Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been discovered responsible of transportation to interact in prostitution following an eight-week trial in New York – however he has been cleared of essentially the most severe prices.
Diddy is going through as much as 20 years in jail
The 55-year-old rapper had been accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, together with his former long-term associate, singer- and-model Cassie Ventura and ex-girlfriend Jane – who used a pseudonym – and different crimes together with arson, kidnapping and blackmail.
The 12-person jury in a Manhattan federal courtroom delivered the decision, declaring 55-year-old hip hop mogul to be responsible of two counts of transportation to interact in prostitution regarding the 2 ladies.
The jury cleared Diddy of two counts of intercourse trafficking and one depend of racketeering conspiracy.
The I will Be Lacking You rapper was flanked by his eight legal professionals as the decision was learn out as his household appeared on.
The blended verdict signifies that Diddy now faces a sentence of as much as 20 years in jail.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey mentioned the federal government will search a 20-year most sentence for Combs.
Following the decision, Choose Arun Subramanian addressed the jury and thanked them for his or her “super sacrifice”, saying: “I need you to know that it’s inspiring to all of us. You listened, you labored collectively, you had been right here daily, rain or shine. You probably did so with no reward, aside from the reward that comes from answering the decision of public service. That ought to give all of us hope.”
Choose Subramanian additionally advised the jurors that media shops would look to talk with them within the wake of the case, a call he insisted was as much as them.
He mentioned: “There is a crucial purpose to respect the privateness of your deliberations. That being mentioned, the selection of whether or not to talk to others concerning the case and your private views is as much as you.”
Through the trial, the jury was proven movies of “freak off” intercourse events for which Diddy employed male escorts could have intercourse together with his companions.
Quite a few former workers, together with escorts, lodge workers and law enforcement officials had been amongst these to offer proof.
Ex-partners Cassie and Jane additionally testified and claimed they had been coerced into the drug-fuelled freak offs – and had been abused all through their relationships.
Combs maintained his innocence all through the trial and had pleaded not responsible to the entire prices in opposition to him. He didn’t take to the stand in his personal defence.
His defence group advised the courtroom the intercourse acts had been all the time consensual and though the hip hop icon may very well be violent and used medicine and engaged in an uncommon intercourse life, he was not responsible of the fees.
The allegations in opposition to Diddy – a three-time Grammy winner – first got here to prominence in November 2023, when Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing him of coercing her into undesirable intercourse periods, in addition to blackmail and several other incidences of violence.
The go well with was settled inside 24 hours for $20 million, however a couple of months later CNN obtained and aired lodge safety footage exhibiting Combs punching and kicking Cassie and throwing her to the ground in 2016.
The footage from the lodge incident was proven through the trial.
