Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial Ends in Partial Conviction
Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial Ends in Partial Conviction
Sean “Diddy” Combs was cleared of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges in his federal trial on Wednesday, but was convicted on two counts of transporting women to engage in prostitution, marking a partial victory for the music mogul once at the pinnacle of hip-hop.
The 55-year-old Combs was found not guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion after three days of jury deliberations in Manhattan federal court. However, jurors unanimously convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and prosecutors stated they will seek the full 20 years at sentencing.
Over a seven-week trial, prosecutors depicted the Bad Boy Records founder as the head of a criminal enterprise that exploited women for drug-fueled sexual encounters known as “freak-offs.” They summoned nearly three dozen witnesses, including former assistants, stylists, and recording artists, some of whom received immunity in exchange for their testimony. Central to the government’s case were explicit accounts by three women, including R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who detailed instances of assault, threats, and coercion.
During the trial, Diddy’s defense argued the allegations were exaggerated
Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik reminded jurors in her closing argument that the government only needed to prove that Combs knowingly or recklessly disregarded that the victims participated under threats or violence. She pointed to testimony that an ex-assistant was kidnapped and forced to work, and that rapper Kid Cudi’s car was torched in an alleged act of reprisal linked to Combs’s entourage.
Combs’s defense countered that the allegations were exaggerated and stemmed from a consensual “swingers” lifestyle. Lead attorney Marc Agnifilo acknowledged that his client could be jealous and at times physically violent, but he argued Combs was not the mastermind of a criminal syndicate.“
“Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to become, very hard to be,” Agnifilo told jurors, describing him as a self-made Black entrepreneur unfairly targeted by overzealous prosecutors.
Sean Combs did not testify, and his defense called no witnesses during the trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs did not testify, and his team called no witnesses during the trial. Instead, they focused on an aggressive cross-examination of government witnesses. In court, Combs sat in a gray sweater and khakis, often mouthing “I love you” and forming a heart shape with his hands toward family members who sat in the gallery.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the trial in lower Manhattan, must now decide whether Combs will be released on bail pending sentencing. Defense attorneys requested his release to a Miami residence on a $1 million bond. Prosecutors urged that he remain in custody, citing the severity of the Mann Act convictions.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy in a mixed verdict.
He has been found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. pic.twitter.com/lM18aEDKCP
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 2, 2025
Combs has been held without bail at New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest last fall. Beyond this verdict, he faces multiple civil lawsuits alleging rape and sexual assault. Combs has denied the allegations, characterizing them as attempts at “quick paydays.”
Sentencing is scheduled for later this year. Under federal guidelines, the transportation convictions could expose Combs to a two-decade prison term. However, his eventual punishment will depend on factors such as his lack of prior convictions and any mitigating circumstances presented to the court.