The federal trial of Sean Combs lasted something like seven weeks, but it felt a lot longer. At the end of the trial, the prosecution ended up dropping some of the charges, which was sort of a bad sign. I still believed that Combs would be convicted of the remaining charges though. Well, the jury has come back with a verdict on all five remaining charges (racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution). I was not expecting this:
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the one-time global hip-hop titan whose criminal trial unveiled harrowing testimony accusing him of sexual abuse against women and forced drug-dazed “freak offs,” was acquitted on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking but found guilty of lesser charges in his federal trial.
The jury’s verdict, delivered on the third day of deliberations, declared Combs, 55, not guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, but guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
At sentencing, the prostitution transportation charge carries as much as 10 years in prison.
The partial conviction caps an astonishing fall for Combs, a self-made rapper from New York who rose to the pinnacle of hip-hop culture and became a household name. After a three-decade run in the spotlight, it was allegations by his ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, that began his precipitous fall from impresario to convicted criminal.
Over the course of a seven-week trial in New York, a jury of eight men and four women heard the U.S. government accuse the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his power, wealth and influence as the head of a “criminal enterprise” to sexually abuse and exploit women for his own gratification over two decades.
Like… how can hear all of the witness testimony and still find him not guilty of trafficking? That was absolutely what he was doing, trafficking at a large scale, and recording the “freakoffs” without consent. Not to mention the violent abuse of Cassie and other victims. Two convictions isn’t “nothing,” but I’m really disappointed in this jury.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Beverly Hills, CA – Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami Homes Raided by Federal Law Enforcement on Monday, March 25, 2024. PICTURED: American rapper, record producer and record executive Diddy (Sean Love Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy or P. Diddy) arrives at The Recording Academy And Clive Davis’ 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills. **SHOT ON January 25, 2020** Pictured: Diddy, Sean Combs BACKGRID USA 26 MARCH 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Embattled rapper and hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested at a New York City hotel Monday night as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. The once-iconic star voluntarily traveled to the Big Apple ahead of his arrest, following a grand jury indictment, sources say. Combs was taken into custody at the Park Hyatt New York by Homeland Security Investigations, known for handling sex trafficking cases. Pictured: Diddy, Sean Combs BACKGRID USA 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Embattled rapper and hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested at a New York City hotel Monday night as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. The once-iconic star voluntarily traveled to the Big Apple ahead of his arrest, following a grand jury indictment, sources say. Combs was taken into custody at the Park Hyatt New York by Homeland Security Investigations, known for handling sex trafficking cases. Pictured: Diddy, Sean Combs BACKGRID USA 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena Featuring: Sean Combs Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States When: 15 May 2022 Credit: BauerGriffin/INSTARimages/Cover Images
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- -Las Vegas, NV -20220515 2022 Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet Arrivals at MGM Grand Garden Arena. -PICTURED: Sean Combs -PHOTO by: startraksphoto.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Startraks Photo for licensing fee and rights information at sales@startraksphoto.com or call +1 212 414 9464 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing Featuring: Sean Combs Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States When: 15 May 2022 Credit: startraksphoto.com
I wonder how much he will give Trump to get his pardon.
Since Diddy regularly hired “models” from Trump’s “modeling” agency (which closed in 2017), I’m guessing the only price is silence.
That jury was like many women and men on SM I think. They all blamed Cassie for staying, saying she’s not a victim since he paid her, that the other woman was a gold digger for her being repped by Diddy’s attorneys still, etc.
I think that man was doing racketeering and sex trafficking. Full stop. He used coercive control on them to get them and others to agree to this. I wish that the prosecution had leaned into that more. Hell have a pychologist testify about it too.
Its not up to the jury to find whatever reason to convict. The onus is on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed by the defendant. Way before even the jury went into deliberation, there were many, many people knowledge in legal matters that were saying that the prosecutions overcharging Diddy risks having him walk free or at the very least, get just a slap on the wrist. Many knowledgeable people were all focusing and zeroing in on the racketeering and saying the prosecution can’t prove racketeering in Diddy’s case, and because this charge was sort of the center piece onto which all the other charges were hinged, once he was acquitted on it, there would be very little left to convict him on. The jury does not write the law, regardless of whether they are on SM or not. They’re just entrusted with listening to the evidence presented and use provided evidence to interpret the existing laws and then come up with a verdict. If the prosecution had no case against Diddy, that was provable beyond reasonable doubt, then by all means it was very foolish of them to even go there. The jury acquitted Combs because the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a crime was committed, which in turn cost all the victims the justice that they deserved.
Are we going to sit here and pretend that celebrity has nothing to do with this finding? The prosecution may not have proved the racketeering, but they absolutely proved human trafficking by coercive control (pimping someone out under threat of force, basically). That’s what he did to Cassie. Beating someone to a pulp for trying to walk out of a forced s3x situation is exactly that. She had no choice but to stay. Even the male escorts were saying that Diddy was manhandling her and essentially forcing her to perform. Other times, she was drugged beyond consent.
