A New York jury has returned a split verdict in the criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, finding him guilty of prostitution-related crimes but acquitting him of the most serious charges.
The 12-member jury, made up of eight men and four women, returned the verdict after 13 hours of deliberations over three days.
He was later denied bail to be sentenced at a later date. But lawyers for Combs said the verdict was an "enormous win" for the music mogul.
The jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — a charge that carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
But they found him not guilty of two counts of sex trafficking, which carries a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence.
He was also found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy — essentially a charge of operating a criminal enterprise, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
The 55-year-old rapper put his hands together in prayer before pumping his right fist after the verdicts were read in the courtroom. After the jury was dismissed, he knelt before his chair and appeared to pray.
He then stood up and turned to face the courtroom gallery. "I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you. I love you."
Combs's family and supporters erupted into applause in the courtroom. Outside, his fans cheered and screamed: "Free Diddy."
Combs was denied bail at a separate hearing seven hours after the verdict. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered him to remain in custody given the evidence presented at trial that he had been violent in the past.
"It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," the judge said.
Judge to consider sentencing submissions
As Combs left the courtroom for a final time, he stood in front of his family, telling them: "I'll see you when I get out … we're going to get through this." He looked towards his mother and said: "Mama. I love you. Stay strong."
Combs will stay at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held since his arrest in September 2024. The judge suggested sentencing Combs on October 3, but said he would consider a defence request for an earlier date.
While Combs could theoretically face 20 years in jail, sentencing guidelines indicate a shorter sentence is likely, according to court filings from the lawyers in the case.
Prosecutors suggested a little more than five years, but said they had not yet fully evaluated the conviction. The defence suggested as little as 21 months, minus what Combs had already served.
In a press conference outside court, Combs's lawyers celebrated the outcome and praised the jury. "This particular jury was a special jury," lawyer Xavier Donaldson said. "It put the nonsense to the side and … came to a lawfully good, just conclusion."
"Today is a great victory," said lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who led the defence team.
The federal criminal trial, billed as one of the biggest in entertainment history, drew global attention and attracted throngs of spectators, tourists, journalists and content creators to the US District Court in Lower Manhattan.
The verdict marks the end of a lengthy and at times confronting trial, which exposed and examined sordid details of the drug-fuelled party lifestyle of one of hip hop's biggest names.
Cassie 'comforted' after shining light on secrets
For seven weeks, jurors pored over hundreds of exhibits and heard graphic testimony from 34 witnesses, including the rapper's ex-girlfriends, staff and male escorts.
Combs's former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B singer also known by the stage name Cassie, was the prosecution's star witness.
She filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of physical abuse and sexual coercion during their 10-year relationship. It was settled within 24 hours for $US20 million (about $30 million).
The legal action triggered a deluge of lawsuits by other alleged victims and laid the foundation for the federal criminal investigation, which resulted in Combs's arrest last year.
Ms Ventura . She was supported by her husband in court as she laid out allegations of control and abuse.
After the verdict, her lawyer, Doug Wigdor, said she was comforted in the knowledge she had shone a light on the bad behaviour of a man who had "never been held responsible for anything in his lifetime".
"Many other people have come forward," Mr Wigdor told CNN.
"They're going to be seeking to hold Sean Combs responsible in the civil courts. And so it's not all lost."
But abuse survivor advocates fear the outcome will have a chilling effect and discourage victims from coming forward.
'My heart dropped'
Outside court, one woman who said she had experienced domestic violence said she felt ill watching people celebrate the not-guilty verdicts in the street.
"I was sick in my stomach because, guess what? That's what happened to me. Not guilty. He did no jail time whatsoever," she told the ABC.
"It's disturbing. You have men who are celebrating this disgusting disturbing behaviour, this violent sexual deviant behaviour from this person who has money."
She said the #MeToo movement, which had been encouraging women to speak up about abuse by powerful men, drastically needed to reorient itself.
"It's definitely going to have to pivot itself and move in a different direction because look at what just happened. That's telling us our voices don't matter, that what we went through didn't matter, what we experienced didn't matter and that money buys you out of anything."
