The Tennessean Student of the Week celebrates dancers. Vote in this week's poll
It's time for another installment of The Tennessean's Student of the Week, and this time, we're all about the dance.
From tap to hip-hop, and everything in between, we asked Middle Tennessee schools to tell us all about their most talented dancers and why they should be chosen as our Student of the Week.
After a weeklong nomination period, The Tennessean received six responses from guidance counselors, teachers and principals.
Polls are open now and will close at noon on March 6, so be sure to cast your votes and help your favorite dancer land on top. And don't forget, this is a special week. After this poll closes, we will be taking a short recess for Spring Break and plan to return with more Student of the Week polls on March 31.
But, before all that, let's learn more about each student from the person who nominated them:
The sophomore is a member of the award-winning Wavettes dance team and enrolled in the dance program at Gallatin High School. Oden and her team recently competed at the National Dance Alliance High School Dance Nationals in Orlando, Florida, where they placed 5th in Hip Hop and 8th in Game Day. Additionally, she is an assistant choreographer for the dance program's spring concert.
The senior has danced her whole life at her local studio and throughout her matriculation in high school. During her sophomore year, Procter suffered a tear in her shoulder that caused surgery and 6 weeks off. She didn't let that stop her, though. She came back stronger than ever!
The junior has been on the dance team since she was freshman. Goggin is such a devoted team member and incredibly talented dancer. She not only performs on the dance team but dances on a competition team with American Academy of Dance in Hendersonville.
The senior has been training to dance since the age of three at Dance Force. As soon as she was eligible, she joined both her middle school and high school dance teams. Johnson has been a committed varsity member of the RHS dance team for four years and now serves as captain. Throughout all four years of high school, she has balanced the demands of competitive dance while maintaining her focus on education and leadership. Her commitment, discipline and passion exemplify the qualities of an outstanding student-athlete.
The senior has danced for roughly 11 years with nine of those being competitive. She has been a part of the Mount Juliet High School Dance Team (MJDT) for the past 3 years and served as a captain this past season. This past season, her hip-hop routine once again placed 7th in the nation. She was also awarded the DTU Pro award this past season at DTU Camp, a three-day dance summer camp through the competitive circuit Dance Team Union. After high school, she plans to attend a four-year university and major in sustainability studies.
The senior has been a member of the dance team for 4 years and is currently a captain. She has overcome a lot in her 4 years on the MCHS dance team and has battled her way back from injury. She was recently named an All American at Universal Dance Association dance camp. This year she also helped lead her team to placing 6th place in nationals in the hip-hop division.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Tennessean Student of the Week celebrates dancers. Vote now
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4 hours ago
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict live updates: Hip-hop mogul denied bail after being found guilty on 2 of 5 counts, acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges
Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in jail while he awaits sentencing for his conviction on two counts of prostitution-related offenses, a judge decided Wednesday evening. Hours earlier, jurors in Combs's federal criminal trial found the hip-hop mogul guilty on two of the five counts filed against him, acquitting him of the other three. The 12-member panel acquitted Combs of racketeering and sex trafficking, the most serious charges, but found him guilty of prostitution-related offenses. The 55-year-old, who could have been sentenced to life in prison had he been convicted of racketeering or sex trafficking, now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. At a bail hearing scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Judge Arun Subramanian rejected a request from Combs's attorneys that he be released on a $1 million bond while he awaits sentencing, citing, in part, the defense's own testimony in the trial. "At trial, the defense conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships," he said, adding that the defense had failed to prove that Combs poses "no danger to any person." The jury spent more than 12 hours across three days deliberating the case. On Tuesday afternoon, the panel said that it had come to an agreement on counts two, three, four and five — sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. An hour into its deliberations Wednesday, the jury sent a note telling the judge that it had reached a verdict on all five counts. Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, the New York Times and USA Today. Live coverage has ended for today. Judge Arun Subramanian concluded Wednesday's bail hearing after denying the defense's request that Combs be released on bond. The next step in the trial will be a remote hearing next Tuesday to discuss when sentencing should begin. Judge Arun Subramanian suggested that sentencing could begin in four months, but indicated that he would be open to moving up that date at the defense's request. Combs will remain in custody in the interim. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after being convicted of two prostitution-related charges, though the actual sentence could be much shorter. The final decision will be up to the judge. Judge Arun Subramanian told the courtroom that he opted to deny Combs's request for release in part because his attorneys had admitted that he had a history of violent behavior over the course of the trial. "At trial, the defense conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships," he said, adding that the defense had failed to prove that Combs poses "no danger to any person." Subramanian added that Combs's duties as a father and son did not rise to the level that's necessary to allow an exception to the text of the law, which mandates detention in most cases. Judge Arun Subramanian has rejected the defense's request that Combs be released on a $1 million bond while he awaits sentencing, arguing that the detention is "mandatory" under the law for the crimes he was convicted of, per the New York Times. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide whether Combs can be released or if he will be forced to remain in custody as he awaits sentencing after being found guilty of two prostitution-related offenses. His lawyers have proposed that he be freed on a $1 million bond and agreed to have him face certain conditions upon his release, including surrendering his passport, submitting to drug testing and complying with strict restrictions on where he can travel within the U.S. "He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family," they wrote in a letter to the judge. The prosecution has urged the judge to deny Combs bail, arguing that he "continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law." Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a separate letter to the judge stating that his client believes Combs "likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community." In the lead-up to Combs's bail hearing to decide whether he will be released ahead of sentencing, his legal team has sent a second letter encouraging the judge to allow him to be released. In the letter, they accuse the prosecution of unfairly portraying Combs as "a monster who perpetrated a 20-year federal crime spree through a racketeering enterprise," adding that this depiction was "resoundingly rejected by the jury." The letter also discussed the notoriously dangerous conditions at the Brooklyn jail where Combs has been housed. "It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the [Metropolitan Detention Center] even one day longer, especially since — given the sentencing guidelines for these prostitution offenses — he would otherwise be entitled to serve any additional time imposed at a lower-security facility," they wrote. In the wake of the jury's decision, legal experts have been offering their views on why the prosecution was only able to secure guilty verdicts on two prostitution-related charges and not the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Ephraim Savitt, a former federal prosecutor in New York, told Business Insider that the prosecution overstepped by attempting to portray Combs as a "mob boss" — an accusation he says was unconvincing. "They were overreaching, and in my view, it was a mistake," Savitt said. "The jury just rejected the entire notion wholesale." Former Assistant District Attorney Julie Grant suggested on CNN that jurors may have relied on their own conceptions of what something like sex trafficking should look like rather than how those crimes are defined in the law. "[They] may not see the enterprise — they may not see the sex trafficking for what it literally is by law," she said. Criminal defense attorney Dina Doll told the Associated Press that the "dream team" of lawyers Combs was able to afford likely played a major role in the outcome of the case. "A typical criminal defendant cannot do that," she said. "I think that's where his fame and celebrity helped him." In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, federal prosecutors asked the judge to deny the defense's request for Combs to be released on bail, arguing that he should remain incarcerated while he awaits sentencing. The letter recounted much of what the government presented during the trial. "Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant's violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection," their letter read. "This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts — indeed, the defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse." It also argued that Combs remains a danger to the community because he "brutally assaulted" a woman who testified at his trial under the pseudonym "Jane" three months before his September 2024 arrest — while he was aware he was under federal investigation. Prosecutors also pointed out that when Combs was ultimately taken into custody at a New York hotel, he was in possession of materials for a "freak off." "The defendant's conduct after he understood that he was under federal investigation underscores that he continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law," prosecutors wrote. Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian requesting that Combs not be released from custody as he awaits sentencing. 'Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,' Wigdor wrote in the letter, per CNN. In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs's defense team outlined its proposed conditions for his release: a. A $1,000,000 bond;b. Co-signed by Sean Combs, his mother, his sister, and the mother of his oldest daughter;c. Mr. Combs's travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Florida, Central District of California and the Southern District of New York (to attend Court and meet with his counsel) as well as the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey (only to the extent that his travel to and from New York involves an airport in those Districts);d. Mr. Combs's passport surrendered to Pretrial Services;e. Drug testing as ordered by Pretrial Services.f. All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision. His lawyers argued that Combs poses no flight risk and that he has already missed several important family events due to his incarceration. "As just a few examples of what Mr. Combs has missed, since he has been incarcerated, he has missed the biggest moments in his daughters' life," the letter read. "He missed his twins' high school graduation — they did not have any parent there with them, because their mother, Kim Porter, tragically passed away in 2018. He missed his twins' prom. He has a minor daughter (2.5 years old) who has been without him for 9 months. He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family." A note from Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and friend of Cassie Ventura, was included in the prosecutors' letter stating why they are against Combs being released while he awaits sentencing. 'While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,' Nash wrote, per the Associated Press. Nash continued, 'Mr. Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior. Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity. If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.' During the trial, Nash testified that Ventura was attacked by Combs. A hearing to determine whether Combs will be released on bail has been set for 5 p.m. ET. Combs has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., since his arrest last September. Judge Arun Subramanian had requested that both sides submit letters containing their arguments for and against his release in writing ahead of the hearing. Sean Combs's mother, Janice Combs, who has been a constant presence throughout the trial, expressed satisfaction with the verdict in her son's case. "Yes, I was happy," she said when asked in the courthouse cafeteria if she approved of the jury's decision, according to NBC News. "Wouldn't you be happy?' Earlier, she was seen smiling and giving a thumbs-up as she exited the courthouse following the announcement of the verdict. The lawyer for singer Dawn Richard, who testified during the trial, was unhappy with the verdict. 'Today's split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,' Richard's attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. 