Yung Miami, the City Girls rapper and former girlfriend of Sean Combs, called the convicted mogul “loving, genuine, supportive, and always encouraging” in a letter submitted on his behalf ahead of his sentencing next week, Oct. 3.
Yung Miami — real name Caresha Brownlee — was among the many family members, friends, and peers to submit letters in support of Combs ahead of his Oct. 3 sentencing. Combs was found guilty this past summer on two felony charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, though secured acquittals on the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
As Brownlee noted in her letter, she’s known Combs for four years and spent three of those years in a relationship with him. During that time, she wrote, “I witnessed — and came to know — a different person than the one often portrayed… He motivated me, he believed in me, and helped me grow both personally and professionally.”
Brownlee credited Combs with teaching her “how to be a better businesswoman” and “find balance between chasing my dreams and being present for my family.” She noted Combs’ charitable work and the “real inner work” Combs has done on himself, including his decision to “check himself into anger management, start therapy, and commit to physical healing through therapy.”
Following CNN’s airing of Combs’ beating of Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel room, Combs claimed to have hit “rock bottom” in a video he posted to social media. “Had to go into therapy, go into rehab, had to ask God for his mercy and grace.” However, as a Rolling Stone investigation in January revealed, Combs’ allegedly remained sexually abusive, volatile, and wildly manipulative long after the 2016 hotel assault.
One of her “most meaningful memories” of Combs, Brownlee wrote, was when he took her to the Met Gala for the first time. “It wasn’t just about the event — it was about what it represented,” she wrote. “Sean has always made it a priority to open doors for Black people, to make sure we are seen, heard, and valued in spaces where we’ve historically been excluded. That night reminded me that we belong in every room, at every table, and in every conversation. He’s constantly encouraged me — and so many others — to dream bigger, walk in confidence, and never shrink who we are to make others comfortable.”
At the start of her letter, Brownlee acknowledged that she “cannot speak on or defend anything that may have happened before” she met Combs, adding, “I do not condone any wrongdoing.” But she argued that, in her experience, Combs “is not a danger or a threat to the community.”
Instead, she called him “a man of God, someone who uplifts, supports, and inspires those around him to be better mentally, physically and spiritually… I truly believe that he belongs at home, with his family, the people who mean the most to him and who continue to be his greatest source of purpose and strength.”
Combs is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, with the two prostitution convictions carrying a possible sentence of up to 10 years each. His lawyers, however, are arguing that he deserves no more than 14 months (which would essentially amount to a sentence of time served, ensuring his immediate release).
In a recent 182-page sentencing memo, Combs’ lawyers argued that the average sentence for those convicted on similar prostitution charges was 14.9 months. They said it would be “unlawful and a perversion of justice” if the court increased his sentence.
But how Judge Arun Subramanian will rule remains an open question, especially after he ordered Combs to return to jail following his conviction. Many expected Combs would secure release on bond after being acquitted of the more serious charges, but Judge Subramanian denied the request, leaning heavily on Combs’ own admissions of domestic violence. (Subsequent efforts to secure Combs’ release were also denied.)
Along with the sentencing memo, Combs’ lawyers also submitted over 75 letters in support of the mogul. Many of them came from Combs’ family members, including his children Justin, Chance, D’Lila, and Jessie. The mothers of some of Combs’ other children, Dana Tran and Sarah Chapman, submitted letters, as did Claudine De Niro, a friend and former Bad Boy employee (who is also Robert De Niro’s former daughter-in-law). From the music and entertainment worlds, letters came from former BET executive Stephen Hill and the songwriter-producer Dallas Austin.
Combs’ mother, Janice, submitted a letter as well, writing: “Sean has always been a loving and caring son. On December 21, I will be 85 years old. This separation for the past year, while Sean has been incarcerated has been excruciatingly difficult and painful for me and his children. I would like to be able to spend the lat few years of my life with my son, Sean. Unfortunately, my son has made some terrible mistakes in his life, which I know he recognizes.”
