Latest news with #JaniceCombs
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Diddy's mother Janice Combs opens up after bombshell verdict and reveals why she's not celebrating just yet
Sean ' Diddy ' Combs escaped conviction on the most serious charges in his federal sex trafficking case on Wednesday, but his mother isn't celebrating just yet, she exclusively told the Daily Mail. Janice Combs was a constant, composed figure throughout the explosive eight-week trial in New York, where she, along with other family members, sat through graphic testimony that her son was a vicious, violent abuser of women and a drug addict. Despite a courtroom victory that saw Diddy cleared of the most serious charges f=of sex trafficking and racketeering, the atmosphere in the court grew tense again on Wednesday as the music mogul prepared to learn whether he'd finally be released on bail. Eighty-year-old Janice, who had been surrounded by family members all day, stole a few minutes for herself alone in the courthouse bathroom – calmly fixing her lipstick in the mirror as the judge's decision loomed. 'Do I seem calm? Of course I do,' Combs told the Daily Mail. 'Does anyone want to see me faint or collapse? No, they don't. And I don't want to see it myself. So… I hold it together.' She looked slim and chic in white pants and a navy-and-white striped top with her amber-colored hair high and teased. She spoke carefully and deliberately – but with warmth. 'It hasn't been easy and it's not over yet,' Combs revealed. 'We're not making any plans (for a celebration) because it's too soon.' She was right. Though there was heavy speculation that Diddy might be released on bond after he was acquitted on the three major charges but found guilty of two lesser counts, the judge ultimately denied him bail at a 5pm hearing. Instead, he was ordered to remain in jail until his sentencing in early October. Janice, showing the same resolve that has carried her through a painful, high-profile trial, didn't flinch as the decision came down. Though her son has described her as 'ailing,' she looked polished and in control during a very long day Wednesday that began around 9am and didn't end until after 6pm. She said she doesn't pay attention to 'the noise' and just focuses on her son and her faith. 'I put all my faith in God, he's the only one,' she said. 'The rest of it is just noise and doesn't have anything to do with me. Thank you for asking, I appreciate it.' Earlier, when the jury came back acquitting her son of the charges that could have sent him to prison for life, she told the Daily Mail in the courthouse cafeteria that she felt 'incredible.' She was more measured later that day. Her energy contrasted sharply with the emotional outburst that followed the verdict: cheers in the courtroom, applause as Diddy left with his defense team, and tears of joy from his longtime friends and family. The 55-year-old rapper, smiling and clasping his hands in prayer, appeared relieved and thrilled as the jury foreman delivered the verdict. Judge Arun Subramanian received the note with the jury's verdict at 9:52am local time, he told the court. When the jury foreman read the three counts of not guilty, several spectators erupted with joy. 'First thing I'm gonna do is hug my Pops!' his son Christian Combs, 27, known professionally as King Combs, told Daily Mail in jubilation as he celebrated his father's victory in an elevator at the Manhattan federal court house. 'We were hopeful but you never know.' 'I am so happy,' another son Justin Combs, 31, added. Diddy's mother Janice Combs remained stoic until she hugged her sister. Diddy's twin daughters D'lila and Jessie, 18, rubbed their heads together when the not guilty verdicts were read. Combs's family members have been present throughout the trial since it began in early May. Janice waved at cameras as she left the building with a smile on Wednesday. But despite lengthy pleas by lead defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, Diddy was ordered back to jail to await sentencing after a dramatic verdict day. Combs, who had already been denied bail three times before the trial, had once again pleaded for mercy and freedom after the verdict, telling the judge he should be allowed back to Florida to look after his ailing mother. He was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, which carry a combined sentence of up to 20 years, but was cleared of the top charges – a victory in many senses. It remains unclear how much longer the rapper, who has already been in jail for nine months, may spend behind bars. Diddy has not been seen outside of the courtroom since September 2024, when he was arrested on suspicion of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Janice raised Diddy as a single mother and had been a constant at his side as he built his empire Diddy was raised by single mom Janice after his father, Melvin Combs, was shot and killed on Central Park West in Manhattan when he was three years old. She raised Combs and his sister Keisha in poverty but has been a constant at his side as he built his empire – and then watched it crash around him after he was arrested at the Park Hyatt last year. Combs, once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, had vehemently denied all charges. His lawyers insisted the sex was consensual. They conceded domestic violence was a feature of his relationships – one harrowing example of him beating and dragging ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura was caught on security footage that has been widely publicized. Yet while disturbing, that did not amount to sex trafficking, the defense said. Jurors ultimately agreed.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Diddy's family reveal rapper's next move after stunning 'second chance' verdict
