What's next for 'Diddy' after his guilty verdict? Sean Combs awaits sentencing date, faces maximum prison time of 20 years
The ruling capped a roller coaster day in federal court for the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul, who hours earlier pumped his fist and fell to his knees after the mixed verdict was read.
Combs could have been sentenced to life in prison had he been convicted of racketeering or sex trafficking. He now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, though he could receive significantly less.
After more than 12 hours of deliberations across three days, the jury of eight men and four women reached a verdict, finding Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the federal Mann Act but not guilty of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and racketeering conspiracy — charges that each carried maximum sentences of life in prison.
Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy — NOT GUILTY
Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) — NOT GUILTY
Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and commercial sex workers — GUILTY
Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion regarding Victim 2 ("Jane") — NOT GUILTY
Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution regarding Victim 2 ("Jane") and commercial sex workers — GUILTY
The defense team asked Judge Arun Subramanian to immediately release Combs, who has been held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., since his arrest last September. His lawyers proposed that he be released on $1 million bond, turn over his passport and submit to drug testing.
"He needs and wants to be with — and remain with — his family," Combs's lawyers wrote in a letter to the judge.
Federal prosecutors urged the judge to deny the defense's request, arguing that Combs is a 'danger' to society and should remain incarcerated while he awaits sentencing.
"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," read their letter to the judge. "This conduct spanned two decades."
Subramanian rejected the request from Combs's attorneys that he be released until sentencing, citing, in part, their admission 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," Subramanian 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 under the law, which mandates detention in most cases.
Combs faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. He was convicted of two prostitution-related offenses that each carry maximum sentences of up to 10 years.
His lawyers said that under federal sentencing guidelines, he would likely face about two years in prison, including the time he has already spent in jail. Prosecutors, citing Combs's history of violence and other factors, said the guidelines call for a sentence of at least four to five years. The final decision will be up to the judge.
Judge Subramanian set a tentative sentencing date of Oct. 3 but will consider the defense's request for it to be sooner at a virtual hearing next week.
'We are not nearly done fighting,' Marc Agnifilo, Combs's lead defense attorney, told reporters at a press conference outside the courthouse. 'We're not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family.'
'I'll see you when I get out,' Combs told family members in the courtroom after being denied bail. 'We're going to get through this.'
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Where to watch the Sean 'Diddy' Combs documentaries on sex-crimes trial, allegations
Now that Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial has concluded, you might be wondering what you missed during the case (that lasted nearly two months) and what exactly happened. There are plenty of documentaries to catch you up to speed. Ever since Combs was arrested in 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, various networks and streaming services have explored the allegations against him in a series of documentaries. Some lean into commentary from experts to provide context about Combs' rise and fall, and many include new interviews with members of the hip-hop mogul's inner circle. There are more where those came from, too. Another documentary about Combs produced by 50 Cent is in the works for Netflix. A release date has not been announced. Combs denied all of the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges he faced. A 12-person jury delivered a bombshell split decision July 2 in Combs' case, which started May 5 in Manhattan federal court. Jurors found Combs guilty of two counts of a lesser charge, transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him on the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here's a look at the most notable documentaries about his sex-crimes case (plus the mounting pile of civil lawsuits against him) and where to watch them. How to watch People magazine's documentary In the special episode of "People Explains," the outlets' reporters and editors review the details of the trial that took place away from any camera lens. "They're alleging his company was a criminal enterprise," senior reporter Janelle Griffith says, "and that he enlisted the help of various people, from low level employees, like personal assistants, to security guards to do his dirty work so to speak, or help him in the commission of crimes." "People were afraid of him," Charlotte Triggs, general manager and editor in chief, says in the 20-minute documentary, "and as often happens, when someone has a lot of influence and a lot of control and a lot of money, nobody really wants to say anything bad about them and nobody really wants to