Sean Combs, once a music world powerhouse, took a deep breath.

The artist known as “Diddy” spent months listening to horrific allegations against him while his kids watched. Each night he’d return to a notoriously decrepit Brooklyn prison. At trial, he didn’t defend himself.

So on Friday, the day he would learn whether he’d walk free or continue an inmate’s life, he said he wasn’t taking lightly the chance to speak — or the devastating trauma he’d wrought on two women for well over a decade under his guise of love.

“One of the hardest things that I’ve had to handle is having to be quiet, not being able to express how sorry I am for my actions,” he told the rapt courthouse.

It was the first time he’d spoken publicly in more than a year.

And perhaps the last time for several more: minut

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