Topline
Rapper Yung Miami, a member of the rap group City Girls and an ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, penned a letter to a federal judge arguing Combs is not a threat to the community as his lawyers seek limited prison time ahead of the music mogul’s sentencing on prostitution charges next week.
The letter written by Yung Miami, whose real name is Caresha Brownlee, was filed in New York federal court late Monday night alongside dozens of other letters from character references, including Combs’ mother and son.
Brownlee said during her three-year relationship with Combs, which reportedly ended in 2023, the rap mogul was “loving, genuine, supportive” and “a man of God, someone who uplifts, supports, and inspires those around him.”
Brownlee wrote Combs had been doing “real inner work,” like anger management and therapy, and said the rapper gave back to his community behind closed doors, recounting an instance when they gave food to homeless people on Thanksgiving in 2022.
Brownlee acknowledged she could only speak to her experience with Combs and does not condone wrongdoing, but praised the mogul for uplifting her career, giving her a platform and supporting Black artists, stating he “belongs at home.”
Also Monday night, Combs’ lawyers asked the court in a filing to impose a sentence of no more than 14 months, which would make him eligible for release almost immediately as he has spent more than a year in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
His lawyers said it is “time for Mr. Combs to go home to his family,” noting his career and reputation have already been “destroyed.”
Combs will be sentenced on Oct. 3. He was convicted by a jury in July on two of the five federal charges he faced—both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution—while the jury acquitted him on his more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges, both of which could have landed him in prison for life. One of Combs’ prostitution convictions concerned his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who was the prosecution’s key witness, while another concerned another ex-girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym “Jane.” Each violation of the Mann Act, which outlaws interstate prostitution, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, though legal experts previously told Forbes it’s unlikely Combs would be sentenced for two decades. Prosecutors previously said in a filing they would seek four to five years in prison, based on federal sentencing guidelines, though the New York Times reported prosecutors have indicated they may push for more prison time when they submit their formal recommendation. Combs has been in jail since his conviction after judge Arun Subramanian rejected his request for bail.
The rappers reportedly dated between 2021 and 2023. Brownlee did not take the stand during Combs’ trial, but she was mentioned during testimony. “Jane” said on the witness stand her relationship with Combs overlapped with his relationship with Brownlee, and she was “heartbroken” when Combs took Brownlee on a trip to Turks and Caicos. Jane testified Combs took Brownlee on the trip days after he made Jane participate in a freak-off, a sex performance with male escorts, on her birthday. Brownlee was also accused of being Combs’ “drug mule” and a paid sex worker in a lawsuit filed by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who alleged Brownlee was made to transport “pink cocaine.” Combs’ lawyers denied the allegations in the lawsuit, and Brownlee said the allegations made against Combs were not her experience. After Combs was hit with dozens of lawsuits alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault, Brownlee said she distanced herself from the mogul. “When all these things came out, I just needed to take a break and focus on what’s important, which is me and my career and my family,” Brownlee said, adding she wanted to let Combs “navigate and figure that out on his own because I can’t be caught up in that.”
Combs’ lawyers filed dozens of character references Monday night, including one from his mother, Janice Combs, who frequently appeared in court during his trial. “I would like to be able to spend the last few years of my life with my son, Sean,” Combs’ mother wrote, noting she turns 85 in December and depends on her son for “emotional support.” Combs’ son Christian also penned a letter to the judge, urging Subramanian to “please let my father out of jail,” stating his family has experienced a year of “lies and discrimination and dehumanization.” Other documents filed Monday night include letters of support from former employees, including Combs’ wardrobe stylist, chef and concierge, as well as letters from some of his longtime friends.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Denied Bail After Trial (Forbes)
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Ex-Girlfriend Writes Letter Pushing For His Release On Bail (Forbes)