Sean 'Diddy' Combs acquitted of sex trafficking, convicted on lesser charge
Maggy Donaldson
, AFP
Photo:
AFP/ NurPhoto / Image Press Agency
Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking Wednesday but convicted of a less serious prostitution charge after a high-profile marathon trial in New York.
The jury
, after 13 hours of deliberation, found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
But he was acquitted of a major racketeering charge and two sex trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison to life.
Combs bowed his head, quietly pumping his fists in his lap and bringing his hands together in a prayer as the verdicts were read out. At one point, he looked towards the ceiling, appearing to express deep relief.
He shook hands with one of his lawyers, who embraced each other - two of them teared up in joy - and mouthed thanks to the eight-man, four-woman jury as they filed out of the courtroom.
The relatively quick verdict arrived after seven weeks of at-times excruciating testimony, in which
prosecutors had accused Combs
of being the boss of a decades-long criminal group who directed loyal employees and bodyguards to commit myriad offenses at his behest.
Janice Combs, centre, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, waves as she departs Manhattan's Federal Court alongside her grandchildren and family members after the verdict.
Photo:
AFP / Timothy A. Clary
Jurors announced a partial verdict late Tuesday (US time) and said they were deadlocked on the racketeering charge - but Judge Arun Subramanian instructed them to keep working.
Combs, once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, had vehemently denied all charges.
Along with racketeering, Combs was charged with sex trafficking two women: singer Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane.
Both were in long-term relationships with the entrepreneur and hip-hop pioneer, and they each testified about abuse, threats and coercive sex in wrenching detail.
They both said they felt obligated to participate in Combs-directed sexual marathons with hired men.
Combs's lawyers insisted the sex was consensual. They conceded domestic violence was a feature of his relationships -- one harrowing example of him beating and dragging Ventura was caught on security footage that has been widely publicized.
Yet while disturbing, that did not amount to sex trafficking, the defence said. Jurors ultimately agreed.
Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, released a statement saying she had made an "indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice."
"She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion," read the statement, adding that Ventura's "courage" in speaking out allowed for Combs's two convictions.
Combs's family members, present throughout the trial that began in early May, clapped and cheered for him in court.
His mother waved cameras as she left the building with a smile.
Influencers and YouTubers have scurried around the court complex throughout the trial, jumping on livestreams to offer hot takes and conspiracy theories.
"The mainstream media is so mad right now that a Black man isn't going down!" shouted one content creator.
Combs has been incarcerated at a notorious Brooklyn prison since he was arrested in September 2024.
The defence immediately requested he be released on bond - they suggested $1 million - and permitted to travel between Miami, Los Angeles, and New York while he awaits sentencing.
They said they would hand over his passport to court officials.
A ruling on the matter is expected later today.
"He would be nothing short of a fool, which he is not, to violate any conditions the court set," defence attorney Marc Agnifilo said, adding that Combs "treasures" the "opportunity he has been given."
But lead prosecutor Maurene Comey opposed the request, accusing the defence of trying to "downplay the seriousness" of the convictions.
The guilty findings confirm that Combs transported both Ventura and Jane for purposes of prostitution during the sometimes days-long sex parties.
Comey emphasized that the encounters included a pattern of violence and drug use, conduct she said should "merit a lengthy period of incarceration."
Comey called Combs a flight risk who "does not have a respect for the law."
Sentencing will occur at a later date.
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AFP
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