Sean ‘Diddy' Combs faces growing wave of civil suits as criminal trial ends
Still, this verdict marks only one chapter in Combs's mounting legal battles. Combs, who remains incarcerated at the Metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn, is now awaiting sentencing and faces a growing number of civil lawsuits against him alleging sexual assault and abuse.
While the guilty verdict on two counts means that Combs is likely to face prison time, it spared him the possibility of a life sentence. The outcome was widely seen as the best outcome Combs and his legal team could have hoped for, outside of a full acquittal.
The federal criminal case against Combs began after singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura – one of his former girlfriends – filed a civil lawsuit against him in 2023.
In the civil suit, Ventura, who became the government's key witness in this criminal trial, accused Combs of physical and sexual abuse, rape and forcing her to have sex with male escorts.
Combs denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was settled within 24 hours. During the federal trial, Ventura testified that the settlement amount was $20m.
Since Ventura's 2023 lawsuit against Combs, more than 50 additional civil lawsuits have been filed against the music mogul by both men and women, accusing him of sexual assault, rape, drugging and physical violence. More lawsuits were filed as recently as this week and last week.
Combs has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him in the civil filings.
The judge overseeing the case denied his request for bail following Wednesday's verdict.
The judge tentatively proposed October for sentencing, though Combs's legal team has requested an earlier date.
Each of the two counts that Combs was convicted of carry maximum sentences of 10 years. The judge has discretion to impose a shorter sentence and may allow the two terms to run concurrently. The 10 months Combs has already spent in custody will also likely count toward his sentence.
Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, a crowd of Combs's supporters gathered to celebrate the partial acquittal, chanting his name and cheering as members of his family exited the building.
But while his fans rejoiced, many victims' advocacy organizations expressed disappointment in the verdict.
UltraViolet, a women's rights organization that staged a demonstration last week outside the trial in support of sexual assault survivors, called the verdict 'not just a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy, it's also an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic'.
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center and co-founder of the Time's Up legal defense fund, issued a statement expressing solidarity with the 'courageous and inspiring survivors who chose to tell their stories, hold their abuser accountable, and seek justice'.
Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Ventura, said that 'although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex-trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution'.
'By coming forward with her experience,' he said, 'Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.'
In the wake of the verdict, several celebrities took to social media to share their reactions and support for Ventura.
Singer Kesha posted on X: 'Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.'
Actress Christina Ricci called Ventura a 'hero' and 'an inspiration' in a message on Instagram.
Singer Aubrey O'Day, who was previously signed to Combs's Bad Boy Records label, shared a lengthy statement on her Instagram that read in part: 'It is heartbreaking to witness how many lives have been impacted by their experiences with Sean Combs, only for those stories to fall short in the eyes of a jury.'
Actress Rosie O'Donnell expressed outrage online, writing: '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 fucking joke – this decision got me angry.'
And actress Evan Rachel Wood also weighed in, writing on Instagram that 'there is no consent in a domestic violence relationship. Period. Once the threat of violence is there, you comply. You do not consent, it is self preservation and survival.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
7 minutes ago
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: 21 children among at least 69 killed; DNA being collected to identify the dead
21:37:01 Camp Mystic counsellor 'lost everything' in flash floods as she rushed to save her campers by Megan Harwood-Baynes, news reporter A Camp Mystic counsellor, who woke up to her cabin of young girls screaming at 3am, has "lost everything" in the flash floods, her friend has told Sky News. London Smith, 19, was working at the camp for the second summer in a row. "She lost her family a couple of years ago so lives at this camp during the summer because she has nowhere else to go," her friend Alexis Lambert said. "Camp has become her community and support system." This meant everything she owned was inside the cabin when the flood water swept through in the middle of the night. But London "stayed calm" and made sure her 17 campers evacuated safely. A GoFundMe is raising money to try and replace some of her belongings, including her phone, ID and laptop - although it cannot replace the sentimental items she lost, including those from her father. "She has worked so hard to build her life and support herself through college," the fundraiser says. "She spends her summers at Camp Mystic mentoring young girls and using what she earns to help pay for school at [Dallas Baptist University] in the fall." It has raised more than $15,000 (£10,980) in just a matter of hours. 