Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges on Wednesday but found guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution following a high-profile, seven-week trial in New York.
The 55-year-old hip-hop tycoon was visibly relieved as the verdict was read out, smiling and thanking the jury before shaking hands with his legal team. The charges on which he was convicted each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
After three days and 13 hours of deliberation, the jury — comprising eight men and four women — delivered a split verdict. They had earlier indicated being deadlocked on the more serious racketeering charge, but U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian instructed them to continue deliberating.
Judge Subramanian praised the jury for their dedication: "You listened, you worked together, you were here every day, rain or shine," he said. "You did so with no reward other than the reward that comes from answering the call of public service."
Federal prosecutors had painted Combs as the orchestrator of a decades-long criminal enterprise involving a wide range of offenses, including forced labor, drug trafficking, bribery, and arson. However, jurors determined the evidence did not support the existence of a criminal organization under racketeering law.
The trial featured graphic testimony and extensive documentation, including phone, financial, and surveillance records. Two women — singer Casandra Ventura and another identified only as Jane — testified that they were coerced into participating in sex acts at Combs’s direction during their long-term relationships with him.
Combs's defense team argued that while his relationships included instances of domestic violence — one of which was captured on widely circulated security footage — the sex acts were consensual and did not amount to trafficking.
Prosecutors pushed back, arguing Combs manipulated and controlled the women, believing he was "untouchable."
“The defendant never thought the women he abused would have the courage to speak out,” said lead prosecutor Maurene Comey during closing arguments.
Combs now faces sentencing for the two prostitution-related convictions. A date has not yet been set.