What's Inside?
- Jury convicts Diddy on two prostitution-related counts but clears him of serious s*x trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges.
- Casandra Ventura and "Jane" delivered graphic testimony detailing coercion, violence, and emotional trauma during Diddy’s notorious “freak-offs.”
- Judge denies Diddy’s bail request post-verdict citing violence, while sentencing is scheduled for October with potential early date.
After a turbulent seven-week trial, a Manhattan federal jury on July 2 delivered a partial guilty verdict against Sean “Diddy” Combs, concluding one of the most closely watched legal sagas in recent memory. While the music mogul was acquitted on the most serious charges—s*x trafficking and racketeering conspiracy—the court found him guilty on two counts related to transportation for prostitution involving singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman identified as “Jane.”
Why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was acquitted despite facing explosive racketeering allegations
The verdict was handed down after 13 hours of deliberation over three days by a jury composed of eight men and four women. Emotions ran high in the courtroom as Combs, 55, dropped to his knees in prayer, later turning to the gallery with applause—a gesture that was met with cheers from supporters.
Though Combs avoided life imprisonment with the acquittals, he still faces a maximum sentence of 20 years—10 years per count—for the convictions tied to transporting women for prostitution. Judge Arun Subramanian, however, denied Combs’s request for bail, citing “a disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence,” and set an initial sentencing date for October 3. “I’ll see you when I get out,” Combs told his family as he was escorted back to a Brooklyn detention facility where he has been held since his arrest in September 2024.
The trial, which began on May 12, was dominated by explosive and emotional testimonies. The government presented 34 witnesses, including former girlfriends, hotel employees, law enforcement officials, and celebrities like Kid Cudi and Dawn Richard. Prosecutors alleged that Combs ran a criminal empire for two decades, committing crimes ranging from s*x trafficking to arson and kidnapping, with the help of his employees and inner circle.
Central to the prosecution’s case were the testimonies of Ventura and “Jane.” Ventura accused Combs of coercing her into drug-fueled, marathon s*x parties referred to as “freak-offs,” claiming he urinated on her, forced her into s*x with other men, and videotaped the encounters for blackmail. She also said he physically abused her and used threats to control her career and finances. Surveillance footage from a 2016 hotel incident showing Combs attacking Ventura added weight to her claims.
“Jane” provided a similar account, stating that she felt “obligated” to participate in these encounters because Combs was financially supporting her. She recalled multiple instances where she protested but was pressured or ignored.
Defense Pushes Back by Saying that “It Was All Consensual”
Combs’s legal team, led by attorney Marc Agnifilo, challenged the prosecution’s narrative from the outset. They painted the relationships as consensual and part of a “swingers lifestyle,” arguing that the government had blown the case out of proportion. They produced affectionate text messages and social media posts in which the alleged victims appeared to willingly participate in these events and even praised Combs afterward.
Agnifilo celebrated the partial acquittal as a major win. “Today is a victory of all victories,” he told reporters outside the courtroom. “The jury got the situation right – or certainly right enough.”
Combs did not testify in his own defense but remained highly engaged throughout the trial, often seen conferring with his legal team and reacting emotionally to key testimony.
Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani called the acquittals unsurprising, noting that s*x trafficking cases often face skepticism from juries. “It was a weak case,” Rahmani said. “The jury thought it was all consensual. That was absolutely clear from the beginning.”
Rahmani further noted that the racketeering conspiracy charge—viewed as the prosecution’s strongest opportunity to land a non-s*xual conviction—fell apart under scrutiny. “The fact that the jury even rejected that argument shows the many flaws in the prosecution’s case,” he said, adding that the verdict was a “slap in the face to the [alleged] victims.”
He also suggested that the sentence might amount to little more than time already served. With federal sentencing guidelines estimating 15 to 21 months, Combs’s defense may push for immediate release at sentencing.
Though this trial has ended, Diddy’s legal woes are far from over. He still faces dozens of civil lawsuits alleging s*xual assault, all of which he has firmly denied. Meanwhile, the impact of this high-profile trial is expected to reverberate beyond the courtroom. According to Rahmani, the outcome might discourage other victims from coming forward. “This case will have a chilling effect,” he said.
As of now, Combs remains behind bars. His team is preparing to fight the sentence, aiming to get him home to his family as soon as possible. “We fight on and we’re going to win,” Agnifilo vowed. “And we’re not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man.”
The nation, and the entertainment world, will now await the judge’s decision this October, in what may be the final chapter of one of the most shocking legal battles in modern music history.
