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Virginia Huynh, an ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs who was named as one of his alleged victims in his indictment, wrote a letter to a federal judge pushing for Combs’ release on bail, as his legal team continues its fight for the rap mogul to be released ahead of his sentencing.
Huynh identified herself in her letter to Judge Arun Subramanian as Combs’ former girlfriend after she was previously referred to anonymously as “Victim-3” in the government’s indictment against the rap mogul.
In her letter, she urged the court to release Combs on bail, stating she does not believe Combs is a danger to society and that he was “cooperative, respectful and compliant” throughout his trial, which ended in July.
Huynh noted Combs—who was convicted on two prostitution counts and acquitted on his sex trafficking and racketeering charges—had never faced a criminal trial before his current case.
Huynh acknowledged her relationship with Combs was “not always perfect,” but said the music mogul was “willing to acknowledge his mistakes and make better decisions in the future” and that he has since “made visible efforts to become a better person and to address the harm he had caused.”
Huynh’s letter was filed days after Combs’ lawyers asked the judge to either drop his convictions on the prostitution counts or grant him a new trial on those charges alone, alleging the charges were inappropriate as Combs had “no commercial motive” for the sex acts at the center of his trial.
Subramanian has previously denied Combs’ requests for bail, saying in July that the defense had conceded during the trial that Combs acted violently during his previous relationships.
According to the government’s indictment against Combs, Huynh was subjected to “commercial sex acts” through “force, threats of force, and coercion.” In a 2019 conversation with comedian and celebrity interviewer Tasha K, Huynh said Combs stomped on her face, punched and hit her after he caught her texting another man. Huynh was initially expected to testify during Combs’ trial, but prosecutors said during Combs’ trial they were having trouble getting in touch with her lawyer, and she never testified for reasons that remain unclear. Huynh was one of four women named in the indictment against Combs and is the only one who did not testify. Two of the women testified under pseudonyms, while Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who was “Victim-1” in the indictment, testified under her name as the case’s highest-profile witness.
Combs’ sentencing is set for Oct. 3, according to court filings. Each count Combs was convicted on carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but prosecutors indicated in a filing they will seek between four and five years in prison, based on federal sentencing guidelines.
President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Friday he would find it “more difficult” to pardon Combs, who he said is “sort of half-innocent,” because the rapper “made some terrible statements” about him while he ran for president. Trump said he and Combs were once “very friendly,” although he didn’t know Combs well. In May, Trump told reporters he would “look at the facts” regarding a potential pardon. Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo told Variety on Friday he has “literally no idea” whether a Trump pardon will happen, stating that is not his focus. Rolling Stone reported in May that members of Combs’ team had reached out to Trump allies to discuss a possible pardon, though Trump officials reportedly hesitated because of the severity of Combs’ charges.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Pushes For New Trial As Trump Reportedly Considers Pardon (Forbes)