go out on a limb and be the first one." Staff recalls Combs' behavior at the trial and testimony presented, including that of Combs' ex-partner Cassie Ventura. "Now that they're compelled to (tell the truth) by the court," despite any potential nondisclosure agreement, Triggs says, "you're finally getting the real story, and you're seeing that they are, in fact, corroborating these stories, that a lot of people witnessed this stuff." The "People Explains the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial" is available to stream on YouTube. How to watch 'The Fall of Diddy' Released in January 2025, "The Fall of Diddy" is a documentary series from Investigation Discovery, the network that also aired the documentary about accusations of abuse behind the scenes at Nickelodeon, "Quiet on Set." "Spanning Combs' decades-long impact on music and popular culture, from his early days as a talented creative to his 2024 arrest, the docuseries uncovers the insidious and terrifying allegations of sexual assault, abusive behavior, violence and other disturbing claims that lay beneath his success," according to Investigation Discovery. Diddy's star-studded parties were cultural extravaganzas: Inside the White Party Notable moments from the documentary included celebrity makeup artist Mylah Morales claiming she came to the rescue of Ventura after a violent argument with the rapper. Ventura accused Combs of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in a 2023 lawsuit that they quickly settled. Another episode featured an interview with Phil Pines, Combs' former assistant, who said he witnessed violence and described an alleged assault at the rapper's Miami estate. "The Fall of Diddy" consists of five episodes and is available to stream on HBO Max. How to watch 'TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy' This TMZ documentary clocks in at just over an hour and delves into Combs' legal problems and the circumstances surrounding his arrest. "A series of lawsuits and allegations have legendary rap mogul P. Diddy on the ropes," the description said. "TMZ has the troubling inside story from people who were there." The special features interviews with TMZ employees, legal experts and celebrities like Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day, who said his "mistreatment" changed "the course and direction of my entire life." "TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy" is available to stream on Tubi. How to watch 'Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy' This feature-length documentary is described as a "raw look at Sean Combs' journey through exclusive footage and candid interviews" exploring "his rise, controversies and the man behind the music." It discusses the rapper's legal controversies as well as his early years coming up in the hip-hop scene. 'Call it swingers': A preview of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' defense as lawyer describes lifestyle "'Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy' sheds light on his childhood, rise to fame, and recent criminal allegations, challenging viewers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the mogul behind the music − and the mugshot," the synopsis says. Revelations from the documentary included former Da Band member Sara Rivers saying Combs "touched me in a place that he shouldn't have." "That was inappropriate, and I felt intimidated," Rivers said. "I'm definitely nervous. ... I haven't said anything for so long, and it's built up." "Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy" is available to stream on Peacock. How to watch 'Secret Life of Diddy' This 43-minute documentary was a special edition of "20/20" and is described as a look at Combs' "shocking arrest" and "downfall." Interview subjects include Tiffany Red, a friend of Ventura's. In the documentary, Red, who wrote a letter supporting Ventura's abuse allegations in 2023, said she witnessed Combs being "explosive" and rageful around Ventura. "My sense was that everyone around him was afraid of him," Red said. The special is available to stream on Hulu. Contributing: Edward Segarra, Anika Reed, KiMi Robinson and Aysha Bagchi
USA Today
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Business Insider
4 hours ago
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I've watched Sean Combs get acquitted twice. Over 24 years, his recklessness and eye for star lawyers never changed.
Back in 2001, he was "Puffy." For two months, Sean "Puffy" Combs strode through a dense press scrum and into his Manhattan guns and bribery trial wearing a different crisp, shiny suit each day. I remember neckties and matching pocket squares. And one morning, before the judge took the bench, he sat at the defense table, arms outstretched, as defense attorneys Johnnie Cochrane and Ben Brafman sat on either side, affixing his cufflinks. "If it doesn't make sense, you must find for the defense," the late Cochrane, a dapper dresser best known for his defense of OJ Simpson six years earlier, quipped for reporters. I covered that state-level case for the New York Post, watching as Combs, then 31, won a full acquittal after his lawyers convinced a jury that he did not fire a bullet from a 9mm semiautomatic Smith & Wesson into the ceiling of a Times Square nightclub. Jurors also acquitted him of offering his chauffeur $50,000 to take the rap for another gun found under the seat of the Lincoln Navigator he shared with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Combs had faced up to 15 years in prison in that case. "This has changed me and matured