USA Jury acquits "Diddy" Combs of most serious charges
In the trial against Sean "Diddy" Combs for sex offenses, the jury has acquitted the former rap superstar of the most serious charges. However, the 55-year-old will remain in custody until sentencing - which could possibly take place in October - following the court's decision.
03.07.2025, 00:22
SDA
The twelve jurors - eight men and four women - in New York had previously only found Combs guilty of the weaker charges relating to prostitution after more than 13 hours of deliberations.
The jury rejected the charges of conspiracy to commit organized crime and human trafficking. Observers saw the verdict as probably the best result for Combs - apart from a complete acquittal.
Sentencing at a later date - up to 20 years
The rapper and music producer now faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years - but not life imprisonment, as he would have faced if he had been found guilty on all charges. Judge Arun Subramanian could decide to allow Combs to serve the two sentences of up to ten years each concurrently, which could again significantly reduce his prison sentence.
Combs received the verdict in the presence of his mother and sister in the courtroom. According to media reports, Combs clapped his hands together after the announcement, then briefly placed them over his face and exhaled. He then smiled, shook hands with one of his lawyers, looked at his family, then put his hands together in thanks and quietly whispered his thanks to the jury. Later, he apparently went down on his knees in prayer in the courtroom while his lawyers hugged him.
The lawyer for the main prosecution witness Cassie Ventura paid tribute to his client. Ventura had "shown exemplary courage throughout the trial" and paved the way for numerous allegations against Combs and his misconduct, said Doug Wigdor. Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered from the courthouse in downtown Manhattan, either loudly celebrating the acquittals or demanding a severe sentence. Sometimes there were loud verbal fights between them.
Combs had pleaded not guilty
The New York public prosecutor's office had accused the rapper of abusing, threatening and coercing women to fulfill his sexual desires over a period of years. He had run a "criminal enterprise" with helpers. Several women had reported years of severe sexual and physical abuse during the trial, which lasted several weeks.
Combs had denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty. Over the course of his career, Combs used the pseudonyms "Puff Daddy", "P. Diddy" and "Diddy", among others.
The charge of conspiracy to commit organized crime was originally created for gang crimes such as those committed by the Mafia. This charge was already successfully used in the trial against singer R. Kelly to reveal a systematic structure of sexual abuse.
This charge against Combs weighed heavily - but the prosecution was unable to convince the jurors that the defendant had carried out his actions together with a network of insiders. This presupposes that all those involved knew that the conduct was punishable.
Intimate sex details publicly disclosed
Due to numerous salacious aspects, the trial was also a clickbait and tabloid-fest. Millions of Americans and people around the world followed the trial in the media, and the intimate and disturbing details of the case became part of the daily gossip.
The trial brought back memories of similar sexual offense trials against former superstars in recent years - including musician R. Kelly, comedian Bill Cosby and producer Harvey Weinstein. The allegations against Weinstein sparked the global MeToo movement, which has since faced a lot of backlash.
Numerous other allegations against Combs
In addition to the charges brought by the New York public prosecutor's office, there are also numerous civil lawsuits against Combs. Among others, a law firm in Houston, Texas, is representing around 120 people with allegations against the rapper.
Born in 1969 in the New York district of Harlem, Combs has been one of the most successful rappers in the world in recent decades with hits such as "I'll Be Missing You" and "Bad Boy For Life".
The musician, who has been married three times and has seven children, also founded his own label and was successful with a fashion brand. His family and rapper Kanye West, among others, had shown their support for Combs in the courtroom.
