The Sean 'Diddy' Combs story - From recording studio to criminal trial
NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop mogul who discovered the Notorious B.I.G. and ran one of the genre's most iconic record labels, was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Here is a timeline of his rise and fall from music industry A-lister to (convicted felon / vindicated criminal defendant).
Here is a timeline of his career and legal troubles:
1993 - Combs establishes his record label Bad Boy Records, bringing along rapper Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) from their former label.
1996 - Under the name 'Puff Daddy,' Combs releases his first solo album, titled "No Way Out," which later wins a Grammy Award for best rap album.
1999 - Combs pleads guilty in New York state court to harassment for attacking another rapper's manager and is sentenced to one day of anger management class. Several months later, Combs is charged with weapons offenses over a shooting at a club in New York's Times Square but is acquitted at trial.
2001 - A Detroit radio host sues Combs for assault, claiming the rap mogul's associates roughed him up and destroyed an interview tape. Combs denies wrongdoing and is ultimately cleared by a jury.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade
Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement
Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty
World Sean 'Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts, but cleared of more serious charges
Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises
Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks
Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach
Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home
2003 - A former business partner sues Combs for allegedly threatening him with a baseball bat. Combs denies the allegations, and the case is dismissed after an appeals court finds the statute of limitations had expired.
2008 - Combs privately settles a lawsuit by a man who claimed the mogul punched him outside a Hollywood nightclub.
2015 - Combs is arrested for aggravated assault after an argument with his son's football coach in Los Angeles. The charges are later dropped.
2017 - Combs' former personal chef sues the mogul for sexual harassment and retaliation. The case is settled for an undisclosed amount two years later.
November 16, 2023 -- Combs' former girlfriend Cassie Ventura sues Combs in New York federal court for rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. Combs and Ventura settle the case for $20 million a day later.
May 17, 2024 -- CNN releases footage purporting to show Combs violently assaulting Ventura at a hotel in Los Angeles on March 5, 2016.
May 19, 2024 -- Combs posts an apology video for the Ventura incident, saying he is "truly sorry" for his "inexcusable" actions.
October 14, 2024 -- Combs is accused of assault in six new civil lawsuits filed by an attorney who said he was representing 120 people who accused Combs of abuse.
September 16, 2024 -- Combs is arrested in New York and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He pleads not guilty the following day, and a judge denies him bail.
April 4, 2025 -- Federal prosecutors in Manhattan file an expanded indictment charging Combs with five criminal counts. Combs pleads not guilty two weeks later.
May 5, 2025 -- Combs' trial begins with jury selection before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court.
June 24, 2025 -- Prosecutors rest their case after six weeks of testimony. The defense calls no witnesses of its own, but shows jurors text messages between Combs and Ventura.