Another woman, who gave her name as Ava, was also dismayed by the jury's decision.
"My heart dropped and then I see people like this next to me who are insanely happy about it," she told the ABC.
She saw it as another instance of the #MeToo movement being beaten down.
"It feels like from when it started, it just keeps dwindling more and down. It's horrible. And this is a big case, too. They can use this case and other cases. So it sends a horrible message to people who want to come forward with information like this."
Civil rights attorney and legal analyst Areva Martin said she believed the jury's decision confirmed a "backlash" against the #MeToo movement, fuelled by the rise of "toxic masculinity" in US culture.
"We never will hold powerful men accountable if powerful men aren't charged," she said.
"So we move the needle by continuing to press forward with these kinds of cases, recognising that you're not going to win them all."
She expects to see more civil litigation against Combs.
"I think others that have been in his orbit, others that have legitimate claims, will come forward," she said.
"A lot of damage has been done to his reputation, to his career. A lot of lives have been destroyed as a result of his conduct. And I don't think we've seen the last of the fallout."
Recalling 'freak-offs'
Central to Ms Ventura's testimony was her claim Combs forced her to take part in "freak-offs" — marathon sexual encounters with male escorts for Combs's viewing pleasure, sometimes lasting more than 24 hours.
Combs filmed the "freak-offs" and used the videos to blackmail Ms Ventura and another woman, who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane', according to prosecutors.
Wrapping up their case last week, they portrayed Combs as an untouchable leader of a criminal enterprise who used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted. But Combs's lawyers argued he simply led an unconventional "swinger's lifestyle".
The jury heard Combs's entourage of staff would often book male escorts, procure illicit drugs and stock luxury hotel rooms with bottles of baby oil, lubricant and candles for the freak-offs.
"The defendant ran a criminal enterprise of total control with the help of his loyal lieutenants and foot soldiers," prosecutor Christy Slavik said.
"Their number one job was to say yes to the defendant."
Surveillance footage showing Combs beating Ms Ventura in a hotel in 2016, which sparked public outrage when it was released last year, formed a key piece of evidence. Ms Ventura said she was trying to leave a freak-off when he attacked her.
She recalled falling in love with Combs as a rising pop star aged 19, and later signing a 10-album contract with his Bad Boy Records, only to record hundreds of songs that were never released.
Instead, she described the marathon freak-offs as being her "job", which left her feeling trapped, drug addicted and suicidal.
'A tale of two trials'
Combs's defence team argued sex between Combs and his accusers was "kinky" but consensual.
In an impassioned performance, Mr Agnifilo framed the case as a "tale of two trials" — one told by the evidence, the other "badly exaggerated" by the prosecution.
"Listen to the real trial, don't listen to the fake trial," Mr Agnifilo told jurors.
"This isn't a trial about justice, this isn't about crime, this is about money."
While admitting there was evidence of domestic violence, the defence characterised Combs's relationship with Ms Ventura as "a great modern love story".
"It was a relationship defined by love and intensity. They loved out loud," Mr Agnifilo told jurors.
"The highs are high and the lows are low but it was a loving, beautiful relationship," Mr Agnifilo said, urging the jury to acquit Combs and "return him to his family".
Combs chose not to testify and his lawyers did not call any witnesses to the stand, instead resting their case in just 30 minutes.
Rise and fall
Combs, popularly known as Diddy or Puff Daddy, was best known as a music producer and founder of Bad Boy Records, which was responsible for the commercial success of major stars such as rapper Biggie Smalls and R&B singer Mary J Blige.
Born in Harlem, the hit-making music mogul rose to fame in the 1990s, fast becoming a cultural icon and pioneer of the hip-hop genre's ascent into the mainstream.
His empire expanded far beyond music to lucrative partnerships with fashion designers and alcohol brands.
But it was his infamous star-studded White Parties that cemented his influence in the entertainment industry.
Before the verdict, the rapper's former publicist, Rob Shuter, told the ABC he expected his former boss to appeal if found guilty.
"He will fight it. He's not the type of person to say 'I respect that judgement'," he said.
"No, I think he's going to fight this until the very, very, very, very end."
ABC/wires
