Jury begins deliberations in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ fate is in the hands of 12 jurors as they deliberate a verdict in the embattled hip-hop mogul’s criminal trial.
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ fate is in the hands of 12 jurors as they deliberate a verdict in the embattled hip-hop mogul’s criminal trial.
The jury, which has heard graphic testimony on Combs’ alleged abuses from more than 30 witnesses, gathered again in Manhattan court on June 30 to begin deliberations following the completion of closing arguments.
One strange moment surprised court watchers in the afternoon: the jury sent a note to Judge Arun Subramanian saying they were concerned a juror wouldn’t follow the pivotal instructions they were given at the start of their process.
The judge sent the jury back to work and didn’t replace the juror with an alternate. It wasn’t immediately clear if the moment was a speed bump in deliberations – or a sign of more issues to come.
Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo on June 27 framed the case as a “tale of two trials.” He argued the case is about love, jealousy and money, not trafficking or racketeering. He accused the government of putting on a show to target a wealthy celebrity.
Agnifilo claimed prosecutors distorted the Grammy-winning rapper’s consensual sexual “lifestyle” into criminal acts while witnesses spoke of the “successful Black entrepreneur” as a respected and generous figure.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Maurene Comey returned to the floor after Agnifilo’s closing argument to present the government’s rebuttal, focusing on previous remarks on Combs’ former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine: “Mr. Agnifilo suggested Cassie was the winner of a prize. Black eyes? A gash in her head? Getting urinated in her mouth? How could anyone think that’s a prize? That’s ridiculous.”
Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
As jury deliberations continued into the afternoon, jurors sent a question to the judge about how they should assess the drug distribution allegation against Combs.
Subramanian will get an answer to the jurors in the morning, as they adjourned for the day and returned to their homes.
Before his precipitous downfall, Combs was a pop-culture supernova with innumerable stars in his orbit.
Throughout nearly two months of testimony, attorneys and witnesses alike have name-checked several celebrities as they’ve excavated nearly two decades of Combs’ apparent criminal past.
They’ve recounted nights of partying with Prince, Stevie Wonder and Muhammad Ali, some of which ended in Combs allegedly assaulting his girlfriends or forcing them into “freak offs” with escorts.
Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross were referenced in court, as defense tried to illustrate the powerful connections that Combs helped afford to Ventura Fine. Michael B. Jordan, 50 Cent and Suge Knight were all subjects of Combs’ ire, while Usher and Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard were both on the sidelines of allegedly violent incidents.
You can read more here about some of the most notable A-listers to find their way into the Diddy trial.
The jury asked Subramanian for guidance about one juror who they warned may not be able to follow the judge’s instructions about the law.
Their note, which Subramanian read aloud in open court, read in part, “We have a juror, number 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor’s instructions.”
The note did not elaborate on which instructions the juror potentially cannot follow. The jurors are anonymous.
After discussing the note with prosecutors and defense lawyers, Subramanian said he would send a note back to the jury reminding them of their obligations but take no further action for now.
Juror number 25 described himself during jury selection on May 5 as a 51-year-old veterinarian who lives in Manhattan with his domestic partner, a freelance graphic designer. The juror said he has a doctorate in molecular biology and neuroscience, and enjoys nature documentaries, opera and hiking.
Yes.
If convicted on the racketeering charge, Combs could face life in prison, while the statutory minimum sentence for sex trafficking is 15 years and for transportation to engage in prostitution is a maximum of 10 years. A mixed verdict – convicted on some, but not all charges – could add up to any number of years.
Judge in Diddy case outlines racketeering
The longest section of instructions given to jurors centered around Combs’ first charge: racketeering.
Subramanian went through the eight accusations included in the charge, which fall under the umbrella of kidnapping, arson, bribery, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, sex trafficking, witness tampering, forced labor and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. In order to find Combs guilty, the jury must believe he committed two of the eight crimes, Subramanian said.
Judge explains sex trafficking, prostitution charges
For Combs’ sex trafficking charge, Subramanian said the jury would need to find that there was a threat of psychological, financial or reputational harm against the rapper’s alleged victims.
The judge defined a commercial sex act as something given in exchange for the sexual act. That doesn’t always have to be money, he clarified. It can be an object or a thing.
The sex act also doesn’t need to have actually happened, as long as the intent was clear and there was an exchange of money or other perks.
Diddy stares down jurors as they receive instructions
Combs’ sex-crimes trial is now in the hands of 12 jurors as they kick off their deliberations. There is no timeframe for their process, and any verdict must be unanimous.
