Diddy now reportedly wants to 'counsel' abusers 

Sean "Diddy" Combs' intended effort to escape prison time has sparked indignation among his accusers and their legal counsel. The 55-year-old music mogul, who was convicted of two prostitution-related offenses under the Mann Act in July, now claims he wants to devote his time to counseling domestic violence abusers, a decision that detractors call deceitful and premature.

The music mogul is due to be sentenced on October 3, 2025, in Manhattan Federal Court. While the accusations carry a potential penalty of 20 years in prison, his defense team wants to request time served, citing his proposed advocacy work as a sign of rehabilitation.

In an interview with Business Insider, Combs' trial lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, described his desire to become an anti-domestic violence counselor. Shapiro said:

“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.”

Shapiro had also added that the music mogul, Diddy, wishes “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.”

According to the defense, the strategy will be essential to sentencing proceedings and will be presented as part of Combs' larger redemption story. His team has also hinted that they would look into the potential of receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, but the former president has said it is improbable.

According to the defense, the strategy will be essential to sentencing proceedings and will be presented as part of Combs' larger redemption story. His team has also hinted that they would look into the potential of receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump but the former president has said it is impossible.

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Victims and Lawyers push back

Combs' proposal has received overwhelming criticism from individuals who have accused him of abuse. Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represents two plaintiffs and witnesses in the Combs' case, says the music mogul has a long path before he can even contemplate counseling.

Allred told Rolling Stone in an interview:

“At this point, his stated goal does not pass the laugh test. Once he’s released, she says, his first stop should be a treatment program for anger management. After that, he should take responsibility for any wrong that he has inflicted on any of his many alleged victims and compensate them for the damages, which exist as a result of his conduct."

She added:

"Finally, he should ask the individuals he has victimized for forgiveness for the wrongs that he has inflicted on them. Then and only then, he should enter a training program to learn how to be a counselor against sexual or any other type of physical violence.”

Douglas Wigdor, a victims' rights attorney defending Combs' ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, in an interview with Rolling Stone said:

“This is utterly preposterous."

Another woman, whose claim of an assault by Combs in the 2010s was confirmed by Rolling Stone, described the plot as "manipualtive," she said:

"How are you going to counsel someone else when you haven’t done the work on yourself? This is manipulation at its best.”

Another claimed victim, who is presently suing Combs, called it "a mockery of the system" and stated that Diddy needed help for himself before he could counsel others:

“It’s [making] a mockery of the system. It’s a mockery of everyone he’s harmed. He needs intensive therapy.”

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Trial highlights and conviction

Combs was convicted on two counts of transporting people across state lines to participate in prostitution, which violated the Mann Act. Following an eight-week trial, jurors acquitted him of more severe counts such as racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

The prosecution said that Diddy pushed Ventura and another woman, identified as "Jane," into drug-fueled threesomes with male escorts, staging "freak-offs" while recording and masturbating.

A key piece of evidence was 2016 hotel security footage obtained by CNN in 2024, which showed Diddy kicking and dragging Ventura. Sean "Diddy" Combs eventually acknowledged being aggressive with Ventura on multiple occasions and offered a public apology, but his defense team said the violence had nothing to do with the allegations at trial.

During her testimony, Ventura revealed many episodes of physical abuse between 2009 and 2018, including one attack in which Combs reportedly stomped on her face for 10 minutes in an SUV. The defense did not question these accounts, and attorney Marc Agnifilo told jurors, "We own them."

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U.S. District Judge's concern about public safety

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian has already raised concerns about Diddy's ability to re-enter society. At a detention hearing following his conviction, the court stated that the nature of Diddy's violence — happening behind closed doors and fueled by unexpected emotions — was "impossible to police with conditions."

Subramanian further stated that Combs attacked "Jane" during FBI searches of his properties in March 2024, when he was supposed to be on his "best behavior" due to the ongoing investigation.

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Diddy's defense argues that the case was "overcharged"

Shapiro contends that the Mann Act has typically targeted people from benefitting from prostitution companies, rather than individuals like Diddy. Shapiro said:

"The history of the statute is that for basically like 75 years, the government has focused on prosecuting people with a commercial interest in a prostitution business, people who are engaged in exploiting vulnerable women and making money off them. This is night and day from that."

Shapiro added:

"We're talking about someone who's, at worst, a customer."

Shapiro added that the male escorts involved were "people who voluntarily chose to be commercial sex workers."

"They're not vulnerable, they're not exploited, they're American citizens. They could do whatever they want with their career."

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Diddy's sentencing will take place on October 3, 2025.