03 July 2025 - Rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs found guilty on two counts but cleared of most serious charges
Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict: Combs won't be freed before sentencing
NBC Reporter (NBC News, 03/07/2025)
Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges today and found guilty on two lesser charges of transportation of former girlfriends for prostitution. The verdict is seen as a victory for Combs, who was cleared of the most serious charges. His defense team opted not to call witnesses before it rested. The judge denied bail, and Combs will remain detained until his sentencing, which has been set for this fall. Prosecutors said they will seek a four- to five-year prison sentence. Combs has vociferously denied the allegations. Sign up for the “Diddy on Trial” newsletter for key developments and analysis; listen to the podcast “Dateline: True Crime Weekly” for daily coverage.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail as he awaits sentencing
Lauren del Valle, Nicki Brown and Kara Scannell (CNN News, 02/07/2025)
Bail denied: Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail after a jury found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution this morning. The judge cited Combs’ history of violence and past illegal conduct while explaining why he declined to release Combs as he awaits sentencing. Sentencing outlook: While Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — he is still facing up to 20 years in prison, since the maximum sentence for each of the transportation counts is 10 years. There will be a hearing next week to address the scheduling of Combs’ sentencing.
Racketeering was a ‘stretch’ in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial, legal experts say
Shayna Jacobs and Salvador Rizzo (The Washington Post, 03/07/2025)
Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul who crafted a business empire around his personal brand, was convicted on Wednesday of transporting prostitutes to participate in his drug-fueled sex marathons, but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, the most serious charges against him. Though Mr. Combs, 55, still faces a potential sentence of as much as 20 years in prison, he and his lawyers were jubilant after the acquittals on the more severe charges in an indictment that accused the famed producer of coercing women into unwanted sex with male prostitutes, aided by a team of pliant employees.
The Diddy verdict is the latest gruesome marker of a post-#MeToo era
Moira Donegan (The Guardian, 03/07/2025)
Sean Combs, the musician variously known as “Diddy”, “Puffy”, “P Diddy” and “Love”, made a conspicuous scene in the courtroom when the verdict was read. He put his hands into a prayer gesture and mouthed “thank you” to the jurors, and pumped his fist in the air. A federal jury in New York on Wednesday had acquitted Combs on federal charges of sex trafficking women, finding him guilty only on lesser charges of transporting the male prostitutes he allegedly forced the women to have sex with across state lines. The mixed verdict was seen as a triumph for Combs, who faced the possibility of life in prison if convicted on trafficking and conspiracy charges. Outside, jubilant supporters of Combs – which have in recent weeks included the provocative rapper Kanye West – erupted into celebration. Some reportedly poured baby oil on each other and yelled: “It’s not Rico, it’s FREAKO.”
Sean Combs (P. Diddy). Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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