Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs found not guilty of sex trafficking Cassie Ventura

Disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges pertaining to fellow recording artist Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura and another former partner, who testified under the name “Jane,” in New York federal court.

However, a 12-person jury under the presiding Judge Arun Subramanian, found 55-year-old Combs guilty on counts 3 and 5 related to transportation for the purposes of prostitution, after a multi-week trial and jury deliberation.

When the verdict was read in court, Combs embraced Teny Geragos (who led the defense alongside Marc Agnifilo) though the rapper still faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison on the transportation for the purposes of prostitution charges.

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and attorneys for Combs for comment.

Federal prosecutors in the closely watched trial accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise that “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” according to an indictment.

The prosecution’s star witness, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Ventura, testified through tears about enduring “freak-offs,” voyeuristic drug-fueled sex marathons with male escorts that she said were orchestrated by Combs and left her feeling “humiliated.”

Combs’ lawyers maintained that all the sex at issue in the case was consensual.

Ventura, whose explosive 2023 lawsuit prompted the federal investigation into Combs, also testified about a 2016 incident caught on video in which Combs assaulted her at a hotel. She alleged that Combs beat her “frequently,” blackmailed her with videos of the freak-offs, and raped her in 2018, toward the end of their relationship.

Another ex-girlfriend, identified by the pseudonym “Jane,” similarly recounted in her testimony an intense love affair with Combs that led to unwanted days-long sex sessions. She said she became financially dependent on Combs as well, allowing him to exert control over her.

Prosecutors alleged that Combs’ outfit also committed such crimes as bribery, kidnapping, and arson.

Defense attorneys called no witnesses and rested their case after about 20 minutes. Combs did not testify in the trial.

Combs — who has alternately been known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and Love — was one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop for decades, founding Bad Boy Records in 1993 and working closely with artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher.

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But the rapper, producer, and entrepreneur’s public image came under intense scrutiny in recent years as he was hit with a string of civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual abuses. He has denied the allegations.

Federal agents raided two of Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024, and he was arrested in Manhattan in September, following a grand jury indictment.