The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has reached a dramatic conclusion, with a jury delivering a split verdict that leaves the music mogul convicted of felonies but acquitted of the most serious charges.
At a Glance
- A federal jury found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty on two counts of transporting women for the purpose of prostitution.
- He was acquitted on two more serious counts of sex trafficking.
- The jury was deadlocked on the most severe charge, racketeering conspiracy, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial on that count.
- The verdict came after a nearly two-month trial that featured testimony from 34 government witnesses.
- Combs still faces more than 60 separate civil lawsuits from other accusers.
A Split Verdict for a Music Mogul
After a sensational, nearly two-month federal trial, a New York jury has delivered a split verdict in the case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the jury found the 55-year-old hip-hop icon guilty on two felony counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
After the split verdict in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, one of the hip-hop mogul's attorneys, Marc Agnifilo, called the verdict "a great victory."
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— ABC News (@ABC) July 2, 2025
However, in a major blow to the government’s case, Combs was found not guilty on two more serious counts of sex trafficking. The jury remained hopelessly deadlocked on the most severe charge of all, racketeering conspiracy, which forced U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to declare a mistrial on that count.
The Case and the Evidence
Prosecutors had presented a wide-ranging case over six weeks, calling 34 witnesses to testify about what they alleged was a criminal enterprise run by Combs. The government accused him of using his power and influence to coerce women into sexual encounters at drug-fueled parties known as “freak-offs.” A key part of their case was the emotional testimony of Combs’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and the presentation of a 2016 hotel video that appeared to show Combs violently assaulting her.
The defense employed a high-risk strategy, resting its case in just 20 minutes without calling a single witness. They argued that the government’s witnesses were not credible and that Combs’s lifestyle, while flamboyant, was consensual and not criminal.
A Glimpse from the Courtroom
With no cameras allowed in the federal courtroom, the public’s only window into the dramatic proceedings came from the work of veteran courtroom sketch artist Jane Rosenberg. Her drawings captured the tense atmosphere and the reactions of Combs, Ventura, and other key figures throughout the trial. As reported by Yahoo News, her sketches became a vital part of the story, illustrating the raw emotion where cameras could not.
The Legal Battles Are Far from Over
The split verdict is not the end of Combs’s legal troubles. His lawyers have already vowed to appeal the two guilty verdicts. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors must now decide whether to retry him on the hung racketeering charge.
Most significantly, Combs still faces a mountain of civil litigation. According to the BBC, he is a defendant in more than 60 separate civil lawsuits filed by other accusers, ensuring that the allegations and his conduct will remain in the public spotlight for years to come.
