A Timeline Of The Rise Of Sean 'Diddy' Combs And His Legal Troubles
Then he was charged with forcing, threatening and manipulating two ex-girlfriends into drug-fueled sex marathons, with assistance from a network of associates.
Combs denied the allegations and went to trial in a high-stakes federal sex crimes and racketeering case. The trial ended Wednesday with a verdict that his attorneys called a victory: Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Here is a timeline of major events in his life story:
1990-1999
1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York.
Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs.
1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on Mary J. Blige's debut album, "What's the 411?"
1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records.
1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album "Ready to Die." Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas.
1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun.
1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, releases "I'll be Missing You" in honor of his dead star.
1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best rap album for his debut "No Way Out" and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded.
April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course.
Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car.
2001-2008
March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap protégés, Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy. (Barrow also later changed his name, to Moses Barrow, and became a parliamentarian in his native Belize).
2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of "Making the Band," a talent search TV show.
Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather."
April 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in "A Raisin in the Sun."
2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P.
March 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2015-2022
2015: Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped.
2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University.
2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year.
2018: Kim Porter, Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47.
2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards.
2023-2025
Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases "The Love Album - Off the Grid," his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping "Press Play."
Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging that during their decade-plus as a couple, he subjected her to abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations.
Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard, a "Making the Band" contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations.
March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.
May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault.
Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A federal sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an "imperfect person."
May 5, 2025: Jury selection begins for Combs' trial.
May 12, 2025: A jury is selected and testimony begins in Combs' trial.
June 30, 2025: Jury deliberations begin in Combs' trial.
July 2, 2025: The jury convicts Combs of two counts of a prostitution-related offense but acquits him of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The outcome significantly reduces the rap mogul's potential prison sentence, which a judge will determine in the months to come. His lawyers unsuccessfully ask for him to be released on bond in the meantime. Combs is visibly relieved by the verdict, and his lead lawyer calls it "a victory of all victories."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Top 10 celebrities convicted for crimes ranging from murder, rape to shoplifting: Diddy, Shiney Ahuja to Robert Downey Jr
Top 10 celebrity crime convictions: In a world where fame often brings power, influence, and adoration, it can be easy to forget that celebrities are still fallible – just as human, just as flawed as anyone else. But when public figures cross legal lines, the consequences unfold not just in courtrooms but also under the relentless scrutiny of the public eye. One name that recently forced this uncomfortable truth into the spotlight is Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the hip-hop mogul and music industry titan who, after years of whispers and lawsuits, has now been convicted in a federal court. In July 2025, a jury found Combs guilty on two felony counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act, a law dating back to 1910. These charges relate to the coerced travel of his former partner, singer Cassie Ventura, and another woman identified only as 'Jane,' both of whom testified during the trial. Combs was acquitted on three other charges, including racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Still, the guilty verdict marks a seismic fall for the 55-year-old artist once synonymous with glamour, success, and cultural dominance. Diddy's story is far from unique. Over the years, several A-listers have been convicted of crimes — from drug possession and assault to manslaughter and tax evasion. This listicle delves into 10 high-profile celebrities with criminal records, focusing only on those with confirmed legal outcomes. Once a towering figure in global music, Diddy's legacy has been rocked by criminal convictions. In a 2025 federal trial, he was found guilty of two counts of transporting women – including ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura – for prostitution, under the Mann Act. Though acquitted of more serious charges like racketeering and sex trafficking, the felony convictions carry serious legal and reputational consequences. More fallout may follow. Attorney Tony Buzbee claims over 100 men and women have accused Diddy of rape and assault. One woman alleged she was gang raped at age 17 after being drugged at a 2003 party. While Combs's team dismisses the lawsuits as publicity stunts, the convictions have added weight to the mounting allegations. Sanjay Dutt's conviction remains one of the most talked-about legal sagas in Indian cinema. In 1993, following the devastating Mumbai bomb blasts, Dutt was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for illegally possessing an AK-56 rifle, which was part of a consignment linked to the bombings. Though he was acquitted of terrorism charges, he was convicted in 2006 under the Arms Act for illegal possession of firearms. After years of legal proceedings and appeals, Dutt was sentenced to five years in prison and ultimately served over four years, including time at Yerwada Central Jail. Before becoming Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. was one of Hollywood's most tragic cautionary tales. Struggling with addiction in the 90s, Downey was repeatedly arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and unlicensed firearms. He was famously found wandering into a neighbour's house under the influence and passed out in their bed. In 1999, after multiple probation violations, he was sentenced to three years in prison, though he served roughly a year before early release. In 2009, Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja was arrested for raping his domestic help—a case that sent shockwaves through the film industry. Though the victim later recanted her statement, the court found the original testimony credible and convicted Ahuja in 2011 under Section 376 (rape) and other charges. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, though he spent about three years in jail before being released on bail pending appeal. Wesley Snipes' high-flying Hollywood career hit a wall when he was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns. Prosecutors claimed he hadn't paid taxes for years, despite earning tens of millions. Though he was acquitted of the more severe felony tax fraud charges, he still served nearly three years in prison. In 1992, boxing champion Mike Tyson was convicted of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington, a beauty pageant contestant, in an incident that took place at a hotel in Indianapolis in July 1991. The jury found Tyson guilty after about 10 hours of deliberation, rejecting his defense that the encounter was consensual. Tyson was sentenced to six years in prison and served approximately three years before being released on parole in 1995. The conviction shocked the sports world and dramatically altered Tyson's public image overnight, marking a significant turning point in his career. Despite this setback, Tyson later returned to the boxing ring and expanded his career into entertainment, including notable acting roles such as in The Hangover film series. In 2001, Stranger Things star Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting over $5,500 worth of merchandise from a Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue store. She was later convicted of felony grand theft and vandalism, receiving three years' probation, 480 hours of community service, and fines. The incident damaged her career for years, leading to a hiatus from leading roles in Hollywood. Ryder eventually made a well-received comeback, and her 2000s-era troubles are now often seen as part of the conversation around mental health and celebrity pressure. Shia LaBeouf is known for his acting talent as well as his history of erratic behaviour and legal troubles. Over the years, he has been arrested multiple times for offenses such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and drunk driving. One of the most notable incidents occurred in 2017, when LaBeouf was arrested in Savannah, Georgia, for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. During this arrest, he was caught on camera making a racially charged outburst toward police officers. These incidents, along with other arrests for similar behavior, have contributed to his reputation for instability. LaBeouf has also faced civil lawsuits from former partners, most prominently from singer FKA Twigs, who accused him of sexual battery and emotional abuse. While he has not been criminally convicted in these civil cases, the combination of his legal issues and public controversies has overshadowed his career achievements, leading many to view him as a cautionary example of wasted potential in Hollywood. Before becoming a blockbuster actor and producer, Mark Wahlberg had a violent and troubling past. At 16, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder after assaulting two Vietnamese men during a racially motivated attack. He was convicted of assault and served 45 days in prison. The case drew renewed attention in 2014 when Wahlberg applied for a pardon, sparking criticism from civil rights groups and raising questions about accountability and privilege. Wahlberg has publicly acknowledged his past and expressed remorse, though his request for a pardon was ultimately dropped. Phil Spector, the music genius behind the Wall of Sound, became infamous for a far more sinister reason. In 2009, he was convicted of second-degree murder for the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson, who was found shot in his mansion. The trial, his second, after a hung jury, ended in a conviction and a 19-years-to-life prison sentence. Spector died in custody in 2021.
NDTV
7 hours ago
- NDTV
A Timeline Of The Rise Of Sean 'Diddy' Combs And His Legal Troubles
For more than two decades, Sean "Diddy" Combs was one of hip-hop's most nimble entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show. Then he was charged with forcing, threatening and manipulating two ex-girlfriends into drug-fueled sex marathons, with assistance from a network of associates. Combs denied the allegations and went to trial in a high-stakes federal sex crimes and racketeering case. The trial ended Wednesday with a verdict that his attorneys called a victory: Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is a timeline of major events in his life story: 1990-1999 1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York. Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs. 1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on Mary J. Blige's debut album, "What's the 411?" 1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records. 1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album "Ready to Die." Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas. 1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun. 1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, releases "I'll be Missing You" in honor of his dead star. 1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best rap album for his debut "No Way Out" and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded. April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course. Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car. 2001-2008 March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap protégés, Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy. (Barrow also later changed his name, to Moses Barrow, and became a parliamentarian in his native Belize). 2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of "Making the Band," a talent search TV show. Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather." April 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in "A Raisin in the Sun." 2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P. March 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2015-2022 2015: Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped. 2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University. 2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year. 2018: Kim Porter, Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47. 2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards. 2023-2025 Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases "The Love Album - Off the Grid," his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping "Press Play." Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging that during their decade-plus as a couple, he subjected her to abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations. Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard, a "Making the Band" contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations. March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida. May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault. Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A federal sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an "imperfect person." May 5, 2025: Jury selection begins for Combs' trial. May 12, 2025: A jury is selected and testimony begins in Combs' trial. June 30, 2025: Jury deliberations begin in Combs' trial. July 2, 2025: The jury convicts Combs of two counts of a prostitution-related offense but acquits him of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The outcome significantly reduces the rap mogul's potential prison sentence, which a judge will determine in the months to come. His lawyers unsuccessfully ask for him to be released on bond in the meantime. Combs is visibly relieved by the verdict, and his lead lawyer calls it "a victory of all victories."
