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Any Moment, Sentencing Hearing Begins for Sean Diddy Combs; Prosecutors are Seeking a Sentence of More Than 11 Years; Prosecution Witness Mia Decides Not to Speak at Combs' Sentencing. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired October 03, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, Sean Diddy Combs' sentencing. In just moments, Combs will appear before a judge who will decide how long he will be in prison for his federal conviction on prostitution related charges.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

And we begin this hour with the breaking news, at any moment now, the sentencing hearing for Sean Diddy Combs will begin in New York City. The music mogul faces up to 11 years in prison on prostitution related charges.

We're getting an early look at the video his attorneys plan to play in federal court this morning, showing his -- what they say is his positive contributions over the years, and we're expecting combs to speak in his own defense before sentencing is handed down.

BROWN: A four-page letter he submitted to the judge may offer a preview. He says, quote, my downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I have been humbled and broken to my core. Cassie Ventura, former girlfriend of Combs and a star witness against him is asking the judge to consider the victims here, quote, I know that who he was to me, the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker is who he is as a human.

BLITZER: We're covering all the angles of this story as it unfolds right now. Our correspondents and analysts are here to walk us through every twist and turn as both prosecutors and defense attorneys make their respective cases on this pivotal, pivotal day.

This is the federal court and no cameras are allowed in federal courts. As you know, we have correspondents inside. They are there and they're reporting what is happening inside the courtroom. And that will appear on the side of the screen as we get that information. You'll see it right away. BROWN: That's right. And let's begin with Anchor and Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates right outside that courtroom. Laura, familiar place for you for a long time. So, while we're waiting for the sentencing to begin, let's step back and remind our viewers who the main players are in this case, and talk to us about what will happen inside the court today.

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: You know, Pam, it wasn't more than several months ago where there was a verdict handed down by a jury of Sean Diddy Combs' peers, they did not find him guilty on the far more serious charges of conspiracy and RICO and sex trafficking, the latter, which required force violence and fraud to be contemplated in the jury's calculation. He was instead convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Now, the reason I bring up what was required in the earlier, sex trafficking, fraud, violence, force, all of those aspects of it, is exactly the sticking point that tells you why there is such a wide range and a disparity between what the defense is asking and what the prosecution wants.

Big picture, the prosecution wants Sean Diddy Combs to serve 11 years in prison. Why? Because they believe that it's not just the crimes he was convicted of but the manner in which he did it. They want the judge to take into consideration the violence that was alleged. We have seen the horrific video, the now infamous hotel video of the savage assault unleashed on Cassie Ventura, who, as you noted, wrote a letter saying that she wants him to remain in prison. Then you have what the defense is saying, your Honor, yes, he was violent, but that was not part of the ultimate conviction here of transportation to engage in prostitution and may instead want 14 months, which means that, given the time he's already served right now waiting for trial and a sentence, he could be out by the end of the year if the judge agrees that the defense. On the flipside, that range is 11 years.

Let me set the scene for you outside of this courtroom, which is where it has been for very many months. There is huge interest about the trial, the outcome of it, the verdict, and now, ultimately, the sentence. Sean Diddy Combs did not testify in his own defense. That was his absolute right not to do so. But he did write a three-page letter to the court, where he is essentially testifying in his defense as to why he believes he deserves a second chance.

[10:05:08]

Now, why he believes? He says he's a changed man, that he was humbled, broken in the process. He describes the conditions in which he lives in this jail, not unlike what many people who are currently incarcerated or enduring. He describes a room shared by 25 people having to boil drinking water. He says not to garner pity or sympathy, but to contextualize why he feels he deserves a second chance to be different.

He even says that the old Sean Diddy Combs died in jail and a new one has been reborn and he wants an opportunity to be a father, a mother -- excuse me, a son to his mother. He has issued a video that it's 15 minutes long that he wants the judge to consider.

And let me tell you, I have never seen a video played for somebody convicted in a sentencing that is a produced video about his family time, about his community and his influence in the community as well, but he wants that all played because he wants this judge to view him as the everyday person worthy of a second chance. And let me tell you, one of the things he tells the judge is that he knows there might be the incentive based on the global interest in this case for the judge to make an example out of him. But he wants the judge to make an example of somebody who had a second chance.

