Diddy's Babysitter Urges Judge to Free Him, Citing 'Black Excellence' and a Million-Bottle Hit

A former babysitter for Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked a federal judge to release him from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, arguing that the music mogul is an example of “black excellence” whose track record and industry impact justify leniency as he awaits sentencing on a prostitution conviction. The filing comes as Judge Arun Subramanian prepares to decide Combs’s fate on Oct. 3, with prosecutors asking for a substantial prison term and defense lawyers contending for time served.

La Wanda Lane, described in court filings as a close friend to the Combs family and Kim Porter’s best friend, joined a chorus of supporters in writing to Subramanian. Lane said she lived at Combs’s home for four years to help care for his children and painted a portrait of a man who is deeply committed to family, loyalty, and community. In her letter, she lauded his drive and described him as compassionate toward his kids and close friends. She also highlighted his role in showcasing black achievement on a global stage, noting that Sean’s fragrance business helped Estée Lauder Companies launch a major campaign after they partnered with him. Lane wrote that the campaign included a European yacht shoot with a multi‑million‑dollar budget, a milestone she said she had never seen achieved by a Black man before.

Lane described Combs as having “shown what black excellence was,” pointing to what she called his sales milestone for a men’s fragrance. The letter said he had become the first Black man to have a men’s cologne selling “close to a million bottles a week,” a claim the filing used to illustrate his influence in fashion and consumer products. She also recalled the personal toll of Porter’s 2018 death from pneumonia, saying Combs became “Mr. Mom and dad” to their children in the wake of the loss and fought to keep the family together during a difficult period.

The letter from Lane is part of a broader filing in which Combs’s lawyers urged Subramanian to grant no more than time served, arguing that the 55-year-old has spent substantial time in detention since his arrest in September 2024. They have submitted nearly 70 letters of support from members of his inner circle, including his mother Janice and several of his children, as well as colleagues and collaborators. The defense team asserts that Combs has recently sobered in prison after decades of battling substance use and that both his aging mother and seven of his children rely on him. The filing also claimed he maintained an incident-free record at the MDC and argued that the jury’s verdict against him should be understood as an “affirmative indication of innocence.”

The court filing underscores the tension between recognizing Combs’s public achievements and addressing the charges he faces. Prosecutors have not indicated a willingness to grant a light sentence, but the defense press packet emphasizes his role as a father and a business pioneer who built a multi‑million-dollar company from the ground up under the Sean John brand and inspired collaborations with major brands in beauty and fashion.

The Oct. 3 hearing will determine whether Subramanian accepts the defense’s request for a lighter sentence or imposes a longer term. The attorneys noted that the judge has already rejected a proposed $50 million bail package, making a time-served outcome particularly consequential for Combs and his family as they navigate the aftershocks of the case.

Combs’s case has drawn attention well beyond the courtroom, in part due to the breadth of support letters and the public profile of a figure who has long shaped music, fashion, and fragrance. The letters emphasize his influence and the steady hands some say he has shown in raising his children and stewarding his business interests, even as they acknowledge past mistakes. Prosecutors and defense counsel are scheduled to present their arguments ahead of the October sentencing date, with Subramanian’s decision likely to shape the next phase of a career that has left a lasting imprint on popular culture.