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The Hill
39 minutes ago
- The Hill
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs acquitted of most serious charges, convicted of prostitution-related offenses
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop's most celebrated figures behind bars for life. The mixed result came on the third day of deliberations. It could still send Combs, 55, to prison for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hitmaking music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star. After hearing the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looking at jury and hugged defense lawyer Teny Geragos. Combs' relatives and supporters in the audience could barely contain their relief, despite the judge's admonition to avoid outbursts: When the first 'not guilty' was read aloud, someone shouted, 'Yeah!' Combs later continued to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons with the men. Combs' defense team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian was weighing whether to free Combs on bail in the wake of the verdict. The judge adjourned the court while he considers the matter. Combs appeared overwhelmed as court adjourned for at least a few hours. He wiped his face, turning and kneeling at his chair, his head bowed in prayer. In the audience, his relatives stood and applauded as he faced them. 'I'll be home soon,' he said, and 'I love you, baby.' 'I love you, Mom,' he added. His relatives applauded him and his lawyers as he was led out of court. Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September. His lawyers argued that the acquittal on the most serious counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should get bail. Jurors deliberated for about 13 hours over three days before announcing their verdict. It came after they said late Tuesday that they had decided on four counts but were stuck on the racketeering one. At that point, the judge told them to keep deliberating and keep the partial verdict under wraps. Combs did not testify at his trial, which featured 34 witnesses as well as videos of the rapper attacking his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. Cassie testified for four days about her turbulent 11-year relationship with Combs, which began after she signed with his Bad Boy record label. Cassie said Combs became obsessed with voyeuristic encounters, arranged with the help of his staff, that involved sex workers and copious amounts of baby oil. During the sex events, called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights,' Combs would order Cassie to do things with other men that she found humiliating, she testified. When things didn't go Combs' way, he would beat her, she said. 'I'm not a rag doll. I'm somebody's child,' Cassie told Combs after he dragged her down a hotel hallway in 2016. Another ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane,' told the jury she repeatedly told Combs she didn't want to have sex with the men hired for their trysts. 'I'm not an animal. I need a break,' she told him. Nevertheless, she said she felt 'obligated' to comply with his demands, in part because he paid her rent. The trial's most famous witness, rapper Kid Cudi, said Combs broke into his home in late 2011 after learning he and Cassie were dating. After his car was firebombed a few weeks later, Cudi — whose real name is Scott Mescudi — said he knew Combs 'had something to do' with it. Combs denied it. Combs' defense team acknowledged that he could be violent but argued that prosecutors were intruding in Combs' personal life. In his closing remarks to the jury, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said it wasn't illegal for Combs to make 'homemade porn' with his girlfriends. 'They go into the man's bedroom. They go into the man's most private life. Where is the crime scene?' Agnifilo said. While Jane described violence — like a night when Combs choked her, punched her face, leaving welts and a black eye, when she resisted an encounter with a sex worker — she also acknowledged on the witness stand that her feelings are complicated. She testified that she still loves Combs and had planned to meet him in New York for one last 'hotel night' when he was arrested last September. The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie has. Combs was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s and became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, diversifying his interests with the Sean John fashion label, Ciroc vodka, a cable TV channel and a film and TV studio. Along with his protege Biggie Smalls — the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997 — Combs worked with artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher and Lil Kim. In 2001, Combs was at the center of one of the biggest hip-hop trials of its era, stemming from a Manhattan nightclub shooting that injured three people in 1999. Combs was acquitted of charges that he took an illegal gun into the club and tried to bribe his driver to take the fall. His career recovered quickly that time. Combs' reputation may have suffered irreparable damage, though, after Cassie sued him in November 2023, alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. He settled the next day for $20 million, but more lawsuits by other women and men followed. Most are still pending.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Cassie reacts to shocking Diddy verdict
'We're pleased that he's finally been held responsible for two federal crimes,' singer Casandra 'Cassir' Ventura's lawyer told reporters outside the courthouse just now. Sean 'Diddy' Combs listens as his lawyer Marc Agnifilo (not pictured) makes his closing arguments during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City on June 27, 2025. REUTERS Cassie Ventura and Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the Met Gala in 2015. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Advertisement 'He still faces substantial jail time,' the attorney noted of the 10 years that Diddy could get for each of the prostitution charges he was convicted of, for a total maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Dave Grohl, wife Jordyn Blum attend Wimbledon 2025 after affair, baby drama
Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum are going strong one year after the rocker announced he fathered a child out of wedlock. The couple attended the 2025 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on Wednesday, which marked their first public event together since the scandal. Grohl, 56, wore a navy suit with a purple tie, dark shoes and black sunglasses. Advertisement 8 Jordyn Blum and Dave Grohl attend day three of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on July 2. WireImage 8 Dave Grohl in the stands at Wimbledon on July 2. WireImage Blum, 49, had on a pastel pink suit and big sunglasses. She also carried a red bag with her at the tennis event. Advertisement The couple, who met in 2001 and tied the knot two years later, have been working on their marriage since Grohl's affair. 8 Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum attend the 2025 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. AP 8 Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum seen in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. Getty Images The Foo Fighters frontman admitted in Sept. 2024 that he welcomed a fourth child 'outside of my marriage' and was working to 'regain' his wife's trust. Advertisement 'I've recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage,' Grohl shared in a statement via Instagram at the time. 'I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness.' 8 Dave Grohl and his wife Jordyn Blum at Wimbledon on July 2. WireImage 8 Dave Grohl and Jordyn Blum arrive for day three of Wimbledon in London. AP Grohl added: 'We're grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.' Advertisement The former Nirvana drummer and Blum have three children together: daughters Violet, 19, Harper, 16, and Ophelia, 10. In February, The Post broke the news that Jennifer Young — a Florida-born rock 'n' roll fan who now resides in Los Angeles — is the mother of Grohl's new daughter. Records obtained by The Post showed that the child— who Young is raising in a modest house with her own mother — has Grohl's last name. 8 Dave Grohl's baby mama, Jennifer Young. Obtained by NY Post Sources previously shared that Blum was having a 'rough' time in the wake of her husband's bombshell affair. 'Jordyn is focused on her own life and her girls,' a source told People in October. 'It's been rough for her. Her mind is not on her marriage though. She doesn't trust Dave,' the insider added. 'She's leaning on a group of girlfriends. She feels lucky to be surrounded by love and support.' 8 Dave Grohl performing at Coachella Music Festival in April 2025. Getty Images for Coachella Grohl allegedly hired a divorce lawyer before announcing the baby news, but he stopped using the attorney later in the year. Advertisement Come December, Grohl reportedly spent Christmas with Blum and their three daughters. He and Blum were later spotted together for the first time since the scandal on Super Bowl Sunday.