21:09:58 Camp Mystic confirms 27 people died at the site in first statement since tragedy struck At least 27 people at Camp Mystic in Texas died from the flooding of the Guadalupe River, the camp confirmed in a statement to Sky's US partner NBC News. It is the first official statement from the camp since the tragedy struck. An unknown number of others connected to the camp remain unaccounted for. The camp said it is working with local and state officials to try to locate the 11 girls who remain missing. "This tragedy has devastated us and our entire community. Our hearts are broken alongside the families that are enduring this tragedy, and we share their hope and prayers," the camp's statement said. 21:06:55 Authorities are collecting DNA from families for rapid tests to identify the dead Police are collecting DNA from family members to help identify those who have died in the floods, officials have said. Colonel Freeman Martin, from the Texas Department of Public Safety, says there are several "unidentified" people at funeral homes, both adults and children. Authorities are collecting the DNA from family members and having it flown to the University of North Texas in Dallas. "We will have rapid DNA in hours, not days, to get some closure and information back to those families." 21:03:32 Warning issued to Texas drivers for next 48 hours More rainfall could lead to "rapid flash flooding events", the governor is urging. He says some lives lost across Texas happened when people were swept away in vehicles. "Rising water on roads can occur very rapidly. You may think you can drive through it, only to find out when you're in there that it is too late and you are getting swept away." He is urging people to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours. "You don't need to get from point A to point B if you are going to risk your life," he says, telling people to "turn around, don't drown". 20:57:17 'We don't know who they are': Still not known how many are missing in floods Greg Abbott is asking relatives of people who may have been camping in Kerr County to contact local authorities. In Kerr County, 59 people have died, and 11 children are still missing from Camp Mystic. In central Texas, a further ten are dead - this is the same death figure we were told earlier. Across the state, there are 41 known people missing. But due to the number of people who may have been camping unofficially in the area, it is difficult to know just who is missing, Gov. Abbott says. "There are people who are missing who are not on the 'known confirmed missing' because we do not know who they are," he says. But he urged people to call "only if you have specific information". Gov. Abbott described his visit to Camp Mystic as "nothing short of horrific to see what those children had gone through". He says officials are working to get "accurate information" to parents. 20:51:00 Texas governor now speaking Greg Abbott is now giving an update - it had been due to start at 8.30pm UK time but was delayed. He is speaking from Austin, Texas, not Kerrville, due to more expected storms that will pose life-threatening danger. Yesterday, he was pictured visiting Camp Mystic, where 11 young girls and one camp counsellor are still missing. 20:06:27 Texas governor pictured visiting summer camp Greg Abbott was pictured visiting the summer camp yesterday, where 11 girls and one camp counsellor are still missing. Originally, 27 young girls were missing from the camp after flash floods swept through the area. Buildings are missing walls, while soaking bedding is seen piled up outside one cabin. The Texas Governor previously said efforts remain focused on finding survivors. "There's a need for speed, not just every hour, every minute counts, which is why there are people in the air, people in the water, people on the ground right now, because they're looking to save every last life," he said. 19:39:01 Texas-based football teams and NFL donate $1.5m to relief efforts Two Texas-based football teams are donating half a million dollars to aid relief efforts. The Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans are each donating $500,000. It is part of a wider £1.5m donation that is being made alongside the NFL foundation. In a statement, the Dallas Cowboys said it was "standing side by side with The Salvation Army's critical response" and was donating half a million dollars to provide "immediate resources for rescue, relief and long-term recovery efforts". 19:26:01 Shakira donates profits from Texas show to flood victims Shakira has said she will donate a portion of the proceeds she made from her concert last night in San Antonio, Texas, to flood victims. She added a link in posts on X and Instagram if fans "would like to join" her in giving to the Catholic Charities of San Antonio, which is working on disaster relief. The water in Texas rose 26 feet in 45 minutes : Here's what we know about flash floods Flash floods are the nation's top storm-related killers, according to the National Weather Service. At least 69 people have died, with 11 girls still missing from a summer camp in central Texas. A flash flood is flooding that begins within six hours, and often in as little as three hours, of heavy rainfall. Waters rise so quickly that people are caught off guard, the weather service said. Many people run into trouble while travelling because the water can rise so quickly that they get trapped before they have time to even think about escape. This is what happened to residents and campers along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Fast-moving waters along the river rose 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. What warnings were issued? On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch, estimating rising water of up to seven inches (17cm) in spots. This "watch" meant people should be prepared, but did not necessarily mean hazardous conditions would develop. But overnight, the "watch" was upgraded to a flood warning for 30,000 people. When officials were asked about how people were notified in Kerr County so that they could get to safety, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: "We do not have a warning system." When pushed on why more precautions weren't taken, he added: "Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming."
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bond girl, 70, who starred on hit '70s sitcom is unrecognizable in rare LA sighting... can you guess who?