I have been following the trial pretty closely and I have to say I am disgusted…but not surprised. The Prosecution did a mediocre job with the case. And what happened with Cassie’s testimony was especially egregious on their part. The Defense used info that the Prosecution could have easily had Cassie explain and or talk about during Direct and instead let her be ambushed by the Defense. It made her look like a liar when she wasn’t. Also – jurors are made of people and even in 2025 people STILL don’t understand how abuse and coercive control works. Very sad for his victims. But sadly not shocked that this is the outcome.
Exactly what I said up above. The prosecution failed everyone.
Jury basically saying, “Yeah, this is bad…but not that bad!” Smdh.
No, the jury is saying “the prosecution failed to prove that there was a crime committed”. The onus to prove beyond reasonable doubt is on the prosecution not on the jury. The blame on the jurors is very misplaced, please y’all direct your anger and blame towards the prosecution that has failed us all.
Where did I excuse the prosecution? Not having seen the trial, I can’t “blame” anyone. I’m just saying this is the conclusion the jury came to. And someone sure screwed up!
I hope the judge sentences him to the max, 20 years, of what he was convicted. I’m guessing the judge has a better understanding of coercive control and these complicated charges.
He’ll get off with time served. He’s already been held 10 months.
That’s what I said–time served. Then he’ll be crowing about “vindication” and will go on to do it again.
He messed with the jury. The Rico charge was the most obvious slam dunk, would have put him away for life, and they conviently could not come to a conclusion.
Bingo. My thoughts exactly. Proving once again, if you have enough money, you can get away with anything.
They had to dismiss one juror for lying and another just yesterday had to be reminded of the jury instructions. Also his team had a bunch of people outside the courthouse harassing journalists. One of the true crime YTers I follow said that her and her team had to move hotels MULTIPLE times because they were being followed and doxxed.
“a jury of eight men and four women” says it all for me – sorry not sorry! The ingrained “dude” culture in the US will take millennia to be rooted out. It’s sickening.
I agree. How the prosecution allowed that jury composition is beyond me.
The whole thing is disgusting.
On the surface, yes, but there are plenty of women that will place blame on the woman. I worked in a small all female office back in the 90s when Mike Tyson was convicted of rape. Two in the office had NO sympathy for the victim. I was shocked how they threw her under the bus so you never really know based on the sex of the person how they will place blame.
Pick Me women are just as bad as the mediocre men when it comes to misogyny. It’s a sad world we live in.
This country is over. I’m so tired of abuse being accepted as the norm. It’s going to get worse and I think I’m going to have to get to a shooting range and see about arming myself. This is a terrifying timeline.
I purposefully didnt follow this case closely because of the nature of it and also the fact that I knew the outcome could disappoint me. It’s still disappointing but I haven’t invested too much emotion in it. This world takes so much out of us nowadays.
I’m devastated Cassie and Jane. The jury basically identifies them as prostitutes and attempts to take their status as victims away. Horrible.
I don’t know why I expected more. This is the world we live in. At least he’s getting jail time.
Well the jury was a male majority. One was even giggling while being shown footage of the freak offs, and he’s also a celebrity that people like for some reason, especially around New York.
And this is reminder for all the “why didn’t she come forward before” people. This is what happens. The system is not set up to protect women. It is set up to protect men and always will. Cassie had to relive all that trauma just for the jury to shrug it off . Diddy is a predator and a menace to society. I don’t have a whole lot of confidence that he will spend any time in jail. He will just be more emboldened now.
I’m disappointed but it’s better than nothing. Maybe the case should have been moved out of NY.
Lawyer here — used to work in that courthouse (500 Centre St.) Yeah, very disappointed with the verdict. I thought at a minimum they’d convict on all the predicate acts (Counts 2-5). I reckon Judge Subramanian will sentence him to consecutive sentences on the Mann Act violations (Counts 3 & 5) as they were sufficiently separate acts, separate victims, and in different time periods. I don’t think he’ll get the max 10 years for each. But I think the judge, who saw all the evidence and would similarly find Cassie, Jane and all the others, very credible, will want to indicate that with a serious sentence, not a slap on the wrist. Am thinking at least 5 years for each count.
Which trump will pardon him for and say it shows he’s a friend of Black people. Like we all support abusers.
Beyond disappointing. Seriously, wtf. I hope the judge gives him as much as he can for what he was found guilty for.
“Only” two? Is that how low the bar is now?
And now the world knows… Diddy got a small d*ck… and he can walk around forever with that …. Jajajaja
…and aside from his inner ugliness, which is substantial, Sean Combs is a physically ugly man.