Now, he'll consider those things, of course, the judge, but he also will consider the letters from Cassie Ventura, her parents, a former employee who had a pseudonym as well, who testified in the courtroom behind me, a very emotionally-wrought testimony about the abuse she said she endured at the hand of Sean Diddy Combs. That person will be allowed to testify as a victim impact statement. There was a lot of pushback through defense on that because the testimony that that witness related to was not ultimately part of the convicted charges.

So, you see this judge has got a lot to grapple with. We're told this might not be an hour or two hours. This might go for the duration of the day, and we might not know the sentence until Monday. But I suspect the judge will be looking for a single thing today as he decides what to do, authenticity, remorse, and those sentencing guidelines of where to put Sean Diddy Combs.

BLITZER: All right. Laura Coates reporting from us from just outside the courtroom, thank you very much, Laura, for that.

As you can see up on the screen, prosecutors and Combs' defense teams have hours long presentations ready to go, starting any minute now.

Elliot, let's talk a little bit about this. So, while we're waiting, many of our viewers will, of course, remember that now infamous hotel lobby, very disturbing surveillance video showing Sean Combs brutally, physically assaulting Cassie Ventura back in 2016. How do you expect that evidence will inform Combs' sentencing in the course of the day?

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Wolf, that's an exceptionally important question for really understanding sentencing, how it works, and what gets considered at sentencing. Because I would note, Sean -- and this is an important sentence here, Sean Combs was not specifically convicted of whatever happened in that video.

Now he's certainly responsible for any number of horrific acts, but it is important to note that he was convicted only of two counts, of transportation of people for the purposes of engaging in prostitution.

Now there's no dispute that he engaged in an abusive and violent, drug behavior, the extent to which the judge considers that is going to be an important factor today in why these parties are talking about having hours and hours to go in on.

Now, certainly, the prosecution wants to bring all of that in, noting that he engaged in a series of forceful coercive acts, even if he wasn't convicted of them. And he ought -- and the judge ought to consider those. The defense will say, no, no, no, no, wait a second. This guy was basically prosecuted of being a John with prostitutes with his girlfriend for consensual behavior. Therefore, he shouldn't bring in all the abuse. It's going to be a back and forth, and we'll see how they handle it.

BLITZER: Pamela, go ahead.

BROWN: All right. I want to bring you in, Elie, to understand what we expect to hear from the prosecution team. We know they're expected to go first and this could be a really long day, right, Elie?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Oh, for sure. I mean, the reporting is that it will take potentially all day and more. And I should say, Pam, that's unusual for a sentencing. I mean, most sentencings in that federal courthouse, where I did a bunch of them myself, take an hour two, maybe three, but it sounds like both sides have long presentations planned today, Pam.

Now, the judge doesn't necessarily have to give them every minute that they ask for. If one side says they need six hours, the judge may say, that's too much, you have to do it in two hours. So, we'll see.

And, Pam, one thing I think is really important today, I don't know that I've ever seen such a widespread in what the two sides are asking for, as we see here today. Heading into this, prosecutors are asking for an 11-year sentence while Sean Combs' defense team is asking for 14 months, which would essentially have him out within a matter of weeks. He's already done 13 months.

[10:10:00]

So, that is a ten times difference. That's a huge spread. The judge is going to have a lot of discretion. I think the safe bet is to wind up somewhere in the middle, but that's a huge range of really unusual.

BROWN: Right. And just to remind our viewers, so he was convicted of the two counts of transportation for the purpose of prostitution. Each count has up to ten years, right? And so that would be the maximum. But as you noted there, the prosecution is asking for more than 11 years. The defense is asking for no more than 14 months. He's already served 13 months.

And now we have on the side panel, as you see right there, Elie, most of the attorneys are in the courtroom now ahead of the sentencing. Court has not yet begun. Help us better understand the importance here of the -- you know, Sean Diddy Combs, he wants to speak today, according to what his defense attorneys are saying, and play this 15- minute video. How unusual is that?

