Can Diddy stage a career comeback after his trial verdict? Experts weigh in

New York Post

2 days ago

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' supporters chanted 'free Puff!' — and poured baby oil over themselves — outside Manhattan federal court Wednesday after the stunning verdict in his bombshell weeks-long sex trafficking trial was revealed.
But could he really make a comeback?
The once-renowned music producer, 55, was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution by the jury, but acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life.
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs poses with the Global Icon award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
AFP via Getty Images
Combs is now facing a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the two prostitution charges.
Before he was arrested in Sept. 2024, the three-time Grammy Award winner was riding high as one of the most powerful men in music.
14 A sketch of Sean 'Diddy' Combs in court during his trial.
REUTERS
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Hahn-Marechal-Nebinger/ABACA/Shutterstock
And while his career quickly came tumbling down, the jury's shocking decision opens the door to the possibility that Combs will try to rejoin the industry to fix his battered reputation.
'I do not think the court of public opinion will be forgiving,' Dr. Ann Olivarius, women's rights attorney and the founder of McAllister Olivarius law firm, told The Post in a statement. 'The damage to Diddy's reputation is real, and demonstrates that the world is watching and survivors matter even if their abusers are powerful.'
David B. Allan, a professor of music marketing at St. Joseph's University, similarly believes Combs can't make a comeback.
14 Keyshia Cole and Diddy perform at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
Getty Images for MTV
14 A sketch of Sean 'Diddy' Combs in court during his trial.
REUTERS
'Once the wave of getting off on the more serious charges settles, the music business will pass judgment and his reputation will be done,' Allan exclusively told The Post. 'Sean has always been great at PR and publicity, but there's no coming back from this, as this is his legacy.
'There will always be an asterisk by his name and his hits,' Allan stated.
Ana Garcia, host of 'True Crime News: The Podcast,' shared a similar sentiment about Combs' future in the industry.
14 Ana Garcia.
Courtesy of Ana Garcia
'Combs may have been spared life in prison but I am not so sure his career can be saved,' Garcia exclusively told The Post. 'How can you look at Diddy and not think this man is repulsive? The public cannot unsee Cassie's beating or the vile things he made her do.'
'I think Diddy's image and endorsements are ruined,' Garcia continued. 'This trial didn't up Diddy's gangsta cred. Instead, it revealed a pathetic and violent man who gets off on seeing his beautiful girlfriend urinated on. Who wants that guy endorsing your product?'
Meanwhile, Tyrone Blackburn, a lawyer who is representing Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones and others in civil suits against Combs, believes the star could make a grand return.
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs parties in Jamaica in 2013.
Marlon Reid / MEGA
'Because these are not viewed as the really serious claims, or serious charges, I think he may be able to come back,' Blackburn exclusively told The Post.
'I think if he shows some sort of remorse, I think if he submits an apology, I think if he falls on his sword and takes ownership for what he has done, thanks the jury for their thoroughness and says he will get some help, he possibly can,' Blackburn added.
Attorney Joel Denaro told The Post: 'Like always, people's memories will fade and given Diddy's considerable talent, I'm sure he will flourish musically going forward.'
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs on stage at the 2023 MTV VMAs.
Getty Images for MTV
Tony Dofat, for example, is up to collaborate with the embattled mogul again. He composed and produced hit tracks for Diddy and Bad Boy Entertainment in the '90s.
'I would definitely work together with him again. We made a lot of great records together,' he told the Post. 'Maybe going through these things will put them in a different perspective. It'll probably create a different type of art, you know, just from that point of view.'
Jeff Apruzzese, professor of the music industry at Drexel University, believes Combs will 'certainly try' to wiggle his way back.
14 Chris Brown and Diddy partying in Las Vegas in 2012.
WireImage
'Diddy has always positioned himself as both a creator and a CEO. That said, a public-facing comeback, whether through performance or media appearances, would likely face steep resistance,' Apruzzese noted. 'If he returns at all, it's more likely to be behind the scenes in a production or mentorship role, though that still depends on whether business partners are willing to reengage.'
Combs wouldn't be the first once-disgraced celebrity to recover from a major scandal.
Chris Brown was all but canceled for getting into a domestic violence incident with then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. The 'Forever' singer, 36, has also faced other assault allegations over the years.
14 Chris Brown and Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills in 2010.
WireImage
But Brown experienced a career resurgence with the release of his albums 'Breezy' in 2022 and '11:11' in 2023, the latter of which won him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. He's also about to embark on the US leg of his Breezy Bowl XX tour from July 30 to Sept. 20.
Apruzzese doesn't think Combs can replicate what Brown has done.
'Chris Brown's return unfolded gradually and under very different cultural conditions,' the professor said. 'The nature of the allegations against Diddy and the current climate in Hollywood, means people are far more cautious about public associations that could create long-term reputational risk.'
Apruzzese also speculated that other famous names 'will likely keep their distance, at least publicly,' from Combs for now.
14 Diddy steps out in London in Nov. 2023.
TheImageDirect.com
'Collaborators now have to think about brand alignment, audience expectations, and potential backlash,' he noted. 'So even if relationships still exist behind the scenes, we may not see them out in the open.'
Along with the current lack of public support, Combs' finances have taken a hit since he became a pariah.
Forbes last year estimated the rapper's net worth at around $400 million, down from the $740 million he was worth in 2019.
Before his arrest, he reportedly stepped down and later fully divested from his cable television network, Revolt. He also settled a legal dispute with Diageo, which involved him relinquishing control of his alcohol brands CÎroc and DeLeó.
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 'Get Him to the Greek' premiere in 2010.
AFP via Getty Images
Combs' record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, has also been affected by his legal troubles. In 2023, Combs returned the music publishing rights to the artists and songwriters who helped build the company.
At the time, Combs told Variety: 'It's just doing the right thing. I think that we as an industry, and as a people, have to look in the mirror and make a shift forward. It's about evolving, leading by example and reforming an industry that needs it, in a world that needs reform.'
Bad Boy Entertainment has not announced any major releases since Combs' arrest. The last album Combs put out before he went to prison was 2023's 'The Love Album: Off the Grid.'
14 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at a club in France in 2005.
Pinguet Benoit/ABACA/Shutterstock
However, Combs was recently featured on Kanye West's new song that also included West's 12-year-old daughter North.
West, who has also been shunned for his own controversies, has voiced support for Combs and even made a brief appearance at the trial.
Combs' legal costs have certainly added up over the past year, which could also endanger his potential resurgence.
14 Cassie Ventura and Sean Combs at the 2018 Met Gala.
Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
Before his trial began in May, an expert told Fox News that Combs' legal defense could cost him $15 million.
After the verdict, legal expert Neama Rahmani told The Post that Combs' sex-trafficking case was the 'most expensive prostitution trial in American history.'
In addition, Combs' ex, Cassie Ventura, claimed she received a $20 million settlement in her 2023 lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul. Video evidence of Combs physically assaulting Ventura, 38, from 2016 was released in 2024, before she testified against Combs during the trial in May.
Ventura reacted to Wednesday's verdict in a statement via her attorney, Doug Wigdor, who said she 'paved the way' for the jury to convict Combs on the prostitution charges.
'By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,' Ventura's lawyer said.