Diddy was found not guilty on three counts Wednesday (July 2) after a jury rejected the government’s case accusing him of running a criminal enterprise built on sex trafficking, coercion and violence.
Jurors delivered a partial verdict, finding him not guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura and sex trafficking of Jane. However, the jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts: transporting Ventura and Jane across state lines to engage in prostitution.
The jury rejected prosecutors’ claims that he operated a criminal enterprise and used force, fraud or coercion to traffic the two women, dealing a significant blow to the government’s broader case.
The verdict came in on the third day of deliberations. On Tuesday (July 1), U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian received a note from the jury explaining that they could not reach a verdict on Count 1—the racketeering conspiracy charge, which had almost gone unresolved.
But Judge Subramanian instructed the jurors to continue deliberating until they reached a verdict, which ultimately resulted in the stunning win for Diddy this afternoon.
The not guilty rulings mark a significant blow to federal prosecutors, who alleged Diddy led a years-long campaign of coercion, manipulation and abuse and now any mandatory minimum sentences are off the table.
The 12-member panel—comprised of five white jurors, four Black jurors, two Hispanic jurors and one Asian juror whose identity was kept confidential—deliberated for three days before reaching its decision.
The not-guilty verdicts capped a six-week trial that featured graphic testimony, high-profile witnesses and a barrage of evidence, including surveillance footage and text messages.
The verdict marks a major legal victory for the music mogul, who has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024.
Prosecutors had painted Diddy as the leader of a decades-long criminal operation that used his fame, fortune and inner circle to exploit women.
They alleged he orchestrated sex parties known as “freak-offs,” drugged and manipulated ex-girlfriends, including Cassie Ventura, and used employees to cover up abuse.
The government also accused him of bribery, arson and kidnapping, citing testimony from 34 witnesses and evidence seized during raids.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors Combs “counted on silence and shame” to protect himself and insisted the evidence proved sex trafficking and racketeering beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, the defense disassembled that narrative and successfully convinced the jury that Diddy was innocent by focusing on consent and credibility.
They argued that Diddy’s relationships, including his tumultuous history with Ventura, were consensual and not criminal. His attorneys described their romance as a “great modern love story” and admitted to domestic violence but denied it rose to the level of federal crimes.
The defense called no witnesses of their own, instead relying on cross-examinations to poke holes in the prosecution’s timeline and motives.
Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo highlighted inconsistencies in witness accounts and introduced texts and social media posts suggesting some accusers maintained friendly contact with Diddy long after the alleged abuse.
Diddy, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faced up to life in prison if convicted. The acquittal is like a re-run of one of Diddy’s television shows.
In 2001, he was acquitted on all charges stemming from a high-profile nightclub shooting in Manhattan. That trial revolved around a December 1999 incident at Club New York, where three people were injured.
Prosecutors accused Diddy—then known as Puff Daddy—of gun possession and bribery after police claimed he tried to hide a weapon in a car with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
But the jury found him not guilty in March 2001, clearing him of any wrongdoing. Rapper Shyne, however, was convicted of weapons charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Soon, it will be business as usual for Diddy, who will be a free man and back out on the streets to run his business empire.