MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Before Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison on Friday, his South Florida Star Island mansion was the focus of a high-profile raid last year, where authorities reportedly found drugs and sexual paraphernalia tied to his now-infamous “freak offs.”
But the region is also where Combs has done philanthropic work, supporting programs aimed at helping formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into their communities.
Combs told Local 10 News at a past South Florida charity event that it was “a blessing to give back.”
Letters submitted to the courts earlier this week showed he wanted to continue that work, including speaking engagements scheduled as early as Monday.
One letter was penned by Giovanni Sairras, founder and executive director of Re-Entry One Inc., a South Florida organization profiled in 2022.
Sairras said Combs’ involvement would include serving as an “instructor” and participating in speaking engagements planned for the rest of the month — efforts prosecutors framed as “hubris.”
Sairras emphasized the mission of his organization: helping the formerly incarcerated re-enter society in a positive way. “To give back to the communities we once took from,” he said.
At Sprout to Success, a small K-12 private school in Miami Gardens, school leaders said Combs’ planned talks would have benefited students.
Administrator Andre White said he did not see the plans as hubris. “No, I believe he was just trying to speak things into existence,” White said. Anything that you believe can possibly happen.
Education Director Thea Long White added, “I believe he was just preparing for what he knows could possibly be the outcome for him.”
She said the engagement would have given students “an opportunity so that they won’t be in a predicament such as this, and it means a lot.
White added, “I believe that people can change at different times.”
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