“You can see it’s long, but I’m going to try to make it interesting while I’m reading it,” Subramanian said before launching into instructions for the panel. He explained that if they believe Combs is guilty of his charges, it must be beyond a reasonable doubt.
Combs could be seen putting on glasses and looking directly at the jury box as they received instructions. He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed. Combs’ family was seated in the front row, and his daughters could be seen whispering to each other.
After marathon Diddy trial, judge thanks jurors and lawyers
Before the jury started deliberations, Subramanian dismissed the six alternate jurors who have attended the trial daily, just in case a juror had to bow out or be removed from the proceedings.
The judge thanked the alternate jurors, adding that they would get his personal phone number “if you have any questions, if you would like a tour of the courthouse, anything I can do.”
Subramanian also thanked attorneys on both sides. “The case was really exceptionally tried,” he said, thanking both the prosecutorial and defense teams for letting younger lawyers take on substantial parts of the case. “It’s vital to the profession,” he said.
While the jury deliberates, Combs will remain in jail. He had a request for books he could bring with him, though the specific works weren’t released publicly.
Diddy trial jury can’t watch news, research case online
Subramanian reiterated that jurors cannot conduct any independent research, including going online or watching the news while they’re deliberating.
The jurors should not judge Combs for deciding not to testify, he added.
“Remember at all times you are not partisans, you are judges of the fact,” Subramanian said.
The jury was dismissed to deliberate at 11:30 a.m. There was a brief objection from prosecutors about evidence provided to the jury, specifically some Blackberry messages that they said had leading subject lines.
That included one that read “I’m so horny, I can’t concentrate” and others about Combs doing whatever he wanted sexually. The judge agreed that all the subject lines in the evidence should be neutral.
Subramanian began delivering legal instructions to the jury in Manhattan federal court on June 30. Once the judge finishes, the 12-member jury will begin deliberating.
In 2024, Forbes magazine estimated Combs’ net worth at $400 million – a significant drop from its 2019 figure of $740 million. Both Combs and his team later claimed he was a billionaire, Forbes said, despite offering no documentation to back up the claim.
According to publicly available documents and news reports, Combs’ most valuable personal possession is likely his 17,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom mansion, appraised at more than $61 million, in the tony Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles. It was raided as part of a criminal probe and listed for sale last September.
Appealing to jurors as Combs’ “peers” and praising the country’s due process, Agnifilo told the jury on June 27: “Today, you guys are the United States of America. This is your house. I’m asking you to acquit Sean Combs.”
He added that Combs “sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him.”
He took aim again at U.S. attorneys when he said, “The Cassie lawsuit went out, and these guys wanted to make a case because of Sean Combs. It’s not a real case.”
Contradicting Agnifilo during the June 27 hearing, Comey said participation in Combs’ alleged sexual performances was different from preferences for the beach or lemonade: These women were awake for days, covered in oil, wearing 8-inch heels, often with a UTI and having unprotected sex with strangers, she said.
“What the defense is suggesting is that these women lied to you repeatedly,” Comey said. “But these women have no reason to lie. They have no motive to lie at all.”
Comey also talked about the confusing feelings about untangling love and abuse, noting victims will often try to justify what happened to them. “Finding meaning and happiness in trauma does not mean the trauma never happened,” Comey said. “It’s healing.”
No, none of the charges from Combs’ federal indictment have been formally dropped. But in a June 24 letter to Judge Subramanian, prosecutors revealed they were withdrawing some of their criminal allegations ahead of closing arguments.
U.S. attorneys said they don’t want jurors to consider their previous claims that Combs allegedly engaged in racketeering by attempting kidnapping in California and New York, attempting arson in California, and aiding and abetting sex trafficking. The move was made as part of an effort to “streamline” jury instructions.
Despite the tossed allegations, Combs’ indictment accused him not just of attempting arson and kidnapping, but also of committing these crimes outright as part of a criminal conspiracy.
The disgraced music mogul is in custody, and despite repeated attempts at bail, has remained confined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
No, a verdict has not yet been reached in Combs’ criminal case.
After more than a month of harrowing testimony from several of Combs’ associates, the prosecution rested its case on June 24. Meanwhile, Combs’ lawyers rested their case in less than half an hour, with the defense opting not to call any witnesses to the stand.
Although the music mogul’s alleged abuse is at the center of the trial, Combs told the court he would not be testifying.
Closing arguments concluded June 27. Jury deliberations are expected to begin Monday, June 30, following instructions from Judge Subramanian.
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling case that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to the five counts against him.
What is racketeering?
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in “freak offs” — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have on video.
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff, Reuters
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
