Diddy guilty on two counts: the verdict that shakes Hollywood and could change the hip hop industry forever
Having deliberated since Monday, a jury in New York has reached a verdict on the five charges brought against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found guilty of two charges against him in his criminal trial in New York, but has avoided the prospect of a life sentence.
Which charges was Combs convicted of?
Combs, a rapper and record producer formerly known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, faced a total of five charges: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering.
The 55-year-old had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors said Combs had resorted to threats and violence to compel two ex-girlfriends - singer Cassie Ventura and a woman identified only as “Jane” - to participate in sexual encounters that have been referred to as ‘freak offs’.
On Wednesday morning, Combs was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but was acquitted of the racketeering and sex-trafficking charges.
How long will “Diddy” Combs go to prison for?
Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum custodial sentence of 10 years. Having been found guilty on two counts of this offense, Combs can be ordered to serve both sentences either concurrently or consecutively.
Per NBC News, prosecutor Maurene Comey has said the U.S. government will push for Combs to serve his sentences back-to-back for the full 20 years.
The charges for which Combs has been acquitted both carried greater sentences - particularly racketeering, which has a maximum sentence of life in prison. The statutory minimum sentence for sex trafficking, meanwhile, is 15 years.
In the wake of Wednesday’s verdicts, Combs’ defense team has asked the court to release their client on bail until his sentencing. He has been on remand at New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center since September 2024.
Jury reaches verdicts in under three days
After an eight-week trial at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the 12-person jury had been sent out to begin its deliberations on Monday.
On Tuesday, jurors told Judge Arun Subramanian that they had agreed a verdict on four counts, but said they were deadlocked on the most serious charge of racketeering.
After coming back on Wednesday to continue its deliberations, however, the jury said at around 10:00 a.m. ET that it had reached a verdict on all five charges.
Racketeering “a very complicated charge”
Speaking to the BBC, the criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor Robert Mintz said it was no surprise that the jury took longest to reach a verdict on the racketeering charge.
“That was always going to be the most challenging charge for prosecutors to get a conviction on,” Mintz said.
“It’s a very complicated charge, used typically in the past in organised crime prosecution and so it’s not surprising that that is the one charge giving the jury the most difficulty.”
Combs also in civil legal trouble
Aside from the five charges he had faced at his criminal trial over the past two months, Combs is also the subject of sexual assault accusations in a reported 60-plus civil lawsuits.
Not Combs’ first criminal trial
A three-time Grammy winner, Combs rose to prominence in the early 1990s, founding the music label Bad Boy Records and discovering major artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige.
As a performer, the New York native has released seven studio albums - most recently 2023’s The Love Album: Off the Grid. Combs, whose net worth was estimated by Forbes at around $400 million in 2024, is also the founder of the Sean John clothing line and partnered with liquor company Diageo on a brand of vodka.
A quarter of a century ago, Combs also found himself on criminal trial in New York, when he faced gun-possession and bribery charges over a 1999 shooting at a nightclub in the city. He was acquitted on all charges in March 2001.
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