Diddy Acquitted of Sex Trafficking but Faces Prison for Mann Act Violation After Explosive Trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs avoided a life sentence Wednesday after a federal jury cleared him of the most damning allegations, racketeering and sex trafficking, but found him guilty of a federal prostitution-related offense, leaving the hip-hop mogul exposed to a decade behind bars and a tarnished legacy.
At 55, Combs, once a dominant figure in music, fashion, and entertainment, now stands at the edge of personal and professional collapse. His conviction under the Mann Act, transporting individuals across state lines for illicit sexual activity, delivers a crushing blow to a career built on stardom and celebrity influence.
According to an AP report, the courtroom’s tension cracked as the verdicts were read. Combs, visibly moved, lifted his hands in prayer and embraced his attorney Teny Geragos. A cry of “Yeah!” erupted from the gallery, defying Judge Arun Subramanian’s order for silence.
Though the jury of eight men and four women acknowledged that Combs orchestrated travel for sexual purposes involving partners and male sex workers, they rejected prosecutors’ assertions that he ran a criminal operation or manipulated women into sex through coercion or fear.
Prosecutors had built their case on allegations that Combs used violence, power, and wealth to dominate women in degrading, drug-laced sex rituals. His defense argued these were consensual relationships and maintained that his private conduct, while at times troubling, did not constitute federal crimes.
Judge Subramanian is now weighing whether to release Combs on bail ahead of sentencing. For now, he remains in custody at the same facility where he’s been held since his arrest last September.
As court adjourned, Combs was overcome. He knelt at his seat, head bowed, and mouthed a message to his family: “I’ll be home soon.” Then, “I love you, baby… I love you, Mom.” His family stood and clapped quietly, their relief palpable.
The sentencing date has yet to be scheduled, but the conviction carries a maximum 10-year sentence. Combs’ legal team is expected to argue that the jury’s rejection of the central charges should be reflected in his punishment.
Federal officials responded to the verdict with resolve. “Sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and HSI New York head Ricky J. Patel. “New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.”
Jurors deliberated for three days, combing through graphic testimony from 34 witnesses, including Cassie Ventura, the R&B artist and Combs’ former girlfriend. Her testimony painted a dark portrait of their 11-year relationship.
Ventura told jurors about being subjected to voyeuristic sex acts orchestrated by Combs, which he dubbed “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.” She described being emotionally and physically abused. After being dragged down a hotel hallway in 2016, she said she told him, “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child.”
Another woman, testifying as “Jane,” described how she was pressured into similar sex acts despite protest. “I’m not an animal. I need a break,” she said. She testified she stayed partly because Combs paid her rent. She also recounted being punched and choked after resisting.
In one of the trial’s most striking moments, rapper Kid Cudi testified that Combs broke into his home in 2011 in a jealous rage over Cassie. Not long after, Cudi’s car was firebombed. “I knew he had something to do with it,” Cudi said, though Combs denied any involvement.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo closed by accusing the government of overreach. “They go into the man’s bedroom. They go into the man’s most private life. Where is the crime scene?” he told jurors.
Despite her account of abuse, “Jane” told the jury she still had complicated feelings for Combs. She even admitted she had planned to meet him for another “hotel night” shortly before his arrest.