Diddy's family members have revealed what the rapper's next move will be after receiving his stunning 'second chance at life' verdict on Wednesday. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' brother-in-law expressed his excitement at the rapper's chance to 'flip things around' and start his life afresh after being found not guilty for the majority of the federal charges lodged against him. Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution - but was found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Now, he has the chance to help others and use everything 'for good,' his family said. Diddy's sister's husband told Daily Mail: 'Diddy has the opportunity now to flip things around. He's a drug addict and sex addict and he can now help other people. 'He doesn't need to go back to the fame and all that. He got a brand new chance now to use everything for good.' 'Diddy can't read music or play an instrument or anything like that but he got an ear. That's his genius,' the family member added following the shocking trial. 'The family is relieved that's all I can say. I don't know what they gonna give him but it's all good,' he said. Janice Combs, mother of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and other family members depart federal court after verdicts were announced during Sean Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial at Manhattan Federal Court Diddy was denied bond on Wednesday night - and it is still unclear how much time he will spend in prison for his crimes. Prosecutors are seeking the 20 years maximum sentence. Diddy's sentencing is set for October 3. Earlier on Wednesday, Combs' mom Janice, 85, told Daily Mail: 'I feel incredible. I feel good,' moments after her son was cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Diddy, 55, was convicted of a prostitution offense but the star's children also said they were delighted by the verdict at Manhattan federal court house. 'First thing I'm gonna do is hug my Pops!' Christian Combs, known professionally as King Combs, told Daily Mail in jubilation as he celebrated his father's victory in an elevator at the Manhattan federal court house. 'I am so happy,' Justin Combs, 31, added. Christian, 27, said: 'We were hopeful but you never know.' It was a different story across town, where a deflated Cassie Ventura, Diddy's ex-girlfriend and the star witness, reacted with horror to the jury's findings. Her lawyer told CNN she was not impressed with Diddy's lawyer's characterization of her as a 'winner'. The mother-of-three, who testified while eight months pregnant, is holed up inside her Manhattan home. Cassie's husband Alex Fine was spotted leaving his house alone, then returning with the couple's children shortly afterwards while looking somber. The megastar smiling and clasping his hands in prayer, appeared relieved and thrilled as the jury foreman delivered the verdict. Some spectators yelled out in joy. The court also broke out in applause as the music mogul left the courtroom. Combs and his loved ones are relieved by the verdict, while key witness Cassie Ventura and her family are 'trying to look forward'. Christian and Justin, accompanied by their girlfriends and Diddy's friend of 40 years music producer Charlucci Finney, rejoiced as they headed out of court Wednesday. Christian and Finney led rousing screams and cheers in the elevator, as Justin looked overcome with emotion. Finney, who was near tears, told the Mail: 'I just didn't know which way it was gonna go. I haven't even processed this yet. Man it's incredible he's gonna be coming home.' The judge received the note with the jury's verdict at 9.52am local time, he told the court. When the jury foreman read the three counts of not guilty, several spectators erupted with joy. Diddy's mother Janice Combs remained stoic until she hugged her sister. The twins rubbed their heads together when the not guilty verdicts were read. Combs's family members have been present throughout the trial since it began in early May. Janice waved at cameras as she left the building with a smile on Wednesday. The defense wants Diddy released on a $1 million bond, but the prosecutors have pushed back. A ruling on the matter is expected later today. 'It feels great,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the Mail of the verdict after he exited the courtroom.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail ahead of sentencing on prostitution charges
Photo: AFP/ NurPhoto / Image Press Agency Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been denied his bid to be released from jail ahead of his sentencing. The music mogul has been found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking but convicted of a less serious prostitution charge after a high-profile marathon trial in New York. The jury , after 13 hours of deliberation, found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But he was acquitted of a major racketeering charge and two sex trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison to life. Combs bowed his head, quietly pumping his fists in his lap and bringing his hands together in a prayer as the verdicts were read out. At one point, he looked towards the ceiling, appearing to express deep relief. He shook hands with one of his lawyers, who embraced each other - two of them teared up in joy - and mouthed thanks to the eight-man, four-woman jury as they filed out of the courtroom. The relatively quick verdict arrived after seven weeks of at-times excruciating testimony, in which prosecutors had accused Combs of being the boss of a decades-long criminal group who directed loyal employees and bodyguards to commit myriad offenses at his behest. Janice Combs, centre, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, waves as she departs Manhattan's Federal Court alongside her grandchildren and family members after the verdict. Photo: AFP / Timothy A. Clary Jurors announced a partial verdict late Tuesday (US time) and said they were deadlocked on the racketeering charge - but Judge Arun Subramanian instructed them to keep working. Combs, once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, had vehemently denied all charges. Along with racketeering, Combs was charged with sex trafficking two women: singer Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane. Both were in long-term relationships with the entrepreneur and hip-hop pioneer, and they each testified about abuse, threats and coercive sex in wrenching detail. They both said they felt obligated to participate in Combs-directed sexual marathons with hired men. Combs's lawyers insisted the sex was consensual. They conceded domestic violence was a feature of his relationships -- one harrowing example of him beating and dragging Ventura was caught on security footage that has been widely publicized. Yet while disturbing, that did not amount to sex trafficking, the defence said. Jurors ultimately agreed. Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, released a statement saying she had made an "indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice." "She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion," read the statement, adding that Ventura's "courage" in speaking out allowed for Combs's two convictions. Combs's family members, present throughout the trial that began in early May, clapped and cheered for him in court. His mother waved cameras as she left the building with a smile. Influencers and YouTubers have scurried around the court complex throughout the trial, jumping on livestreams to offer hot takes and conspiracy theories. "The mainstream media is so mad right now that a Black man isn't going down!" shouted one content creator. Combs has been incarcerated at a notorious Brooklyn prison since he was arrested in September 2024. The defence immediately requested he be released on bond - they suggested $1 million - and permitted to travel between Miami, Los Angeles, and New York while he awaits sentencing. They said they would hand over his passport to court officials. A ruling on the matter is expected later today. "He would be nothing short of a fool, which he is not, to violate any conditions the court set," defence attorney Marc Agnifilo said, adding that Combs "treasures" the "opportunity he has been given." But lead prosecutor Maurene Comey opposed the request, accusing the defence of trying to "downplay the seriousness" of the convictions. The guilty findings confirm that Combs transported both Ventura and Jane for purposes of prostitution during the sometimes days-long sex parties. Comey emphasized that the encounters included a pattern of violence and drug use, conduct she said should "merit a lengthy period of incarceration." Comey called Combs a flight risk who "does not have a respect for the law." Sentencing will occur at a later date. - AFP / Reuters
ABC News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Sean Combs's daughter Chance and mother Janice walk out of court
Sean Combs's daughter Chance and mother Janice walk out of court after the US singer was acquitted of the most serious charges in his New York trial.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Sean "Diddy" Combs drops to his knees, prays after verdict is read
After nearly two months of testimony, dozens of witnesses and mountains of evidence presented, jurors found Sean "Diddy" Combs not guilty of the three most serious charges against him and guilty of two lesser prostitution-related charges. Moments after the verdict was read, Combs fell to his knees and prayed in court, leaning on his chair. How did Combs react when the verdict was read? "Sean Combs pumped his fist at one point when they said that first 'not guilty.' When the jury foreperson, that's juror number five, was the one who was reading the verdict, he pumped his fist," CBS News New York's Alice Gainer said. "After the verdict was read and once everyone, the judge and the jury left the courtroom, man, the applause was thunderous from his family." Sean "Diddy" Combs pumps his fist as the verdict is read on July 2, 2025. Jane Rosenberg Combs' three daughters, his sons, his mother, other family and friends and supporters were in the courtroom Wednesday. "They were just cheering, he was clapping. And it's such an interesting visual, because again, he's by the defense table. It's not like he can run up and hug them, he's not a free man, he was convicted of two of the five counts," Gainer said. Combs' mother gave a thumbs up outside court. Janice Combs, mother of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, returns to the courthouse about an hour after the family left before the judge decision on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in New York City, United States. Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images High interest surrounding the case Gainer has covered numerous high-profile cases, such as Harvey Weinsten and many other. But she said the Combs trial garnered a different level of interest. "There's just so much going on, and there's such huge interest in this case. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, actually," Gainer said. "I get asked so many questions, people on social media are so interested, they are following me now to try and see our daily updates we've been posting on Instagram." "I've never seen crowds of this magnitude throughout the trial -- not just at openings or closings and verdict day. There's been a steady stream of people here curious about it, like I said before, streaming about it, giving their own personal takes on what's been going on. They had to set up multiple overflow rooms at one point just to make sure they could meet the demand. Because not everyone could get into the main courtroom, so they have these overflow rooms set up with a feed of what's going on in the main courtroom that people can then watch themselves," Gainer added. The NYPD set up barricades outside court to help control crowds after the verdict was read.
