Sean “Diddy” Combs acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, convicted on prostitution charges in landmark trial
In a stunning split verdict, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges but convicted on two counts of prostitution-related offences on Wednesday, July 2. This capped a seven-week trial that exposed harrowing allegations of abuse and exploitation against the celebrity rapper.
The mixed outcome represents both a significant legal victory and a devastating reputational blow for the once-revered music icon.
The charges and the verdict against Diddy
Acquitted Charges:
• Racketeering conspiracy (carried a potential life sentence)
• Two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion (involving ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and “Jane”).
Convicted Charges:
• Two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act, related to transporting Ventura and Jane across state lines for “commercial sex acts”.
The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for 13 hours over three days before reaching their decision. Combs, 55, faces up to 20 years in prison (10 years per count) at his October 3 sentencing, though legal experts suggest federal guidelines may recommend 21 months to 5¼ years.
Immediate aftermath
Combs collapsed to his knees in prayer upon hearing the verdict, mouthing “thank you” to jurors while his family applauded. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo hailed it as a “great victory for the jury system,” acknowledging prosecutors “came at him with all they had”.
However, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian swiftly denied Combs’ $1 million bail request, citing his “years-long pattern of violence” and ruling it “impossible” to prove he poses no danger. Combs will remain jailed at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he’s been held since his September 2024 arrest.
The core allegations
Prosecutors alleged Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” using Bad Boy Records staff to facilitate crimes including
1. Freak-offs: Multi-day, drug-fueled sexual marathons with male escorts, where Combs allegedly coerced Ventura and Jane through threats, violence, and blackmail.
2. Evidence Presented:
• Hotel surveillance video showing Combs assaulting Ventura in 2016.
• Testimony about 200 bottles of baby oil and 900 bottles of lubricant seized from Combs’ homes .
• Graphic accounts from Ventura—testifying while nine months pregnant—that Combs forced her into hundreds of such events .
Prosecution vs. defense strategies
• Prosecution: Called 34 witnesses, including Ventura, Jane, rapper Kid Cudi (who accused Combs of arson), and male escorts. Argued Combs used “violence, power and fear” to control victims.
• Defence: Conceded Combs was violent and engaged in “unconventional sex” but insisted encounters were consensual. Framed relationships as “toxic” but not criminal, attacking Ventura’s credibility by noting her $30 million in settlements.
Key moment
Defence attorney Agnifilo stunned the courtroom by declaring, “We own domestic violence,” while disputing the racketeering charge.
Fallout and the next step
• Reputational Damage: Combs has lost all major business ties, including his Revolt TV chairmanship and liquor partnerships. Howard University revoked his honorary degree.
• Civil Liability: Over 70 sexual assault lawsuits remain pending against him.
• Public Reaction: Outside the courthouse, supporters doused themselves in baby oil—a reference to trial testimony—while advocates for survivors condemned the partial acquittal.
Legal analysts suggest the racketeering acquittal reflects prosecutors’ struggle to prove an organised criminal enterprise. “The jury likely saw a deeply flawed individual, not a mob boss,” noted former federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff.
What lies ahead
Combs’ sentencing on October 3 will determine his immediate future, but his legacy as a hip-hop pioneer is irrevocably tarnished. As victims’ attorney Douglas Wigdor stated, Ventura’s testimony “paved the way for accountability,” ensuring this trial’s disturbing revelations will overshadow Combs’ once-glistening empire.
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