One of her best-known film roles was in 1989's gritty James Bond flick Licence To Kill, from the Timothy Dalton era. Before that, she starred on the late seasons of the classic 1970s and '80s sitcom Three's Company. The actress later worked with high-profile directors, including Sean Penn, Kevin Smith and Lawrence Kasdan in the 1990s. She went on to appear in numerous horror films, and scored a late-career triumph with a recurring role on the acclaimed series Jane The Virgin. This star looked unrecognizable when she was spotted out in Los Angeles earlier this week. Can you guess who this film and television star is? She's the 70-year-old actress Priscilla Barnes. Priscilla was spotted in a cool, casual ensemble that made her look particularly youthful. She wore relaxed jeans that were ripped at the knee and a magenta T-shirt that she wore without a bra. The actress, who wore her long blond hair down, was seen arriving home after making a grocery run. Barnes' achieved her biggest success as a fixture on Three's Company when she joined the show in its final three seasons, from 1981 to '84. She starred with founding series leads John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt as the nurse Terri Alden, who was one of multiple replacements for original star Suzanne Somers, who rounded out the eponymous trio. Priscilla was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, to a father who was a major in the Air Force and a homemaker mother. She and her three siblings moved around throughout her childhood for their father's work, before they settled in Southern California. She wore relaxed jeans that were ripped at the knee and a magenta T-shirt that she wore without a bra. The actress, who wore her long blond hair down, was seen arriving home after making a grocery run After working as a model in a fashion show, she got her big break in 1973 when Bob Hope spotted her at the show and asked her to join the group of performers he was leading for a performance at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC After working as a model in a fashion show, she got her big break in 1973 when Bob Hope spotted her at the show and asked her to join the group of performers he was leading for a performance at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Buoyed by her newfound success, she relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood. Her small early roles included a part on the Lynda Carter–starring Wonder Woman, but she got her first serious screen attention for playing a nurse with a single line on a 1975 episode of Columbo. From there, she scored guest roles on The Rockford Files, Starsky & Hutch, Kojak and The Love Boat, among other late-'70s shows. One of her early film roles was in 1978's college sex comedy The Seniors, in which she starred with a young Dennis Quaid. After Three's Company, her '80s TV appearances included a guest role on Murder, She wrote, as well as two unrelated stints on The Love Boat and two separate roles years apart on Hotel. In 1989, she joined the James Bond franchise by playing the wife of the secret agent's longtime friend Felix Leiter in Licence To Kill, though her character was violently dispatched early on in the film. Priscilla remained prolific, and she appeared in numerous films throughout the '90s, including the horror film Stepfather III, the Sean Penn–directed drama The Crossing Guard, which starred Jack Nicholson, and Kevin Smith's comedy Mallrats. She also worked with Star Wars scribe Lawrence Kasdan on his comedy Mumford in 1999. Her 2000s and 2010s projects were less prestigious for the most part, but she did appear in the cult-classic horror film The Devil's Rejects in 2005, which was written and directed by Rob Zombie. In 2014, she scored one of her best roles as the scheming Magda on Jane The Virgin. Her character was the mother of Petra (Yael Grobglas) who tried to help her daughter take over a hotel owned by her husband Rafael (Justin Baldoni).
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Full House star Jodie Sweetin says she's more than a 'salacious story' after overcoming drug addiction
Jodie Sweetin opened up about the drug addiction she fell into after Full House ended. The LA-born actress is best known for starring as Stephanie Tanner in the ABC sitcom Full House from 1987 to 1995, and its Netflix reboot series, Fuller House. After Full House went off the air, she turned to alcohol to cure her boredom and loneliness. Soon after the star, 43, found herself abusing cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy. During an appearance on Kaitlyn Lowry's podcast, Barely Famous, the mother-of-two talked about playing Stephanie Tanner. She also dove into her addiction and recovery and how she climbed out of that addiction and beat it. Sweetin explained that while she didn't deal with addiction while starring on Full House, it became all people would talk about in her 20s. 'And because people know who you are, it never kind of goes away from it being in the public eye,' she said. Jodie noted that despite the fact that millions of people battle addiction, it was more 'sensational' because she was famous. 'I always say, I would have struggled with addiction issues regardless of being on TV or not,' she added. 'And to be fair, that gave me some of the ability to be able to find treatment and find help in ways that I might not have had I not worked as a child. But it's very hard [when] you have to make all your mistakes publicly.' Sweetin's road to sobriety wasn't an easy one and she relapsed before getting sober for good. 'I had gone to treatment in my 20s, and then I had kids, and then I got sober, and then I drank again and then I got sober,' Sweetin explained. 'It's been up and down, but it's been 16 years since I've drank alcohol and 13 years since I relapsed on meds with a car accident that I was in.' She also dove into her addiction and recovery and how she climbed out of that addiction and beat it. Seen here on May 1, 2024 Sweetin said that pills were 'never' her thing, but after being subscribed a muscle relaxant following a car accident, she relapsed. Once she got sober again, she found it was hard to get back into acting because 'it was the only thing that people wanted to talk about.' 'There were times I was like, "Oh, why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? Why didn't I just say, "I don't want to talk about it." Because, now, it's all that people want to talk about,"' she added. 'But, through it, I got to come back to Fuller [House] and I just never gave up, knowing that I had more to offer than just being some salacious story,' she continued. Fans will get to hear Jodie tell her story in her own voice as the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed last month that she's recording an audio version of her memoir unSweetined. The book was first published in 2009, and Sweetin is adding a new introduction to the new audiobook. The book tells Jodie's story from the point of her child stardom when Full House ended. 'I loved recording the audiobook — it was such a personal experience to revisit these stories in my own voice all these years later,' Sweetin told People in June. In the new introduction, Sweetin recounts the alcohol and drug addiction she dealt with after the book was originally published. The Fuller House star told the outlet, 'My voice, my emotions and my truth all wrapped together.' She added, 'I was really vulnerable in the process of recording and I hope listeners feel that connection with every word.'
