Diddy avoids life sentence
(MENAFN) Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has escaped a life sentence after being acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, though a federal jury convicted him on two lesser felony counts related to prostitution.
The verdict, delivered after 13 hours of deliberation in a Manhattan courtroom, followed a seven-week trial in which former partners testified that Combs coerced them into sex acts at gatherings known as “freak-offs” for his personal gratification. The jury ultimately found Combs guilty of transporting individuals for prostitution, a charge that carries a potential prison term of two to five years under federal sentencing guidelines.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ bail request on Wednesday, referencing disturbing 2016 hotel security footage presented during the trial that showed him assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, a central government witness. The judge concluded that Combs poses a risk to public safety.
The sentencing is tentatively set for October 3, though Combs’ legal team has requested an earlier virtual hearing. He has remained in custody since the charges were unsealed in September 2024.
Cassie Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, praised her bravery in testifying, calling it a significant moment for both the entertainment industry and broader efforts toward accountability for abuse by powerful figures. “She displayed remarkable courage and drew attention to long-standing misconduct that has gone unchecked,” he said.
Other accusers, using pseudonyms like “Jane” and “Mia,” also took the stand, along with two male escorts who claimed they were hired to participate in sexual acts involving Combs and others.
Defense lawyers argued that Combs’ sex life was consensual and should not be criminalized, asserting the allegations misrepresented voluntary encounters.
Combs had previously been acquitted in a 1999 gun possession case following a nightclub shooting in New York. He rose to fame during the 1990s as a leading figure in hip-hop and later expanded into business ventures in fashion and alcohol.
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