HONIG: Yes. So, this use of these produced videos, as Laura Coates correctly said, is a fairly new phenomenon. But important to understand, sentencings are pretty much anything goes. It's a much wider inquiry than a trial. At trial, we have all these rules of hearsay, things that are inadmissible or inflammatory or prejudicial. At sentencing, it's only all going to the judge. There's no jury there. And so there's a lot more leeway.

I think the judge will take into consideration Sean Combs' video. He may not play the whole thing, but judges generally are going to hear the defense out. So, that's a difference between sentencing and trial and we'll see that play out today.

BLITZER: And the court hearing has not yet begun. I want to take a quick break and resume our special coverage here in The Situation Room right after this.

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[07:15:00]

BROWN: All right. The sentencing for Sean Diddy Combs is underway. You see there on your screen that Combs has just entered the courtroom. I want to go right to Laura Coates. She is right outside. I also want to note for our viewers, we have two correspondents inside that courtroom. Of course, when news develops, they will come out.

But, first of all, set the stage for us, Laura. I mean, this is the culmination of a trial that lasted a long time. You were out there for many months, and now today is the sentencing. And this could take a while, right?

COATES: It really could, which is abnormal. Normally, a sentencing, given the process that you use to actually come to the decision, you've got interviews, you've got a report and recommendation that's offered by the probation department that helps the judge guide and sentencing guidelines. You've got the prosecution, you've got the defense. They have written like hundreds of pages already to the judge trying to advocate for what they want.

But it's a huge disparity. The defense wants 14 months, which given the time he's already been in jail, pending trial and sentencing, could get him out by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the prosecution says, no, no, it should be 11 years. That's a huge disparity, and the probation recommendation is five to seven years. So, the judge is going to have to bring in different factors to determine what he thinks is the appropriate sentence.

Let me tell you the crux of the issue that the judge will just get tied here, the violence. Remember, he was acquitted of RICO and sex trafficking. Sex trafficking required violence, fraud, or force to be used. Instead, he was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution, which did not have that forceful requirement or violent requirement.

Why is that important? Because the prosecutors are saying, I know he was acquitted of those more serious charges that could have led him to life in prison, but consider the manner in which he engaged in the behavior that he was convicted in, and consider that and elevate his sentence.

The defense obviously is saying, no, no. If he was acquitted, you can't consider it, because that would be bringing in prior bad behavior that the jury said should not have been contemplated.

And where I am right now has been the hub of activity. This has been a case that has had global interest. This is a music mogul and entertainer. People know him as various terms and phrases, whether it's Puff or Sean Combs or Diddy. But in a letter, a three-page letter that Sean Diddy Combs wrote to the judge, he wanted the judge to not use him as an example or make an example out of him because he's a celebrity and the global interest. He wants him to view him as somebody who's worthy of a second chance. That's why you've got this 15-minute-long produced video showing him with his younger children, showing him as a family man, a person in the community.

But make no mistake to balance that, and the judge is now on the bench right now in the courtroom, we're going to hear what he actually is valuing. The prosecution's going to go first. They have a lot of time to present, including the letters that they have already gotten submitted from Cassie Ventura and her parents. One point to counter what Sean Combs has written about being a changed man, humbled, broken is Cassie Ventura, essentially is saying, don't believe it. He will always be the manipulative man and violent man that I knew and she fears for her life. The parents also support that.

This judge has a lot to consider, but everyone is waiting right now, Pam, to figure out what Sean Diddy Combs will say. Remember, he didn't take the stand in his own defense, absolutely his right. He didn't have to do so. The letter speaks volumes, but what will he say to this judge who probably has already made up his mind to the large degree. What will be that final piece that maybe makes this judge go either up to where the prosecution wants to go, or lower to where the defense wants him to be?

[10:20:01]

BROWN: All right, and the judge is on the bench. The hearing is underway. Wolf, over to you.

BLITZER: All right. We're watching all of this unfold and our reporters are inside and they will be sharing information as it goes basically live, even though there are no cameras in a federal courtroom.

Elie, let's talk a little bit about this other woman going by the pseudonym, Mia. Who is she and why is she so important to what potentially happens to Combs today?

