A partial verdict has been reached in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York City. The jury sent a note to the judge Tuesday afternoon saying it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts, but jurors said they were unable to agree on count 1, racketeering conspiracy.
Jurors began deliberating in U.S. District Court in lower Manhattan on Monday.
What are the charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs?
A sweeping grand jury indictment against Combs, 55, was unsealed in September 2024, initially charging the hip-hop mogul with three counts following his arrest at an upscale midtown Manhattan hotel. In April, before the trial began, prosecutors filed additional charges against Combs in a superseding indictment, bringing the total number of counts against him to five.
The charges against Combs are one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
Prosecutors alleged that Combs’ business empire created a criminal enterprise that he used for years to cover up acts of violence and abuse and to coerce women into fulfilling his sexual desires. Jurors heard from more than 30 witnesses over the course of seven weeks as the prosecution went through its case.
Combs’ attorneys didn’t call him or any witnesses to testify in his defense during the trial. Combs told U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian that he decided not to testify, saying: “I mean, it’s my decision with my lawyers. … My decision to make. I’m making it.” His lawyers argued the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Combs, and the defense sought an acquittal after the prosecution rested.
“Freak-offs” and “hotel nights”
The high-profile trial started in May. The proceedings included graphic and emotional testimony, including from singer Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend who spent more than a decade with him.
Ventura testified about drug-fueled sex sessions that Combs allegedly referred to as “freak-offs.” Ventura said in court that Combs directed all the encounters, which could last for days. She said Combs would decide who participated, what she could wear and the role she was expected to play. She testified that she felt forced to participate in the “freak-offs” to make Combs happy.
Combs’ attorneys argued that the encounters were consensual, and during cross-examination, the defense showed the jury a 2009 message from Ventura to Combs that read, “I’m always ready to freak off.”
Last year, CNN aired surveillance video from 2016 showing what appears to be Combs assaulting Ventura at a California hotel. Combs apologized at the time, and said his behavior was “inexcusable” and he takes “full responsibility” for his actions. Ventura testified during the trial that the attack happened as she was trying to leave a “freak-off” that turned violent. A former hotel security officer testified that Combs offered him cash after the attack, which the officer said he understood to be a bribe.
Ventura had filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of physically and sexually abusing her. Combs denied the claims and quickly settled with her. In his closing argument to the jury Friday, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, “If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it’s hard not to pick Cassie.”
Singer Dawn Richard, who was part of two bands tied to Combs, testified that she often saw Combs being violent toward Ventura. She said that after one incident in 2009, Combs allegedly threatened her and a bandmate, saying they could go missing if they didn’t stay quiet.
The defense focused on inconsistencies in Richard’s testimony, and she said it takes time to remember things she tried to forget. Separately, Richard has made allegations against Combs in a civil lawsuit, accusing him of physical and psychological abuse, which he has denied.
Another former girlfriend of Combs testified under the pseudonym Jane in court. During their relationship between 2021 and 2024, she told the court she often participated in what she called “hotel nights,” which also involved drugs. Jane testified she would have sex with a male escort while Combs watched.
She said she told Combs she didn’t like the “hotel nights.” Combs’ lawyers displayed messages showing her setting them up. Jane said she felt pressured to meet her partner’s expectations and that she had grown financially dependent on Combs.
Jane said she got into a fight with Combs last year over another woman. She said she slammed his head on a marble table and he allegedly grabbed her by the neck, punched and kicked her.
“Sean Diddy Combs: The Verdict,” a one-hour special on the case, will air on CBS News 24/7 at 9 p.m. ET the night of the jury’s decision. Download the free CBS News app to watch on your mobile or streaming device, or stream on Paramount+.
Jericka Duncan,
Alice Gainer and
contributed to this report.
