Sean 'Diddy' Combs's' criminal conviction may not end his career
It shows a group gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse. Some throw their hands up, others dance, and one squirts a bottle of baby oil on another.
They appear to be celebrating Combs — who at the end of 2024 was indicted on US federal charges following a slew of civil lawsuits — being found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, greatly reducing his potential jail time.
On July 4, after weeks of trial testimony, including an emotional statement from a heavily pregnant Cassie Ventura — who settled a civil suit against her former partner Combs last year — a jury delivered its finding.
The 55-year-old was guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, his least serious charges. Combs was found not guilty on two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and on one count of racketeering conspiracy. He will be sentenced in October.
For the fans that gathered outside of the courthouse, it was as good as a victory. Some yelled "free Diddy" as others rushed to supply the abundant news cameras with sound bites claiming all the charges against Combs should have been struck off.
The response from fans shows a path forward for the celebrity despite him being convicted of a serious crime.
There's something unique about being more than just a casual fan of an artist, according to Bertha Chin, an expert in fandom subculture and a senior lecturer in media and cultural studies at Singapore National University.
A strong sense of what feels like a reciprocal connection with a celebrity — otherwise known as a parasocial relationship — can lead to fans being not only engaged with an artist's work, but also "involved in the politics", she told ABC Entertainment.
In recent years, parasocial relationships have become increasingly prevalent — in part because celebrities are nurturing them.
"We're saturated with choices, so it's all the more important for artists and celebrities to develop a relationship with their fans. It's a mutually beneficial relationship," Dr Chin said.
"Artists are promoting their latest projects or themselves, whereas fans inherently see themselves being represented by the artists, or want to achieve something towards emulating said artists."
And in that relationship, there can be a blurry line between a fan defending an artist and willingly ignoring an artist's bad, or illegal, behaviour altogether.
"There's been a lot of discussions … on whether fans should separate the creator from the art, that continuing to support the media does not necessarily mean that they are also supporting the actions of its creators," Dr Chin said.
"It's a complex emotion, and I'd say some fans are more successful at separating the creator from the creative works than others."
Fans sticking by their favourite artists even after they have been convicted of a violent crime is not unheard of.
A day before Combs's verdict was handed down, thousands of music fans were lining up outside Glasgow's 50,000-plus capacity Hampden Park stadium to see Chris Brown live in concert.
After a string of mid-2000s hit songs, Brown was charged with attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. He pleaded guilty to felony assault over the incident, accepting a plea deal that gained him five years of probation, community service and domestic violence training.
Brown has faced numerous legal issues in the years since his 2009 conviction, including an assault charge this past May. He also caused controversy in June when he posed with his hands around the neck of a female fan during a meet-and-greet.
When local news outlet STV questioned the anticipatory fans waiting outside Hampden Park, some said they had no knowledge of the incident at all, some said he had changed, and one woman said she loves a "bad boy".
"Both Sean Combs and Chris Brown exert a very particular kind of hyper-masculine trait that attracts a very specific type of fan," Dr Chin said.
"Certain artists will attract a specific kind of following based on their image or branding … It's not really about the parasocial relationships as such, but more what fans see and understand an artist represents."
Following his trial, Combs was denied bail, which means he will stay behind bars at least until his sentencing in October. After his sentence is handed down, Combs will have the option to appeal against his conviction or the sentence.
Outside of the federal case, Combs is still facing 66 civil lawsuits that accuse him of sexual assault, false imprisonment, battery and more.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Evan Nierman, CEO and president of crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, said he saw a path for Combs to emerge relatively unscathed, despite all of the accusations.
"This is a very positive outcome overall for him. And it does give him an opportunity to try to rebuild his life," Mr 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."
While each of Combs's convicted charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, the prosecution has pointed to sentencing guidelines that appear to recommend a prison term of a little more than five years.
Combs's lawyers say the sentence should be a maximum of two years, with time served on account of music star being behind bars for more than a year.
"It's a powerful thing for the hip hop mogul to go public …that the feds tried to come after him and they failed," Mr Nierman said.
"I could definitely see him leaning into that."
ABC/AP
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