July 2, 2025 -- Combs found guilty of prostitution-related offenses, acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Germany plans six-month voluntary military service, sources say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BERLIN - Germany plans to introduce a voluntary six-month military service scheme, sources familiar with the plan said on Friday, as Berlin tries to train more reservists and bolster national defences over security concerns about Russia. Volunteers would be sought for training in simple tasks such as guard duties under the scheme but a military draft to recruit more people could be considered if uptake were deemed too low, the sources said. With European states that are in NATO also under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to invest more in their own security since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants to increase the number of soldiers in service from 180,000 to 260,000. Germany hopes the voluntary six-month scheme would help double the number of trained reservists from the current level of around 100,000 and that some of the volunteers would go on to have a career in active service, the sources said. The defence ministry declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Participants in Germany's planned scheme will have the opportunity to extend their homeland security training to obtain a truck driver's licence or train as a tank driver, the sources said. New improvised barracks are also planned so that recruits can train closer to home, they added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike will curb short-term speculation; market effect likely minimal: Analysts Singapore NTUC says some foreigners taking on platform work illegally, calls for work group address issue World Trump says countries to start paying tariffs on Aug 1, floats range of 10% to 70% Singapore Sengkang murder: Man accused of killing elderly mother escorted back to crime scene Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy Singapore Jail for man who recruited 2 Japanese women for prostitution at MBS Life Book review: OB Markers sequel Ink And Influence makes catch-22 proposal for The Straits Times The sources said Pistorius wants to have the legislation passed by the end of next month, with the first recruits to start training from May 2026. Questions remain about the plan, including who would be drafted for compulsory service if the government did not meet its recruitment targets. This element of the plan is also controversial within the minister's own Social Democratic Party. Germany ended its previous compulsory military service programme in 2011. Efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine have faltered, with Trump reporting no progress in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Russian officials have accused Western leaders of invoking a "fabricated 'Russian threat'" to justify increased defence spending. REUTERS
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Sengkang murder: Man accused of killing elderly mother escorted back to crime scene
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Accused Lim Yuen Li (in red polo shirt) being escorted by police officers on July 4, 2025, back to the Fernvale Road flat where the incident took place. SINGAPORE – Police on July 4 escorted the man accused of murdering his 79-year-old mother back to the crime scene in Sengkang. When Lim Yuen Li arrived at Block 465 Fernvale Road at 9.30am, his arms and legs were shackled. The 44-year-old was charged on June 3 with causing the death of Ms Wang How Khiew . Lim had asked the court during the hearing if he could be present at the funeral of the 'deceased', without referring to the victim as his mother. The Straits Times understands that he did not attend the funeral. Lim allegedly killed the victim inside a unit on the 11th floor, between 2am and 10.30am on June 1. He was back at the unit on July 4, dressed in a red polo shirt, black shorts and slippers, with the police setting up a cordon at the 11th-floor lift lobby. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike will curb short-term speculation; market effect likely minimal: Analysts Singapore Foreigners taking on platform work illegally; NTUC calls for work group to look into issue World Trump says countries to start paying tariffs on Aug 1, floats range of 10% to 70% Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy Singapore Jail for man who recruited 2 Japanese women for prostitution at MBS Asia Malaysia dismantles ISIS network involving workers from Bangladesh Life Book review: OB Markers sequel Ink And Influence makes catch-22 proposal for The Straits Times Lim spoke to the police officers outside the flat, before he stepped in for the first time since the incident. Two police officers stationed themselves along the corridor leading to the unit as forensic experts conducted their investigation. At 12.50pm, Lim left the flat and was led back into a police van. A police officer was seen carrying a plastic bag containing his personal items. Lim's case is the second in 2025 that saw a family member charged over the killing of a close relative. On March 13, 58-year-old Abdul Rani Md Ariffin was charged with murdering his younger brother , Mr Abdul Rahman Mohamad Ariffin, 57, at about 4am on March 11 at Block 187 Boon Lay Avenue. There were 10 reported cases of murder in 2024 – the highest number in five years. Figures from the Singapore Department of Statistics showed that there were four murders in 2023, seven each in 2022 and 2021, and eight in 2020. Those convicted of murder face the death penalty.
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Spanish rider Gomez dies at 20 after Magny-Cours crash
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Spanish motorcycle rider Borja Gomez has died aged 20 after crashing at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France, his team Honda Laglisse said. Gomez, who was set to compete in the third round of the FIM Stock European Championship, crashed during a pre-event test on Thursday, with reports in Spanish media saying he was hit by another rider after the crash. "It is with a heavy heart that we regret to announce that Borja Gomez has passed away at the Magny-Cours circuit after a serious accident in the first free practice of the European Stock Championship," Team Laglisse said in a statement. "Beyond his exceptional talent as a driver, we will remember Borja as the great person he was. His sympathy and his smile will be everlasting. We will always carry him in our hearts." Gomez competed in two seasons of the Moto2 World Championship, racing for Flexbox HP40 in 2022 and Fantic Racing in 2023. REUTERS
