The US rapper has been convicted on prostitution-related charges but has been acquitted of more serious felonies
US hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has avoided a life sentence after being acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking on Wednesday, although he was convicted on two felony counts linked to prostitution.
Former partners of Combs testified during the seven-week trial at a Manhattan federal court that he had pressured them into having sex with others for his own voyeuristic gratification at events dubbed “freak-offs.”
The rapper faced the possibility of life in prison had he been convicted on the more serious charges, although the jury returned a mixed verdict after 13 hours of deliberations, finding him guilty of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Legal experts said sentencing guidelines suggest Combs now faces two to five years behind bars.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ request for bail later Wednesday, citing graphic 2016 hotel security footage shown during the trial. The footage captured Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, one of the government’s key witnesses.
”It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate… that he poses no danger to the community,” Subramanian said.
The judge proposed an October 3 sentencing date, although the defense team requested an earlier virtual hearing. Combs has been in custody since the charges were first unsealed in September 2024.
Douglas Wigdor, Ventura’s attorney, praised her testimony, saying it “left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” despite the jury declining to convict Combs on the trafficking charge.
”We believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She 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 statement read.
Other women who said they were victimized by Combs testified under the aliases “Jane” and “Mia.” The court also heard from two male escorts who said they were hired to perform sex acts with Combs, Ventura, and others.
Defense attorneys argued that the charges criminalized their client’s unconventional private sex life, insisting that Ventura and others participated willingly and were not coerced.
Combs was previously acquitted in a high-profile 1999 case involving illegal gun possession after a nightclub shooting in Manhattan that left three people injured. He rose to fame during the 1990s hip-hop boom and went on to become one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful producers, with side ventures spanning fashion and spirits.
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