HONIG: So, Mia, of course, is a pseudonym. It's an assumed name. She was the second victim or alleged victim to testify at trial with Cassie Ventura being the first one, the primary one. There was a heated argument between the parties as to whether Mia should get to speak at today's sentencing, someone who was a victim automatically gets to speak. However, the jury did not convict based on the testimony of Mia. They essentially rejected those charges. So, the prosecutor said she still was mistreated by Sean Combs. She should still come have the ability to come in here and testify, and the defense furiously objected. The judge sided with the prosecution, meaning this woman, Mia, will be making a statement today in the court. The judge presumably will give it at least some credit, although I guess she's going to want to see what they have to say.

But, again, the, the defense's core argument is going to be, judge, you should not be sentencing Sean Combs for things outside of the narrow crime, interstate transportation for prostitution, outside of that narrow crime, you should not be sentencing him for extraneous factors.

BLITZER: Is that normal that a judge would allow evidence to emerge in a sentencing hearing that's beginning right now, even though he was acquitted of those more serious charges?

HONIG: So, the phrase that we're going to hear a lot today is relevant conduct. And prosecutors will argue that a lot of this stuff, the assault, the videotape, is all relevant to the prostitution charge. Judges used to be allowed to consider acquitted conduct. That actually changed just a couple years ago. And now the rule is judges are not supposed to consider acquitted conduct, meaning the racketeering and the use of force. But the prosecution's going to argue, okay, but the violence was still part of the crime he was convicted for.

So, watch for that back and forth. The key phrase is relevant conduct. Does the judge consider that to be relevant to the crime or irrelevant to the crime?

BLITZER: All right. We're getting a word now that the judge, the federal judge in this case said, good morning to Combs, and he responded, good morning, Judge. We're sharing information as we're getting it live from inside the courtroom. Let's take another very quick break, resume our special coverage right after this.

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[10:25:00]

BROWN: All right. We are following the sentencing for Sean Diddy Combs, and we have some news here. I want to bring in Alyse Adamson, because we have just learned that Mia, which is a pseudonym, has pulled out from giving a victim impact statement. She was put forward by the prosecution. Mia had worked for years for Sean Diddy Combs and was going to talk about what she had gone through working from him, and now she has pulled out, she said, because of the defense letter, and the judge actually criticized the defense letter.

How significant is this, Alyse?

ALYSE ADAMSON, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Yes, Pam. This is a very significant and quite frankly, surprising development because the prosecution had to fight to allow Mia to make a victim impact statement because Mia was not one of the victims of the two counts that Combs was ultimately convicted of, and the judge was going to allow it over defense objection. That's that letter you just referenced.

And so now for Mia to be withdrawing at the last minute inciting the letter as the reason, I actually think that that is just furthering the narrative that the people in Combs' orbit do not feel safe under these circumstances. And this is also significant because we see Combs' team fighting so hard to shift that narrative with that 15- minute video with their sentencing recommendation painting him as a family man, and now we have this. So, very surprising, very significant, and very unfortunate.

BROWN: And to your point, Cassie Ventura also wrote her own letter to the judge saying, quote, if there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe. I hope that your decision considers the truths at hand that the jury failed to see. So, she's not there to give a victim impact statement, but she wrote that letter to the court. What do you make of her letter?

ADMSON: I think her letter is very powerful. At any time a victim is contextualizing and speaking in their own words about the harm that they suffered, that is very persuasive and powerful for the court. And the jury ultimately acquitted on the RICO and the trafficking, but we don't know why. So, to say that they didn't believe her, which is the narrative in the public, I think we don't know what the jury chose to believe and not to believe.

I think Cassie's testimony was very powerful, and I think the judge will take into consideration Cassie's concerns about what Combs might do in the future and how she feels as a victim. And I think we're seeing a lot now, especially with the Epstein files being so prominent in the news, the plight of victims and which can never forget that these cases are about the victims and there are very real collateral consequences and harm to these victims' lives forever. So, I think it's important that Cassie was brave enough to write that letter to the court.

BROWN: Right. And we're just learning from inside the courtroom, the defense attorney for Combs is saying that, in addition to Combs wanting to make a statement for his sentencing, some of his children wish to speak on his behalf.

[10:30:07]

And, of course, we know that the defense.