Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty Wednesday of two federal charges for transporting women for prostitution. But the music mogul dodged the most serious accusations in his sex trafficking case — charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
Combs, 55, was cleared of racketeering and sex trafficking, the central pieces of the government’s case. The jury’s split verdict capped a brutal, weeks-long trial that exposed the disturbing details of Combs’ private life and marked a steep fall from grace for the hip-hop icon.
Prosecutors had accused him of running a sex-fueled criminal ring for two decades — abusing, threatening and paying off women from 2004 through 2024. After eight weeks of testimony from ex-girlfriends, former employees, and others close to him, the jury found him guilty only of arranging travel for prostitution — a charge that could still land him up to 10 years in prison.
As the verdict was read, Combs clenched his fists and nodded at each juror. His attorney called the outcome a lifeline. “Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,” the lawyer told the court, pleading for Combs to be allowed to return to his Miami home before sentencing.
Once the judge was finished, Combs dropped to his knees and prayed. His family clapped as he stood back up.
The courtroom heard harrowing details throughout the trial. Cassie Ventura, who dated Combs on and off for 11 years, described her time with him as a nightmare filled with violence, drugs, and sex marathons she called “freak-offs.” She testified Combs hit, kicked and dragged her during one of them — an attack caught on a hotel security video in 2016. “I just remember it coming towards me. I remember it hitting a wall,” she said of a vase he allegedly threw.
A hotel guard confirmed Combs paid him $100,000 in cash to keep that video buried — money delivered in a brown paper bag, along with a non-disclosure agreement.
The “freak-offs” happened in cities around the world — New York, L.A., Miami, Ibiza. Hotel staff testified that rooms were booked under fake names like “Frank Black.” His assistants described setting up red lights, candles, baby oil, and lube before each session.
Ventura told the jury she feared the videos from these nights would destroy her career. “I feared for my career. I feared for my family,” she said. “It’s just embarrassing. It’s horrible and disgusting. No one should do that to anyone.”
She said Combs made her feel “worthless.”
Another woman, testifying under the name Jane Doe, backed up Ventura’s claims. She said she helped arrange male escorts for Diddy — who paid thousands in cash after each session. Sometimes, she said, she booked their flights and got reimbursed by him.
Both women told the jury the sex parties left them feeling broken. “Like an animal,” said Doe. “Like a sex worker,” Ventura said.
Defense attorneys admitted Combs had a history of violence, but insisted this trial wasn’t about that. They said the case was about “love, jealousy and money” — pointing out that several witnesses had already sued Combs and settled, including Ventura, who received $20 million.
Still, Ventura explained why she came forward. “I can’t carry this anymore. I can’t carry the shame, the guilt, the way I was guided to treat people like they were disposable,” she said. “What’s right is right. What’s wrong is wrong. I’m here to do the right thing.”
Combs will be sentenced later this year.