me," he promised after the happy outcome, saying he had given up nightclubbing in favor of church-going. On Wednesday, 24 years later, I watched as a senior correspondent for Business Insider as a very different-looking Combs won surprise acquittals on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in a federal courthouse barely a block south of where the prior trial was held. A jury found him guilty of lesser Mann Act charges related to transporting his victims for prostitution. This Combs — now "Diddy" — remains in custody, as he has for the past 10 months. Each day of the trial, he was escorted into the courtroom by federal marshals, wearing jail-approved khakis and a rotation of five thin, blandly colored sweaters over white collared shirts. His hair is mostly gray now, deprived by his jailers of the "Just For Men" brand dye that one of his personal assistants testified he kept in his toiletry bag. A quarter century ago, Sean "Puffy" Combs exuded swagger in court — even something approaching menace. "I'm a human being," I remember him saying as he glowered at me in the hallway once, unhappy about his coverage. But Sean "Diddy" Combs could be Puffy's pleasant uncle, passing out Post-it notes full of advice and encouragement from his seat at the defense table like so many half-wrapped Jolly Roger candies. "GREAT JOB!!!" read a note I once saw him hand lead attorney Marc Agnifilo. Each morning and again at day's end, Diddy greeted most of his nine lawyers with hugs and fist bumps. Puffy, circa 2001, was too aloof to be a hugger of attorneys — not until the verdict, when Combs, Brafman, and Cochran leaned in for a euphoric, seated embrace. But there are throughlines linking then and now. For both trials, an international press corps was drawn, moth-to-flame, by the certainty of a celebrity defendant and the hope that a still-bigger celebrity might steal the show. J-Lo had been briefly in custody soon after the nightclub shooting, after a stolen gun was found inside her and Combs' chauffeured car. She was not charged, and while she testified at Combs' grand jury, neither side called her as a trial witness. This time around, Kanye, too, disappointed; his cameo appearance at Combs' courthouse last month was over in a blink, 30 minutes tops. He was turned away from the courtroom by federal marshals, and Combs, like many in the press, didn't even see him. Combs' recklessness is another parallel. His lawyers acknowledged in closing arguments last week that Combs used drugs and committed domestic violence. Federal agents testified at trial that they seized three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers when search warrants were executed at Combs' homes in March, 2024, at a time when prosecutors allege he knew he was under investigation. Combs was not charged for the weapons, and maintained through his lawyer that the guns belonged to his security guards. "His brazenness is unmatched," lead prosecutor Maurene Comey told US District Judge Arun Subramanian during successful arguments against bail on Wednesday. "He's an extremely violent man with an extraordinarily dangerous temper, who has shown no remorse and no regret for his violence toward multiple victims," she said. There was reckless behavior the last time Combs was arrested, too. An evening of clubbing with a gun-toting entourage nearly cost Combs his freedom and burgeoning career as a multimillionaire music and lifestyle entrepreneur. New York Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon sentenced Combs codefendant Jamal "Shyne" Barrow to 10 years in state prison. (Barrow, then 21, had the unfortunate timing of running out of the club and into the arms of two arriving cops, a recently-fired gun still warm in his waistband.) Solomon told me Thursday that he would have sentenced Combs to three and a half years in prison and remanded him on the spot, had he been convicted of gun possession for the firearm police recovered under the front seat of the Navigator. Combs could have received more time, the now-retired judge said, given that the car had fled up Eighth Avenue with Combs and J-Lo in the back seat and the NYPD in pursuit. "Another gun came flying out the car from the back seat" during the chase, Solomon recalled. Another through-line — good lawyering. "He had Ben, one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the city, and of course Johnnie Cochrane," Solomon said of the 2001 trial. "And it worked. They certainly had enough to find him guilty," Solomon said. "That weapon in the car — there was a presumption of possession," Solomon said. "Maybe it was jury nullification, who knows." "He's a lot of things to a lot of different people. He's probably helped a lot of people make a lot of very good music, helped a lot of careers, started a lot of businesses," he added. Combs' acquittal on sex trafficking and racketeering means he no longer faces a potential life sentence. He faces anywhere from zero jail time to as much as 20 years in federal prison for the two counts he was convicted of on Wednesday: transporting two ex-girlfriends across state lines to engage in sex acts with male escorts — the so-called "freak offs" at the heart of the trial. "It's a partial win. He didn't win this case. He still faces considerable time," Solomon said. "Oh my god I certainly would," he said when asked if he'd give Combs' prison time if he were once again Combs' judge. "I would give him a lot of time," he added. "Because of what he did in the past, obviously, his background, and the violence involved here now. A leopard doesn't change his spots."