'We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.' Richard previously told jurors that Combs threatened to kill her if she told anyone that she saw him physically assault Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend. According to her testimony, Combs threatened Richard and another woman who saw the attack, saying "we could go missing" if they ever told anyone about it. Rosie O'Donnell said she was angry about the Combs trial verdict, in which the jury found him not guilty of sex trafficking. "i guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion — wow —they just think women stay because what? money — fame — 'they love the abuse' — what a f***ing joke — this decision got me angry #cassie," O'Donnell wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rosie O'Donnell (@rosie) The "power of coercion" O'Donnell is referring to are counts two and four: sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and Victim 2 ("Jane"). Combs was found not guilty on both counts. No photographs or video recordings were allowed during the federal trial. So the only images from inside the courtroom as the verdict was announced were portraits by sketch artists, including Jane Rosenberg, who captured Combs looking back, pumping his fist and dropping to his knees underneath the defense table. Sean 'Diddy' Combs's longtime hip-hop rival 50 Cent, who mocked Combs on social media throughout the trial, posted a message on Instagram shortly after the jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. 'Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!' 50 Cent wrote on Instagram with clapping hands emojis. 'Beat the [RICO], he like the Gay John Gotti,' he added in a reference to the infamous mob boss who was similarly acquitted on racketeering charges. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) Early in the trial, amid speculation that President Trump might pardon Combs, 50 Cent posted clips from past interviews of Combs criticizing Trump. "Trump don't like s*** like this, buddy," 50 Cent wrote in an Instagram post sharing one of the clips. "You run your mouth too much." The jury for Combs's trial was made up of 12 New Yorkers, eight men and four women, along with six alternates. One alternate was swapped in for a juror on June 16 after Judge Arun Subramanian expressed concern that the juror had been inconsistent about where he lived. Each juror has a college degree, and the group works in a variety of fields, with a few being retired. The group's ages ranged between 30 and 74 years old. Some have kids or live with family, and others live alone. Before the trial began in May, at least seven of the jurors said they had heard about the case before arriving at jury selection, but said they would remain unbiased during the trial, ABC News reported. Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty of transporting his former girlfriends for prostitution but acquitted of the most serious charges: sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Had he been convicted on either of those counts, Combs could have been facing a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Instead, he is facing 20 years in prison, as the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carry maximum sentences of 10 years apiece. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that the government will seek the maximum possible sentence of 20 years, but the hip-hop mogul's defense team will argue he's a first-time offender who has already spent close to a year in jail. The final sentence will be up to a judge. Jay Clayton, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, released a statement in response to the verdict: Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these we recognize the important work of the SDNY's Civil Rights Unit as well as the tireless efforts of the women and men at [Homeland Security Investigations] who are devoted to combatting human trafficking. We thank the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York, Digital Forensic Unit and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement (CASE) Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. We would also like to thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this matter and for sharing our victim-centered approach to combatting sex crimes. Judge Arun Subramanian concluded Wednesday's bail hearing after denying the defense's request that Combs be released on bond. The next step in the trial will be a remote hearing next Tuesday to discuss when sentencing should begin. Judge Arun Subramanian suggested that sentencing could begin in four months, but indicated that he would be open to moving up that date at the defense's request. Combs will remain in custody in the interim. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after being convicted of two prostitution-related charges, though the actual sentence could be much shorter. The final decision will be up to the judge. Judge Arun Subramanian told the courtroom that he opted to deny Combs's request for release in part because his attorneys had admitted that he had a history of violent behavior over the course of the trial. "At trial, the defense conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships," he said, adding that the defense had failed to prove that Combs poses "no danger to any person." Subramanian added that Combs's duties as a father and son did not rise to the level that's necessary to allow an exception to the text of the law, which mandates detention in most cases. Judge Arun Subramanian has rejected the defense's request that Combs be released on a $1 million bond while he awaits sentencing, arguing that the detention is "mandatory" under the law for the crimes he was convicted of, per the New York Times. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide whether Combs can be released or if he will be forced to remain in custody as he awaits sentencing after being found guilty of two prostitution-related offenses. His lawyers have proposed that he be freed on a $1 million bond and agreed to have him face certain conditions upon his release, including surrendering his passport, submitting to drug testing and complying with strict restrictions on where he can travel within the U.S. "He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family," they wrote in a letter to the judge. The prosecution has urged the judge to deny Combs bail, arguing that he "continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law." Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a separate letter to the judge stating that his client believes Combs "likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community." In the lead-up to Combs's bail hearing to decide whether he will be released ahead of sentencing, his legal team has sent a second letter encouraging the judge to allow him to be released. In the letter, they accuse the prosecution of unfairly portraying Combs as "a monster who perpetrated a 20-year federal crime spree through a racketeering enterprise," adding that this depiction was "resoundingly rejected by the jury." The letter also discussed the notoriously dangerous conditions at the Brooklyn jail where Combs has been housed. "It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the [Metropolitan Detention Center] even one day longer, especially since — given the sentencing guidelines for these prostitution offenses — he would otherwise be entitled to serve any additional time imposed at a lower-security facility," they wrote. In the wake of the jury's decision, legal experts have been offering their views on why the prosecution was only able to secure guilty verdicts on two prostitution-related