Diddy's not-guilty verdict explained as jury decides his fate in sex-trafficking trial
Following a two-month trial, Sean 'Diddy' Combs was cleared by a jury today (2 July) of three out of five criminal charges brought against him.
The charges
First appearing in a New York court on 5 May, the disgraced rapper faced allegations of racketeering conspiracy, the sex trafficking of ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, the transportation for prostitution of Ventura amongst others, the sex trafficking of a woman known as 'Jane', and the transportation for prostitution of 'Jane' amongst others.
The 55-year-old music producer pled not guilty to all charges following his initial arrest in September 2024, and has remained in a federal detention centre ever since.
The trial
As many as 34 witnesses have been called to the stand throughout the last nine weeks, including Ventura herself, who claimed Combs had coerced her into drug-fuelled sexual encounters - or 'Freak Offs' - with escorts for over 10 years.
Advert
A similar claim was also made by a woman nicknamed 'Jane', who wished to keep her identity anonymous throughout the trial.
She took to the stand, claiming she believed she was in a serious romantic relationship with Combs in early 2021, until he began arranging for her to have sex with other men as part of his 'fantasy' for them as a couple.
'Jane' alleged that the rapper had dosed out ecstasy to keep her away for prolonged hours when he'd arrange for her to sleep with male escorts, and would demand that no condoms were used during intercourse. She added that he'd 'guilt-trip' her, if she refused.
The verdict
Despite a jury yesterday announcing that only a partial verdict had been reached, it was ruled today that Combs had only been found guilty on the two transportation for prostitution charges brought against him by the pair, and had evaded guilty verdicts on the other three.
The charges and verdicts are as follows:
Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy - Not guilty
Count 2: Sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura - Not guilty
Count 3: Transportation for prostitution of Ventura and others - Guilty
Count 4: Sex trafficking of woman known as 'Jane': Not guilty
Count 5: Transportation for prostitution of 'Jane' and others: Guilty
The music producer was found not guilty of racketeering, and both sex trafficking allegations.
Racketeering conspiracy was considered the more serious of the charges brought against the father-of-seven, referring to the illegal activity of a criminal organisation.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) defines 'racketeering activity' as any act or threat that involves several different crimes including the likes of bribery, arson, extortion, kidnapping and murder.
Prosecutors alleged that Combs had fronted such a criminal exercise by relying on other violent acts, mentioning arson and kidnapping specifically, as well as drug distribution and witness tampering.
Despite these accusations, the jury told the court earlier this week that they were 'unable' to reach agreement on this particularly damning count, due to 'unpersuadable opinions on both sides'.
Of the five charges brought against him in court, the two he was found guilty of - transportation to engage in prostitution - carried the least amount of jail time.
As such, the media mogul only faces a potential 10 years behind bars per charge, meaning 20 years in total.
The aftermath
Following the ruling, Ventura's lawyer Douglas H Wigdor released a statement to press, which read: "This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023.
"Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.
"By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat – with no reservation – that we believe and support our client, who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial."
Diddy's team is yet to speak out.
Rhianna Benson