Sean “Diddy” Combs has apologised and taken “full responsibility” for “all of the hurt and pain” he has caused others in a letter to the court, less than 24 hours before he is due to be sentenced.

The hip-hop mogul did not give evidence during his trial earlier this year, so this is the first time he has addressed Judge Arun Subramanian.

Combs was convicted of two prostitution-related charges in July, following a trial lasting almost eight weeks, but was cleared of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.

In the letter, the 55-year-old admits “past wrongs” but says he is no longer running from his “many mistakes”.

He also addresses the infamous CCTV footage from an LA hotel in 2016, which showed him attacking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

“First and foremost, I want to apologise and say how sincerely sorry I am for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct,” Combs writes. “I take full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs.”

The rapper describes the last two years – which started with a civil lawsuit filed by Cassie in November 2023 – as the “hardest” of his life, but admits: “I have no one to blame for my current reality and situation but myself.”

Since his arrest in September 2024 and subsequent time in prison, the rapper says he has “had to look in the mirror like never before” and admits his “downfall was rooted in my selfishness”.

Combs is due to be sentenced on Friday and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors have called for at least 11 years, while his defence team argues he should serve no more than 14 months. The latter would see him walk free almost immediately after time already served.

His letter comes after several filed by witnesses who testified during the trial, including Cassie, who has urged the judge not to be lenient and expressed fears for her safety.

She alleged on the witness stand that she was coerced and sometimes blackmailed into taking part in sex sessions with male escorts. Combs has strenuously denied allegations of sexual abuse, and jurors cleared him of sex trafficking, only finding him guilty of the charges relating to hiring the sex workers.

However, his legal team admitted from the beginning that he had been violent in the past.

Read more from Sky News:
Lawsuit over Nirvana album art thrown out for second time
Eurovision to hold emergency vote on Israel

‘I could not forgive anyone putting a hand on one of my daughters’

Talking about the 2016 CCTV footage – which showed Combs, wearing only a towel and socks, attacking Cassie in a hallway – he says in his letter: “The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily.

“I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I’m sorry for that and always will be. My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry. The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame.”

He goes on to say he feels sorry “for something that I couldn’t forgive someone else for: if they put their hands on one of my daughters.”

The footage was played several times during his trial after first being made public by CNN in May 2024.

The hip-hop mogul also references “Jane”, another former girlfriend who testified against him in court, who did not give her real name.

“I thought I was providing for Jane concerning her and her child, but after hearing her testimony, I realised that I hurt her,” he writes. “For this I am deeply sorry. I lost my way … Lost in the drugs and the excess.”

‘The old me died in jail’

Combs goes on to describe his time in prison, saying he has been “humbled and broken to my core” and that there “have been so many times that I wanted to give up”.

“The old me died in jail and a new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you – I choose to live.”

Combs says he has had therapy and has been “working diligently to become the best version” of himself, and that there has been some good to come out of his time in prison.

“For starters, I am now sober for the first time in 25 years. I have been trying my best to deal with my drug abuse and anger issues and take accountability as well as positive steps towards healing.”

Asking Judge Subramanian for “mercy” for himself, his seven children and his 84-year-old mother, he says: “I have failed my children as a father. My father was murdered when I was three years old so I know first-hand what it is to not have a father. More than anything, I just want the opportunity to return home and be the father that they need and deserve.”

Combs goes on to say he is “scared to death” at the thought of spending more time away from his family, and that he no longer cares “about the money or the fame”.

And as previously detailed by his lawyers, he describes conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn as inhumane – but says he is not looking for “pity or sympathy”, and that his time there has “changed me forever!”.

Combs concludes by vowing to never commit another crime again: “I can’t change the past, but I can change the future … I’m committed to the journey of remaining a drug free, non-violent and peaceful person.

“Today, I humbly ask you for another chance – another chance to be a better father, another chance to be a better son, another chance to be a better leader in my community, and another chance to live a better life.”

Actress Dame Patricia Routledge, best known for TV show Keeping Up Appearances, has died aged 96, her agent has said.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of Dame Patricia Routledge, who died peacefully in her sleep this morning surrounded by love,” her agent said in a statement.

“Even at 96 years old, Dame Patricia’s passion for her work and for connecting with live audiences never waned, just as new generations of audiences have continued to find her through her beloved television roles.

“She will be dearly missed by those closest to her and by her devoted admirers around the world.”

Dame Patricia played the notoriously snobbish Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC sitcom between 1990 and 1995, which attracted as many as 13 million viewers at its peak.

She earned two BAFTA nominations for the role in 1992 and 1993.

Another of her notable 90s TV appearances came when she played a pensioner-turned-detective in the £3m six-part BBC TV crime series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.

She also had a prolific career in the theatre, winning an Olivier Award for her role as the Old Lady in acclaimed composer Leonard Bernstein’s operetta Candide in 1988, and a Tony Award for her part as Alice Challice in Darling Of The Day in 1968.

The actress was honoured at Buckingham Palace in 2017, being made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for her services to the theatre and charity.

She was born in Birkenhead, Merseyside in 1929, and went on to study English Language and Literature at the University of Liverpool, where she appeared in student shows before making her professional debut at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1952, playing Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Years later, after her career skyrocketed, she spoke of how important her northern roots were to her.

“You are never done with your roots. I think the people who try to make out that they are, are in deep trouble,” she was once quoted.

Dame Patricia made her debut on a London stage in 1954, quickly establishing herself as a major character actress.

She also became a Broadway star, wowing New York critics with her performance in the play How’s The World Treating You? and appearing in numerous musicals.

Later, Leonard Bernstein penned solos especially for her as she starred in the presidential drama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Though she was best known for embodying Hyacinth Bucket in the ’90s, she made memorable TV appearances from the 1950s.

Notable roles included Victoria Regina for Granada in 1964 and Kitty in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV in the mid-1980s.

More recently, in 2017, Dame Patricia fronted a Channel 4 documentary celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter, having previously played the children’s author on stage and in 2012.

Taylor Swift has released her highly anticipated 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl – and she’s in the UK to mark the occasion.

The 12-track record, which is expected to top charts around the world, was unveiled at 5am.

US pop star Sabrina Carpenter joins Swift on the title song as the only collaboration on the album, which was written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour.

The album was produced by Swift’s long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who have worked with her on some of her biggest hits.

Friday will also see the debut of The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl in cinemas, which features the world premiere of the music video for the single The Fate Of Ophelia, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and lyric videos from the album.

The 89-minute film will be shown in cinemas around the country, though many screenings have already sold out.

To mark the release of the album, Swift will be interviewed on the Capital Breakfast show at 8am.

Swift discusses ‘fun’ task of planning wedding

The 35-year-old will appear on The Graham Norton Show on Friday evening, where she will say she wants to finish promoting her album before the “fun” task of planning her wedding.

In the segment, filmed on Thursday, the 14-time Grammy winner spoke about her engagement with NFL star Travis Kelce.

She told Norton: “He really crushed it in surprising me. While we were talking on his podcast, he had a complete garden built out the back of his house to propose in. He went all out – 10 out of 10.”

Read more about Taylor Swift:
Swift’s final London show was the ‘best’
The impact of the ‘excruciating’ Era’s tour

Asked when the wedding will take place, she said: “You’ll know.”

She added: “I want to do the album stuff first, and the wedding is what happens after in terms of planning. I think it will be fun to plan.”

The Life Of A Showgirl is Swift’s first album since she announced her engagement to 35-year-old Kelce in an Instagram post in August, which was captioned: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”