NEW YORK (Chatnewstv.com) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted Wednesday of a federal prostitution-related charge but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, sparing the hip-hop mogul from a potential life sentence but marking a dramatic fall for one of music’s most influential figures.
The verdict came on the third day of deliberations in Manhattan federal court, where jurors found Combs guilty of violating the federal Mann Act by transporting individuals across state lines to engage in illegal sexual activity. He was cleared of the more serious charges that alleged a pattern of organized sexual exploitation and violence.
The 55-year-old entrepreneur, who built an empire spanning music, fashion, and television, now faces up to 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“We need to be very clear: no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss, whose office prosecuted the case. “This conviction demonstrates that even the most powerful figures will be held accountable when they violate federal laws.”
Prosecutors alleged Combs orchestrated a network of enablers over two decades to coerce his romantic partners into drug-fueled sexual marathons with male sex workers, often in luxury hotels while Combs watched, recorded, or participated.
Key testimony came from two former partners—R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a woman identified in court as Jane—who accused Combs of physical abuse and coercion. They told jurors they feared financial retaliation or public humiliation if they refused to take part in what insiders referred to as “Freak Offs.”
Combs’ defense acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder had been violent in relationships, but argued that all sexual acts were consensual and that the government failed to prove a criminal enterprise existed.
“This was not a criminal organization—it was a dysfunctional relationship, but not a federal crime,” lead defense attorney Marcia Goldstein told reporters outside court. “Mr. Combs is disappointed in the outcome but grateful the jury saw through the government’s most sensational claims.”
Jurors heard from former assistants who described setting up hotel rooms and purchasing drugs, and from a hotel security guard who testified that Combs paid him $100,000 to destroy surveillance footage of an alleged assault on Ventura. Rapper Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi also testified that his car was firebombed after Combs learned of his romantic involvement with Ventura.
The racketeering charge would have required jurors to find that Combs conspired with employees and associates to run a criminal enterprise. Legal experts said the acquittal suggests jurors were not convinced the government proved systemic coordination beyond a reasonable doubt.
Combs, who has been held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, showed little emotion as the verdict was read.
Wednesday’s outcome echoes other high-profile celebrity cases, including the 2020 trial of Harvey Weinstein, where jurors similarly returned a mixed verdict after contentious deliberations.
Combs’ conviction may end his decades-long career as a hitmaker and cultural tastemaker, once celebrated for launching artists like Notorious B.I.G. and for defining the glamor of late-1990s hip-hop culture.
The U.S. Probation Office is expected to issue a pre-sentencing report in the coming weeks.