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
For Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Could A Lesser Conviction Mean A Greater Public Rehabilitation?
For nearly two years, a nearly nonstop parade of allegations and revelations has ravaged and unraveled Sean "Diddy" Combs' carefully cultivated reputation as an affable celebrity entrepreneur, A-list party host, Grammy-winning artist and music executive, brand ambassador and reality TV star. It culminated in a verdict Wednesday that saw Combs acquitted of the most serious sex trafficking charges, though guilty of two lesser ones. The stratospheric heights of his previous life may be impossible to regain, but the question remains whether a partial conviction could mean a partial public rehabilitation, or if too much damage has been done. "Combs managed to avoid becoming the next R. Kelly," said Evan Nierman, CEO and president of crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, referring to the R&B superstar convicted of similar sex trafficking charges as those that Combs beat. Combs, 55, has yet to be sentenced and faces the likelihood of prison time, but he no longer faces the prospect of spending most of the rest of his life behind bars. While the law allows for a prison sentence of up to 10 years, the lawyers in the case said in court filings that guidelines suggest a term that could be as short as 21 months or last more than five years. "This is a very positive outcome overall for him. And it does give him an opportunity to try to rebuild his life," Nierman said. "It won't be the same, but at least he's likely going to be out there in the world and able to move forward." Moving on from the jokes that 'will haunt him forever'. The case had a broad reach across media that made Combs a punchline as much as a villain. Talk shows, "Saturday Night Live" and social media posters milked it for jokes about "freak-offs" and the voluminous amounts of baby oil he had for the sex marathons. "There are definitely terms which have now become part of the popular lexicon that never existed pre-Diddy trial, including things like 'freak-off,'" Nierman said. "The images that were painted in the trial and some of the evidence that was introduced is going to stick with him for a long time." Danny Deraney, who has worked in crisis communications for celebrities as CEO of Deraney Public Relations, agreed. "The jokes will haunt him forever," Deraney said. Managing public narratives - something Combs has previously excelled at - will be essential. He could cast himself as a tough survivor who took on the feds and came out ahead, or as a contrite Christian seeking redemption, or both. "It's a powerful thing for the hip-hop mogul to go public and brag that he beat the rap and that the feds tried to come after him and they failed," Nierman said. "I could definitely see him leaning into that." Nierman said the fight "now will become part of the Sean Combs mythology." Combs fell to his knees and prayed in the courtroom after he was acquitted Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The moment by all accounts was spontaneous but could also be read as the start of a revival narrative. "No matter what you're accused of, it's what you do to redeem yourself on the way back," Deraney said. "Is he redeemable? Those are still heavy charges he was guilty of. It's tough to say; people have had these charges hanging over their heads and were able to move on." The long fall Combs has been behind bars since his September arrest and will remain jailed while he awaits sentencing. His long reputational fall began when his former longtime girlfriend and R&B singer Cassie, the criminal trial's key witness, sued him in November 2023, alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. He settled the next day for $20 million, but the lawsuit set off a storm of similar allegations from other women and men. Most of the lawsuits are still pending. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, born Casandra Ventura, has. The revelation last year of a major federal sex trafficking investigation on the day of a bicoastal raid of Combs' houses took the allegations to another level of seriousness and public knowledge. The later revelation that feds had seized 1,000 bottles of baby oil and other lubricant entered the popular culture immediately. Fellow celebrities were called out for past Diddy associations - though no others were implicated in the criminal allegations. The May 2024 leak of a video of Combs beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway eight years earlier was arguably just as damaging, if not more, than the initial wave of allegations. It brought a rare public apology, in an earnestly presented Instagram video two days later. Nierman called the video, shown at trial, "something people aren't just going to forget." Shortly after Combs' apology, New York City Mayor Eric Adams requested he return a key to the city he'd gotten at a ceremony in 2023. Howard University rescinded an honorary degree it had awarded him and ended a scholarship program in his name. He sold off his stake in Revolt, the media company he'd founded more than a decade earlier. Combs is not about to get the key, or the degree, back. But he could pick up the pieces of his reputation to salvage something from it. Deraney said it may require "some kind of come-to-Jesus moment where he owns up to it." "Really what it's going to come down to is if he goes to prison, will it change him?" Deraney said. "Has he changed at all during this whole processes? I don't know."
