A jury acquitted Sean “Diddy” Combs of the most serious charges he faced, including two counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering.
The music mogul was found guilty on two of the five charges he faced—both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The verdict is a victory for Combs, 55, who now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison across both counts, dodging the possibility of a life sentence had he been convicted on the other charges.
Immediately after the verdict came down, Combs’ defense team began to push for his release on a $1 million bond. He has been behind bars since his arrest in September 2024.
Combs celebrated when the verdict was read, putting his hands together in prayer and mouthing thank yous to the jury as they exited the courtroom, according to The New York Times.
Combs was accused of sex trafficking by two of his former girlfriends, singer Cassie Ventura and a woman using the pseudonym “Jane,” both of whom testified against him during the trial.
A lawyer for Ventura, 38, told the Daily Beast in a statement that, despite the acquittals, she had “displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion.”
The verdict caps off a saga that saw Combs fall from his position of immense power as one of the most influential players in the hip hop industry.
Before Ventura first accused Combs of rape and physical abuse in a Nov. 2023 lawsuit, he had cultivated a reputation as a hit-making rapper and producer at his label, Bad Boy Records. He has three Grammy wins to his name and 14 nominations.
Combs was also a cultural force known for annually hosting the White Party—wild affairs to which A-listers like Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, and Jennifer Lopez flocked during the 2000s.
However, Combs’ reputation for partying came under scrutiny during his legal battle, with his accusers revealing his penchant for hosting private “freak off” sex parties.
Combs would argue that the events were consensual, while his accusers, including Ventura, alleged that they were violent forced orgies, often lasting multiple days, that left the women in physical duress.
In May 2024, before criminal charges were brought against Combs, CNN published a surveillance video recorded in 2016 that showed the rapper kicking and dragging Ventura in hotel hallway.
Combs apologized for his behavior in the video, calling it “inexcusable,” but four months later, he was arrested in New York City after being indicted by a grand jury.
Combs’ trial began on May 12 of this year and lasted for seven weeks.
While the prosecution sought to show that Combs operated a “criminal enterprise” as he sex-trafficked women, the jurors were only convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Combs transported his two accusers for the purpose of prostituting them.
The jury deliberated for three days—a total of 13 hours—before passing a verdict on all five charges to U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian.
