’s legal team plans to present these goals in court in addition to a time-served request, which would apply the time he’s already spent in custody awaiting trial as credit towards his sentence. 

Meanwhile, Douglas Wigdor, who served as the lawyer for Casandra “Cassie” Ventura—one of Combs’ victims—says the rapper’s counselor aspirations are “utterly preposterous.” 

Another anonymous source and alleged victim of physical assault by Combs reacted to the news with Rolling Stone: “How are you going to counsel someone else when you haven’t done the work on yourself? This is manipulation at its best.”

“It’s [making] a mockery of the system. It’s a mockery of everyone he’s harmed,” another alleged victim of Combs told the outlet. “He needs intensive therapy.”

After a nearly two-year-long legal saga in which he was charged with five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, Combs was found guilty of the transportation charges.  Since then, he has been denied bail five times and could face a maximum of 20 years in prison. 

“We’re hopeful that the judge is going to consider these arguments that we’re going to make about Sean’s future, his redemption,” Shapiro said, noting that though the star “has had struggles in the past with the domestic violence problem,” he’s accomplished a “tremendous amount.” 

Combs’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 3.