The verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial is in.
Diddy, 55, was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution on Wednesday, July 2, but he was acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The transportation charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The 12-person jury — consisting of eight men and four women — began their deliberations on Monday, June 30, after receiving specific instructions from Judge Arun Subramanian.
“As jurors, you must not be swayed by bias and sympathy,” Subramanian said in court. “Your verdict must be unanimous, but you are not bound to sharing your honest convictions.”
The jury reached a verdict on four of the five counts on Tuesday, July 1, but remained deadlocked on the racketeering conspiracy charge. After receiving additional instructions from the judge, they agreed to continue deliberating on Wednesday morning.
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Diddy previously pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution after his September 2024 arrest in New York.
Over the course of nearly two years, multiple people have accused Diddy of sexual assault and sex trafficking, beginning with his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a November 2023 lawsuit, which was settled one day after it was filed. As the various allegations surfaced, Diddy denied all of the claims against him.
After his indictment and arrest, Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to Us Weekly that his client was “an imperfect person” but “not a criminal.”
“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” Agnifilo added. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy remained behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, until his trial after his repeated attempts at bail were denied. The proceedings began with jury selection on May 5, and opening statements followed one week later on May 12.
The trial focused mainly on allegations made by Cassie, 38, and an unnamed Jane Doe. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said in the prosecution’s opening statement that some of the claims against Diddy might “be hard to hear” as she mentioned allegations of sexual assault, domestic violence and kidnapping.
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In reference to the parties where Diddy’s alleged sexual crimes took place, Johnson said that Cassie “tried the first freak off because she loved the defendant and wanted to make him happy,” while Jane Doe allegedly believed the freak off she attended was “a one-time wild night.”
Diddy’s attorney Teny Geragos then admitted in the defense’s opening statement that her client has a history of violence but claimed that did not make him guilty of the charges against him, stating, “Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.”
As for Cassie and Jane Doe’s allegations, Geragos claimed, “Every witness in this case had free choice to make the choices they made.”
During seven weeks of testimony, the jury heard from various witnesses including Cassie, Kid Cudi and Danity Kane member Dawn Richard.
In closing arguments, Diddy’s defense team claimed that their client’s so-called freak offs were not criminal but rather an expression of Diddy’s sexual proclivities. They also argued that his drug use was personal and not a criminal enterprise.
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In regards to the racketeering charge, Agnifilo said, “There is a gaping lack of evidence when it comes to the racketeering conspiracy acts. If you find that you’re in the weeds of this great complexity, maybe that’s because it’s just not there.”
Prosecutors, however, saw things differently and urged the jury to reach a guilty verdict.
“For 20 years, the defendant got away with his crimes,” prosecutor Maurene Comey claimed. “Today it ends in this courtroom. He is not a god, he is a person. Find him guilty.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
