Brian Steel Reportedly Cries While Defending Diddy At Sentencing

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares 1.8K Views
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Brian Steel Cries Defending Diddy Sentencing Hip Hop News
Jan 04, 2005; Miami, FL, USA; Sean P. Diddy Combs on the sidelines during the 2005 Orange Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Oklahoma Sooners at Pro Player Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2005 by Matthew Emmons / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Diddy's sentencing hearing today (Friday, October 3) has heard from his staunchest supporters and his most critical colleagues.

If you have been following the Diddy trial over the last year or so or its sentencing hearing today (Friday, October 3), you are likely familiar with a few of his defense lawyers. One attorney, Brian Steel, is particularly notable due to his more late entry in the trial and his role as Young Thug's lawyer in the YSL RICO trial.

According to coverage from Matthew Russell Lee of the Inner City Press on Twitter, he spoke during the sentencing hearing and defended his client with tears in his eyes. "I sit here with tears in my eyes, I can't believe we're here," Steel remarked. "Sean has impacted America in such a positive manner. [...] Sean's father was killed when he was three. He was raised in Harlem in the 1970s, it was different. His mother had 3 jobs, moved them to Mount Vernon. [...] More trauma: his best friend is shot in LA in a drive-by shooting."

"He has an operation and he gets addicted to the painkillers he's given," he continued during Diddy's sentencing hearing. "He has been high from then until 2024. You heard it at trial. He was medicated because his body was hurt, his emotions too. [...] We ask Sean to be able to have a 14 month sentence. He has taken full accountability. He's not using drug addiction as a crutch. He is saying he wants to repair, he will never be a danger. He is a civil rights leader."

How Much Time Did Diddy Get Sentenced?

Diddy's lawyers made other claims during his sentencing, including Marc Agnifilo's report that three doctors diagnosed him with PTSD. He also mentioned alleged diagnoses of anxiety and depression. This added to the defense team's broader argument concerning his mental health and trauma, arguing that he needs reformative care rather than more punitive circumstances.

Diddy received a four-year prison sentence today following all of the court expressions. It's unclear at press time if this accounts for time served as well or if it's in addition to his year-long stay in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Neither the prosecution nor the defense got exactly what they wanted here.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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