Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges on Wednesday but found guilty of a lesser prostitution offence following a lengthy trial in New York.
After 13 hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Combs on two counts of transportation for prostitution, with each count potentially resulting in a maximum punishment of ten years behind bars.
However, he was cleared of a racketeering charge as well as two sex trafficking offences, which could have led to a life sentence.
As the verdicts were announced, Combs lowered his head, quietly gesturing with his fists in his lap and bringing his hands together in prayer. He visibly showed relief as he looked towards the ceiling.
He exchanged handshakes with one of his attorneys and hugged him as two members of his legal team tearfully celebrated. As they left the courtroom, they expressed their gratitude to the eight-man, four-woman jury.
The relatively quick decision came after seven weeks of often harrowing testimony in which prosecutors claimed Combs led a long-standing criminal organisation that instructed loyal workers and bodyguards to carry out various crimes at his direction.
The jury declared a partial verdict late Tuesday and admitted being at an impasse regarding the racketeering charge, but Judge Arun Subramanian urged them to continue their deliberations.
Combs, a once-dominant personality in the music scene, had categorically denied all allegations. In addition to racketeering, he faced charges of sex trafficking against two women: singer Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified using the alias Jane.
Both women had engaged in extended relationships with the hip-hop entrepreneur and shared testimonies of abuse, intimidation, and coercive sexual experiences in graphic detail. They expressed feelings of obligation to join Combs in orchestrated sexual events involving hired men.
The defence team maintained that the sexual interactions were consensual. They acknowledged that domestic violence was evident in his relationships, citing a disturbing instance of Combs beating and dragging Ventura, which was captured on security footage widely circulated. Nevertheless, the defence argued that while the situation was troubling, it did not constitute sex trafficking, a sentiment the jurors ultimately concurred with.
Combs’s family, who were present throughout the trial that commenced in early May, applauded and cheered for him in the courtroom. His mother waved to photographers as she exited the building with a smile.
Influencers and YouTubers crowded around the courthouse during the trial, using live streams to express their opinions and convey conspiracy theories.
Combs has been held at a notorious prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024.
The defence promptly requested his release on bond—proposing $1 million—and asked for permission for him to travel between Miami, Los Angeles, and New York pending sentencing. They pledged to submit his passport to court authorities. A decision on this request is expected later today.