charges and not the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Ephraim Savitt, a former federal prosecutor in New York, told Business Insider that the prosecution overstepped by attempting to portray Combs as a "mob boss" — an accusation he says was unconvincing. "They were overreaching, and in my view, it was a mistake," Savitt said. "The jury just rejected the entire notion wholesale." Former Assistant District Attorney Julie Grant suggested on CNN that jurors may have relied on their own conceptions of what something like sex trafficking should look like rather than how those crimes are defined in the law. "[They] may not see the enterprise — they may not see the sex trafficking for what it literally is by law," she said. Criminal defense attorney Dina Doll told the Associated Press that the "dream team" of lawyers Combs was able to afford likely played a major role in the outcome of the case. "A typical criminal defendant cannot do that," she said. "I think that's where his fame and celebrity helped him." In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, federal prosecutors asked the judge to deny the defense's request for Combs to be released on bail, arguing that he should remain incarcerated while he awaits sentencing. The letter recounted much of what the government presented during the trial. "Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant's violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection," their letter read. "This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts — indeed, the defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse." It also argued that Combs remains a danger to the community because he "brutally assaulted" a woman who testified at his trial under the pseudonym "Jane" three months before his September 2024 arrest — while he was aware he was under federal investigation. Prosecutors also pointed out that when Combs was ultimately taken into custody at a New York hotel, he was in possession of materials for a "freak off." "The defendant's conduct after he understood that he was under federal investigation underscores that he continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law," prosecutors wrote. Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian requesting that Combs not be released from custody as he awaits sentencing. 'Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,' Wigdor wrote in the letter, per CNN. In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs's defense team outlined its proposed conditions for his release: a. A $1,000,000 bond;b. Co-signed by Sean Combs, his mother, his sister, and the mother of his oldest daughter;c. Mr. Combs's travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Florida, Central District of California and the Southern District of New York (to attend Court and meet with his counsel) as well as the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey (only to the extent that his travel to and from New York involves an airport in those Districts);d. Mr. Combs's passport surrendered to Pretrial Services;e. Drug testing as ordered by Pretrial Services.f. All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision. His lawyers argued that Combs poses no flight risk and that he has already missed several important family events due to his incarceration. "As just a few examples of what Mr. Combs has missed, since he has been incarcerated, he has missed the biggest moments in his daughters' life," the letter read. "He missed his twins' high school graduation — they did not have any parent there with them, because their mother, Kim Porter, tragically passed away in 2018. He missed his twins' prom. He has a minor daughter (2.5 years old) who has been without him for 9 months. He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family." A note from Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and friend of Cassie Ventura, was included in the prosecutors' letter stating why they are against Combs being released while he awaits sentencing. 'While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,' Nash wrote, per the Associated Press. Nash continued, 'Mr. Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior. Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity. If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.' During the trial, Nash testified that Ventura was attacked by Combs. A hearing to determine whether Combs will be released on bail has been set for 5 p.m. ET. Combs has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., since his arrest last September. Judge Arun Subramanian had requested that both sides submit letters containing their arguments for and against his release in writing ahead of the hearing. Sean Combs's mother, Janice Combs, who has been a constant presence throughout the trial, expressed satisfaction with the verdict in her son's case. "Yes, I was happy," she said when asked in the courthouse cafeteria if she approved of the jury's decision, according to NBC News. "Wouldn't you be happy?' Earlier, she was seen smiling and giving a thumbs-up as she exited the courthouse following the announcement of the verdict. The lawyer for singer Dawn Richard, who testified during the trial, was unhappy with the verdict. 'Today's split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,' Richard's attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. 'We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.' Richard previously told jurors that Combs threatened to kill her if she told anyone that she saw him physically assault Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend. According to her testimony, Combs threatened Richard and another woman who saw the attack, saying "we could go missing" if they ever told anyone about it. Rosie O'Donnell said she was angry about the Combs trial verdict, in which the jury found him not guilty of sex trafficking. "i guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion — wow —they just think women stay because what? money — fame — 'they love the abuse' — what a f***ing joke — this decision got me angry #cassie," O'Donnell wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rosie O'Donnell (@rosie) The "power of coercion" O'Donnell is referring to are counts two and four: sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and Victim 2 ("Jane"). Combs was found not guilty on both counts. No photographs or video recordings were allowed during the federal trial. So the only images from inside the courtroom as the verdict was announced were portraits by sketch artists, including Jane Rosenberg, who captured Combs looking back, pumping his fist and dropping to his knees underneath the defense table. Sean 'Diddy' Combs's longtime hip-hop rival 50 Cent, who mocked Combs on social media throughout the trial, posted a message on Instagram shortly after the jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. 'Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!' 50 Cent wrote on Instagram with clapping hands emojis. 'Beat the [RICO], he like the Gay John Gotti,' he added in a reference to the infamous mob boss who was similarly acquitted on racketeering charges. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) Early in the trial, amid speculation that President Trump might pardon Combs, 50 Cent posted clips from past interviews of Combs criticizing Trump. "Trump don't like s*** like this, buddy," 50 Cent wrote in an Instagram post sharing one of the clips. "You run your mouth too much." The jury for Combs's trial was made up of 12 New Yorkers, eight men and four women, along with six alternates. One alternate was swapped in for a juror on June 16 after Judge Arun Subramanian expressed concern that the juror had been inconsistent about where he lived. Each juror has a college degree, and the group works in a variety of fields, with a few being retired. The group's ages ranged between 30 and 74 years old. Some have kids or live with family, and others live alone. Before the trial began in May, at least seven of the jurors said they had heard about the case before arriving at jury selection, but said they would remain unbiased during the trial, ABC News reported. Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty of transporting his former girlfriends for prostitution but acquitted of the most serious charges: sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Had he been convicted on either of those counts, Combs could have been facing a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Instead, he is facing 20 years in prison, as the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carry maximum sentences of 10 years apiece. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that the government will seek the maximum possible sentence of 20 years, but the hip-hop mogul's defense team will argue he's a first-time offender who has already spent close to a year in jail. The final sentence will be up to a judge. Jay Clayton, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, released a statement in response to the verdict: Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these we recognize the important work of the SDNY's Civil Rights Unit as well as the tireless efforts of the women and men at [Homeland Security Investigations] who are devoted to combatting human trafficking. We thank the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York, Digital Forensic Unit and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement (CASE) Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. We would also like to thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this matter and for sharing our victim-centered approach to combatting sex crimes.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict live updates: Hip-hop mogul denied bail after being found guilty on 2 of 5 counts, acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges
Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in jail while he awaits sentencing for his conviction on two counts of prostitution-related offenses, a judge decided Wednesday evening. Hours earlier, jurors in Combs' federal criminal trial found the hip-hop mogul guilty of two of the five counts filed against him, acquitting him of the other three. The 12-member panel acquitted Combs of racketeering and sex trafficking, the most serious charges, but found him guilty of prostitution-related offenses. The 55-year-old, who could have been sentenced to life in prison had he been convicted of racketeering or sex trafficking, now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. At a bail hearing scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Judge Arun Subramanian rejected a request from Combs's attorneys that he be released on a $1 million bond while he awaits sentencing, citing, in part, the defense's own testimony in the trial. 'At trial, the defense conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships,' he said, adding that the defense had failed to prove that Combs poses 'no danger to any person.' The jury spent more than 12 hours across three days deliberating the case. On Tuesday afternoon, the panel said that it had come to an agreement on counts two, three, four and five — sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution — but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy. An hour into its deliberations Wednesday, the jury sent a note telling the judge that it had reached a verdict on all five counts. Follow the live blog below for the latest updates culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including ABC News, the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, the New York Times and USA Today. Live coverage has ended for today. Judge Arun Subramanian concluded Wednesday's bail hearing after denying the defense's request that Combs be released on bond. The next step in the trial will be a remote hearing next Tuesday to discuss when sentencing should begin. Judge Arun Subramanian suggested that sentencing could begin in four months, but indicated that he would be open to moving up that date at the defense's request. Combs will remain in custody in the interim. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after being convicted of two prostitution-related charges, though the actual sentence could be much shorter. The final decision will be up to the judge. Judge Arun Subramanian told the courtroom that he opted to deny Combs's request for release in part because his attorneys had admitted that he had a history of violent behavior over the course of the trial. "At trial, the defense conceded the defendant's violence in his personal relationships," he said, adding that the defense had failed to prove that Combs poses "no danger to any person." Subramanian added that Combs's duties as a father and son did not rise to the level that's necessary to allow an exception to the text of the law, which mandates detention in most cases. Judge Arun Subramanian has rejected the defense's request that Combs be released on a $1 million bond while he awaits sentencing, arguing that the detention is "mandatory" under the law for the crimes he was convicted of, per the New York Times. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide whether Combs can be released or if he will be forced to remain in custody as he awaits sentencing after being found guilty of two prostitution-related offenses. His lawyers have proposed that he be freed on a $1 million bond and agreed to have him face certain conditions upon his release, including surrendering his passport, submitting to drug testing and complying with strict restrictions on where he can travel within the U.S. "He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family," they wrote in a letter to the judge. The prosecution has urged the judge to deny Combs bail, arguing that he "continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law." Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a separate letter to the judge stating that his client believes Combs "likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community." In the lead-up to Combs's bail hearing to decide whether he will be released ahead of sentencing, his legal team has sent a second letter encouraging the judge to allow him to be released. In the letter, they accuse the prosecution of unfairly portraying Combs as "a monster who perpetrated a 20-year federal crime spree through a racketeering enterprise," adding that this depiction was "resoundingly rejected by the jury." The letter also discussed the notoriously dangerous conditions at the Brooklyn jail where Combs has been housed. "It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the [Metropolitan Detention Center] even one day longer, especially since — given the sentencing guidelines for these prostitution offenses — he would otherwise be entitled to serve any additional time imposed at a lower-security facility," they wrote. In the wake of the jury's decision, legal experts have been offering their views on why the prosecution was only able to secure guilty verdicts on two prostitution-related charges and not the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Ephraim Savitt, a former federal prosecutor in New York, told Business Insider that the prosecution overstepped by attempting to portray Combs as a "mob boss" — an accusation he says was unconvincing. "They were overreaching, and in my view, it was a mistake," Savitt said. "The jury just rejected the entire notion wholesale." Former Assistant District Attorney Julie Grant suggested on CNN that jurors may have relied on their own conceptions of what something like sex trafficking should look like rather than how those crimes are defined in the law. "[They] may not see the enterprise — they may not see the sex trafficking for what it literally is by law," she said. Criminal defense attorney Dina Doll told the Associated Press that the "dream team" of lawyers Combs was able to afford likely played a major role in the outcome of the case. "A typical criminal defendant cannot do that," she said. "I think that's where his fame and celebrity helped him." In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, federal prosecutors asked the judge to deny the defense's request for Combs to be released on bail, arguing that he should remain incarcerated while he awaits sentencing. The letter recounted much of what the government presented during the trial. "Over the course of seven weeks, the jury heard evidence of the defendant's violence, interstate transportation of numerous individuals for prostitution, drug use and distribution, and attempts to escape law enforcement detection," their letter read. "This conduct spanned two decades. At trial, the defendant did not walk away from these facts — indeed, the defendant embraced the fact that he was a habitual drug user who regularly engaged in domestic abuse." It also argued that Combs remains a danger to the community because he "brutally assaulted" a woman who testified at his trial under the pseudonym "Jane" three months before his September 2024 arrest — while he was aware he was under federal investigation. Prosecutors also pointed out that when Combs was ultimately taken into custody at a New York hotel, he was in possession of materials for a "freak off." "The defendant's conduct after he understood that he was under federal investigation underscores that he continues to be a danger to others and is either unable or unwilling to follow the law," prosecutors wrote. Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, submitted a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian requesting that Combs not be released from custody as he awaits sentencing. 'Ms. Ventura believes that Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,' Wigdor wrote in the letter, per CNN. In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs's defense team outlined its proposed conditions for his release: a. A $1,000,000 bond;b. Co-signed by Sean Combs, his mother, his sister, and the mother of his oldest daughter;c. Mr. Combs's travel will be restricted to the Southern District of Florida, Central District of California and the Southern District of New York (to attend Court and meet with his counsel) as well as the Eastern District of New York or the District of New Jersey (only to the extent that his travel to and from New York involves an airport in those Districts);d. Mr. Combs's passport surrendered to Pretrial Services;e. Drug testing as ordered by Pretrial Services.f. All other standard conditions of pretrial supervision. His lawyers argued that Combs poses no flight risk and that he has already missed several important family events due to his incarceration. "As just a few examples of what Mr. Combs has missed, since he has been incarcerated, he has missed the biggest moments in his daughters' life," the letter read. "He missed his twins' high school graduation — they did not have any parent there with them, because their mother, Kim Porter, tragically passed away in 2018. He missed his twins' prom. He has a minor daughter (2.5 years old) who has been without him for 9 months. He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family." A note from Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and friend of Cassie Ventura, was included in the prosecutors' letter stating why they are against Combs being released while he awaits sentencing. 'While I appreciate the fairness you have shown throughout this proceeding, I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,' Nash wrote, per the Associated Press. Nash continued, 'Mr. Combs has a long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior. Over the years, he has repeatedly escaped meaningful accountability, and each time this has only reinforced his sense of impunity. If he is released now, I have no doubt he will see it as yet another license to continue intimidating, threatening, and harming people who challenge or expose him.' During the trial, Nash testified that Ventura was attacked by Combs. A hearing to determine whether Combs will be released on bail has been set for 5 p.m. ET. Combs has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., since his arrest last September. Judge Arun Subramanian had requested that both sides submit letters containing their arguments for and against his release in writing ahead of the hearing. Sean Combs's mother, Janice Combs, who has been a constant presence throughout the trial, expressed satisfaction with the verdict in her son's case. "Yes, I was happy," she said when asked in the courthouse cafeteria if she approved of the jury's decision, according to NBC News. "Wouldn't you be happy?' Earlier, she was seen smiling and giving a thumbs-up as she exited the courthouse following the announcement of the verdict. The lawyer for singer Dawn Richard, who testified during the trial, was unhappy with the verdict. 'Today's split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,' Richard's attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. 