Sean “Diddy” Combs’ reported goal of becoming a counselor for domestic violence offenders is being met with sharp criticism from his accusers and their attorneys, who question both his motives and his readiness to take on such a role.

Combs’ lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, told Business Insider that the 55-year-old music mogul hopes to use his experience to help others avoid similar behavior. Shapiro said the plan is for Combs to work with established programs, speak to young people, and advocate against abuse. “Sometimes people like him can be the best spokesperson,” she said, adding that his legal team intends to highlight this ambition in court filings ahead of his sentencing, asking for time served in light of his potential “positive impact” in the future.

But for those who have accused Combs of abuse, the suggestion has been difficult to accept.

“This is utterly preposterous,” said Douglas Wigdor, the attorney representing Combs’ former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in a statement to Rolling Stone. One woman, who alleges Combs physically assaulted her in the 2010s, called the proposal “manipulation at its best” and questioned how he could counsel others without first addressing his own actions. Another alleged victim, currently pursuing litigation, described the idea as “a mockery of the system” and said Combs “needs intensive therapy” before offering guidance to anyone else.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents two plaintiffs with lawsuits pending against Combs, was equally skeptical. “At this point, his stated goal does not pass the laugh test,” she told Rolling Stone. She suggested that if Combs is released, his first step should be completing an anger management program, then taking responsibility for any harm he caused, compensating his alleged victims, and seeking their forgiveness before even considering formal training to counsel others.

Combs was convicted last month on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, violations of the federal Mann Act, following an eight-week trial. He was acquitted on more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors alleged that he coerced both Ventura and another girlfriend, identified in court as “Jane,” into orchestrated sexual encounters with male escorts, which he recorded.

The case against Combs intensified after Ventura filed a sex trafficking lawsuit in November 2023, alleging years of physical abuse. Months later, CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. Combs later released an apology video, admitting responsibility for the assault.

During the trial, Combs’ legal team conceded that he had been violent toward Ventura on multiple occasions but argued that domestic violence was distinct from sex trafficking. “If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn’t all be here,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said in his closing statement, noting that Combs would have pled guilty to such a charge.

Ventura’s testimony described repeated abuse over nearly a decade, including a 2009 incident in which she said Combs stomped on her face for ten minutes inside an SUV. She also alleged he threatened to release intimate recordings unless she participated in the sexual “freak offs” he demanded.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the trial, has expressed concerns about Combs’ risk to the public, citing incidents of violence even after federal searches of his homes in March 2024. “This type of violence, which happens behind closed doors in personal relationships, sparked by unpredictable bouts of anger, is impossible to police with conditions,” the judge said at a detention hearing.

How the court will weigh Combs’ plans for counseling remains uncertain. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.