Diddy Verdict: Cassie, 50 Cent And More React
Sean "Diddy" Combs was acquitted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, but convicted of ... More transportation to engage in prostitution. (Photo by) Getty Images
Ventura's lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor said this 'entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,' adding she 'paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution' despite his acquittal on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Wigdor slammed Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo in a CNN interview Wednesday morning for his suggestion Ventura 'won' the case by securing a multimillion dollar settlement in her civil suit against Combs, stating 'no amount of money is going to ever undo what she had to endure and what she had to go through,' including her allegations of '10 years of abuse' while she dated Combs.
Lisa Bloom, a lawyer representing Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, who sued Combs for sexual assault and testified in his criminal trial, said the 'split verdict is a disappointment,' but vowed to 'aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn,' referring to her civil lawsuit.
Aubrey O'Day, also a former member of Danity Kane, which was discovered on Combs' MTV show 'Making the Band' in 2004, posted to her Instagram story she feels 'physically ill,' stating 'Cassie probably feels so horrible. I'm gonna vomit.'
Comedian Rosie O'Donnell wrote on Instagram the verdict made her 'angry,' stating 'a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays' in a relationship 'because of power and coercion.'
50 Cent, a longtime rival and troll of Combs, particularly throughout his legal issues, quickly posted to Instagram following Combs' split verdict: 'Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!'
Some women's advocacy organizations criticized Combs' acquittals on sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Arisha Hatch, interim executive director of women's advocacy organization UltraViolet, told the New York Times the split verdict is 'a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy,' pointing to a 'culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic.' Ann Olivarius, a lawyer who specializes in sexual harassment and assault cases, said in a statement to Forbes she is 'surprised' he was acquitted on the more serious charges. 'Juries don't make decisions in a cultural vacuum,' Olivarius said, calling the verdict a 'painful reminder of why so many survivors pursue justice through civil lawsuits' instead of through the criminal justice system. What Charges Was Diddy Convicted On?
A jury found Combs guilty of two of his five federal charges, both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, Wednesday morning. He was acquitted on his other three charges, one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Combs and his legal team reportedly reacted positively in the courtroom, appearing to take the split verdict as a win. He was convicted only on the lesser charges—transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count, while sex trafficking and racketeering could have landed Combs in prison for life.
Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow told Forbes Combs may have avoided conviction on the more serious charges because to convict on sex trafficking, the jury would have needed to believe Ventura and 'Jane,' who testified under a pseudonym, did not consent to sex acts with Combs. 'The jury has clearly said there was not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of force, fraud or coercion,' Chutkow said, referring to the standards required to convict on sex trafficking. Chutkow said racketeering conspiracy is a difficult charge to prove, stating jurors may have questioned whether Combs' activities rose to the level of running a 'criminal enterprise' as required to convict under the statute. Further Reading
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Verdict: Here's Why He May Have Escaped Most Serious Charges (Forbes)
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