'We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.' Richard previously told jurors that Combs threatened to kill her if she told anyone that she saw him physically assault Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend. According to her testimony, Combs threatened Richard and another woman who saw the attack, saying "we could go missing" if they ever told anyone about it. Rosie O'Donnell said she was angry about the Combs trial verdict, in which the jury found him not guilty of sex trafficking. "i guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion — wow —they just think women stay because what? money — fame — 'they love the abuse' — what a f***ing joke — this decision got me angry #cassie," O'Donnell wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday morning. The "power of coercion" O'Donnell is referring to are counts two and four: sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and Victim 2 ("Jane"). Combs was found not guilty on both counts. No photographs or video recordings were allowed during the federal trial. So the only images from inside the courtroom as the verdict was announced were portraits by sketch artists, including Jane Rosenberg, who captured Combs looking back, pumping his fist and dropping to his knees underneath the defense table. Sean 'Diddy' Combs's longtime hip-hop rival 50 Cent, who mocked Combs on social media throughout the trial, posted a message on Instagram shortly after the jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. 'Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!' 50 Cent wrote on Instagram with clapping hands emojis. 'Beat the [RICO], he like the Gay John Gotti,' he added in a reference to the infamous mob boss who was similarly acquitted on racketeering charges. Early in the trial, amid speculation that President Trump might pardon Combs, 50 Cent posted clips from past interviews of Combs criticizing Trump. "Trump don't like s*** like this, buddy," 50 Cent wrote in an Instagram post sharing one of the clips. "You run your mouth too much." The jury for Combs's trial was made up of 12 New Yorkers, eight men and four women, along with six alternates. One alternate was swapped in for a juror on June 16 after Judge Arun Subramanian expressed concern that the juror had been inconsistent about where he lived. Each juror has a college degree, and the group works in a variety of fields, with a few being retired. The group's ages ranged between 30 and 74 years old. Some have kids or live with family, and others live alone. Before the trial began in May, at least seven of the jurors said they had heard about the case before arriving at jury selection, but said they would remain unbiased during the trial, ABC News reported. Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty of transporting his former girlfriends for prostitution but acquitted of the most serious charges: sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Had he been convicted on either of those counts, Combs could have been facing a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Instead, he is facing 20 years in prison, as the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carry maximum sentences of 10 years apiece. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that the government will seek the maximum possible sentence of 20 years, but the hip-hop mogul's defense team will argue he's a first-time offender who has already spent close to a year in jail. The final sentence will be up to a judge. Jay Clayton, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, released a statement in response to the verdict: Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these we recognize the important work of the SDNY's Civil Rights Unit as well as the tireless efforts of the women and men at [Homeland Security Investigations] who are devoted to combatting human trafficking. We thank the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York, Digital Forensic Unit and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement (CASE) Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. We would also like to thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this matter and for sharing our victim-centered approach to combatting sex crimes.
New York Times
13 hours ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Judge Denies Bail for Combs, Citing History of Domestic Violence
Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul who crafted a business empire around his personal brand, was convicted on Wednesday of transporting prostitutes to participate in his drug-fueled sex marathons, but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, the most serious charges against him. Though Mr. Combs, 55, still faces a potential sentence of as much as 20 years in prison, he and his lawyers were jubilant after the acquittals on the more severe charges in an indictment that accused the famed producer of coercing women into unwanted sex with male prostitutes, aided by a team of pliant employees. Mr. Combs had faced a possible life sentence. Under the transportation charges, set by the federal Mann Act, each of the two convictions carries a maximum term of 10 years, and the judge could set lesser sentences to run concurrently. After the verdict was read in Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan, Mr. Combs put his hands together and mouthed 'thank you, thank you' at the jury of eight men and four women. Later, he dropped to his knees, apparently in prayer, and started a round of applause. His supporters and family began clapping and whistling for his legal team, who embraced each other at the conclusion of the eight-week trial. 'Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,' Marc Agnifilo, Mr. Combs's lead lawyer, said in court following the verdict. Lawyers for Mr. Combs, who had been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, immediately began efforts after the verdict to secure his release until the sentencing. But the government has sought to continue to keep him detained, and Judge Arun Subramanian was scheduled to hear motions from both sides on the issue on Wednesday evening. The government's case, which drew blanket news coverage and attracted an extraordinary degree of attention and commentary on social media, accused Mr. Combs of years of physical and emotional abuse. Prosecutors argued that he had coerced two women to take part in sexual marathons with hired men, fueled by drugs and sometimes lasting days, which Mr. Combs would direct and sometimes film. According to the government, the two women at the heart of the case, who had been in yearslong romantic relationships with the executive, took part in the sexual encounters in part out of fear that Mr. Combs would beat them, revoke financial support or humiliate them by leaking explicit sex tapes. But Mr. Combs long maintained his innocence, and his lawyers argued that his sexual arrangements were consensual, even as they admitted that he had been violent with the women. At trial, Mr. Combs's lawyers challenged the government's narrative about the two women: Casandra Ventura, a singer known as Cassie, and a woman who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane.' They presented troves of text messages between Mr. Combs and each of his former girlfriends in which the women sometimes appeared willing and even excited about taking part in the sex sessions, undercutting the government's argument that the women had been coerced. The defense also chipped away at the government's characterization of his employees as being part of a criminal organization, arguing that the various assistants and bodyguards prosecutors had pointed to were simply doing their jobs, and were not part of a nefarious conspiracy. Federal officials did not comment on the specifics of the verdict but defended their decision to bring the charges in a case that the defense had mocked as an effort to criminalize private, consensual sexual conduct. 'Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society,' said a statement released by Jay Clayton, interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, special agent in charge of the New York field office of Homeland Security Investigations. 'New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice,' the statement continued. Organizations that advocate for women's rights and seek to curb sexual violence were disturbed by the verdict and expressed a range of reactions, from disappointment to outrage. Some viewed it as a setback to the progress made in recent years in holding abusive men to account. Arisha Hatch, the interim executive director of the women's advocacy group UltraViolet, condemned the verdict as 'a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy,' using a nickname for Mr. Combs. She called it 'an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic.' Image Casandra Ventura's 2023 lawsuit accusing Mr. Combs of rape and assault helped spark the criminal investigation that led to federal charges. Credit... Johnny Nunez/WireImage Long celebrated as a visionary music executive, Mr. Combs played a pivotal role in making hip-hop a global pop force, and his Gatsbyesque penchant for spectacle turned him into a pop-culture icon and a tabloid fixture. But Mr. Combs had his legacy upended in 2023 by a lawsuit filed by Ms. Ventura, a former girlfriend and a singer on his record label. The lawsuit accused him of raping and physically assaulting Ms. Ventura, and of coercing her into highly orchestrated, drug-dazed sexual encounters with hired men, an accusation that introduced the term 'freak-offs' into the public lexicon. Mr. Combs quickly settled the suit — for $20 million, Ms. Ventura testified — but it precipitated a criminal investigation into his conduct. Ms. Ventura was the star witness in a case that centered on sex, wealth and power, as prosecutors put forward a narrative of a commanding executive who deployed underlings to fulfill his every desire and guard his reputation. Using a federal law written to target organized crime syndicates like the Mafia, prosecutors portrayed Mr. Combs as the kingpin of a racketeering conspiracy made up of a rotating set of employees who helped him commit crimes. The core of the government's case relied on accounts of nights of sex and drugs in hotels across the country, which Ms. Ventura and another woman said often involved men hired through escort services who were flown in for their gatherings. Party drugs such as Ecstasy or MDMA were hallmarks of the events, sometimes known as 'hotel nights' or 'wild king nights,' the women said, as were copious amounts of baby oil. Mr. Combs would direct them to apply the lubricant on their bodies and have sex with the male prostitutes as he watched, masturbated and sometimes filmed. During the trial, jurors saw video clips of the sexual encounters, though the contents were hidden from public view. Pointing to that evidence, Mr. Combs's team of nine lawyers argued that the government's case was an overreach. Though they admitted that Mr. Combs was responsible for domestic violence against Ms. Ventura, they denied that the violence amounted to sex trafficking. 'He did what he did,' Mr. Agnifilo said in his closing argument last week. 'But he's going to fight to the death to defend himself on what he didn't do.' Prosecutors called 34 witnesses over 28 days. Mr. Combs did not take the stand; the defense rested after 25 minutes, after making the bulk of its case through vigorous cross-examination of witnesses. In a closing statement dripping with sarcasm, Mr. Agnifilo appealed to the jury's emotions in casting Mr. Combs as a successful but flawed man whose sex life was unconventional, but not criminal. In particular the defense took aim at the intensity of the law enforcement effort brought to bear against Mr. Combs, whose homes in Miami Beach, Fla., and Los Angeles were raided by what the lawyers called 'a gross overuse of military-level force.' They seized weaponry and illicit drugs, but also lubricants that Mr. Combs used during sex acts. 'Thank goodness for the special response team,' Mr. Agnifilo told the jury. 'They found the baby oil.' The success of that approach was considerable given the impact of the emotional testimony the jury heard from Ms. Ventura and Jane, who described a pattern of manipulation and control that led them to repeatedly appease the music mogul, even though sex with male escorts often left them feeling disgusted and used, and frequently suffering from urinary tract infections. 'He brought the concept to me when I was 22, and I would do absolutely anything for him and I did,' Ms. Ventura testified. 'And it never stopped our whole relationship. And it was expected of me, and it made me feel horrible about myself.' Ms. Ventura recounted beatings at the hands of Mr. Combs that gave her black eyes, a swollen face and bruises on her body. Several times, jurors watched security footage of Mr. Combs, wearing only a towel and socks, brutally beating Ms. Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. She did not report the assault at the time, and by the time the footage became public, the statute of limitations had expired. Image The case drew reporters and crowds to the Federal District Court in Manhattan. Credit... Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Much of the prosecution's case tracked with the allegations of Ms. Ventura's lawsuit, but it also expanded to encompass two other women with accounts of sexual abuse. One woman, who was known in court by the pseudonym 'Mia,' said Mr. Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times while she was working as his personal assistant. The biggest revelation at the trial was the story of Jane, a social media influencer who began to date Mr. Combs in secret in 2021. During more than 24 hours of testimony, Jane said she agreed to the extreme sexual demands because she wanted to please her boyfriend, but she eventually felt obligated to continue out of fear that Mr. Combs would stop paying the $10,000 monthly rent for the home where she lives with her child. Jane recalled feeling stunned by the similarities when she read Ms. Ventura's lawsuit in 2023, texting Mr. Combs at the time, 'I feel like I'm reading my own sexual trauma.' They briefly broke up but soon got back together, with Mr. Combs under criminal investigation and facing a mounting number of civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. 'He's just so good at showering me with love and affection, with all the sexual exploitation in between, and then showering me with love and affection,' Jane testified. She could not be reached for comment after the verdict. Ms. Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said: 'We're pleased that he's finally been held responsible for two federal crimes, something that he's never faced in his life. He still faces substantial jail time.' In addition to the prison time, Mr. Combs faces dozens of lawsuits in which other women and men have accused him of sexual abuse stretching back years. He has denied the accusations in the suits. Anusha Bayya and Olivia Bensimon contributed reporting.
