Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs guilty on two charges but acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking – live updates

Jury delivers combined verdict: responsible on prostitution fees however acquitted on sex-trafficking and RICO

The jury has based Combs:

NOT GUILTY of racketeering conspiracy
NOT GUILTY of the intercourse trafficking of Casandra Ventura
NOT GUILTY of the intercourse trafficking of “Jane”
GUILTY of the transportation to interact in prostitution, associated to Casandra Ventura
GUILTY of the transportation to interact in prostitution associated to “Jane”

Key occasions

Some supporters are placing their fists within the air outdoors the courthouse in decrease Manhattan.

They are often heard chanting “Let Puffy go!”

Janice Combs, mom of Sean “Diddy” Combs, offers a thumbs up after listening to the decision in her son’s sex-trafficking trial:

Janice Combs, proper, and Probability Combs react as they depart federal court docket after verdicts had been introduced on Wednesday. {Photograph}: Eduardo Muñoz/Getty Photos

Extra of Combs’s supporters are displaying up on the courthouse. Plenty of smiles and clapping.

Outdoors the courthouse, supporters of Combs are saying, “In the event you’re being abused, come out instantly” – seemingly going after Combs’s alleged victims for not coming ahead about their alleged abuse sooner.

Patrick Lam, a member of the Display Actors Guild, was outdoors the courthouse after the decision was learn in Combs’s trial.

“Right here to assist Sean and his household,” he mentioned. “Glad they discovered him not responsible for Rico as a result of prosecutors tried to get no matter they needed for political causes.”

Patrick Lam, a member of the Display Actors Guild, wears a shirt in assist of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs outdoors court docket in New York on 2 July 2025. {Photograph}: Anna Betts/The Guardian

A view from outdoors the courthouse

It’s packed outdoors the courthouse in decrease Manhattan as press in addition to Combs’s supporters fill the streets.

Individuals are shouting: “Not responsible!”

Andrew Lawrence

Since Combs’s arrest final September on federal legal charges for racketeering, intercourse trafficking and transportation to interact in prostitution, plenty of podcasters and YouTubers have been notably extra sympathetic to him than to the witnesses known as for the prosecution.

The allegations about Combs’s habits are horrific and embrace stunning revelations about his drug use, sexual indulgences and hair-trigger mood. However you wouldn’t know that from following trial protection from these trustworthy evangelists of poisonous masculinity.

Combs’s former girlfriend and key witness Cassie Ventura, particularly, is an object of their derision, and their evaluation of her testimony is withering. Of their view, Combs will not be a person with unimaginable energy and affect who abused and mistreated these in his circle, however the goal of a #MeToo-style witch-hunt orchestrated by Ventura.

Earlier than the decision was introduced, the Guardian’s Andrew Lawrence wrote about how some commentators on Black masculinity are in style pundits on Sean Combs’s case – and explores how they took a transparent facet:

The federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs reached its conclusion on Wednesday, with a jury of 12 New Yorkers discovering the music mogul responsible on two fees and never responsible on three fees.

Right here had been among the key moments from the seven-week trial:

Within the courtroom, followers of the music mogul and his household are clapping and embracing one another.

Decide to determine later at this time whether or not to launch Combs on bail

Either side have been requested to submit letters to the choose concerning whether or not Combs ought to proceed to be held in federal detention or launched on bail.

The events will convene after the letters are submitted this afternoon.

The federal government has mentioned that it’ll search the utmost 20-year sentence for Combs.

Every rely that he has been discovered responsible of carries as much as 10 years. Finally, it is going to be as much as the choose how lengthy Combs serves.

Combs’s protection seeks his launch from federal detention

The protection is asking that the court docket launch Combs from federal detention, the place he has been held since his arrest final September.

Combs faces as much as 20 years in jail

Given what the jury has discovered Combs responsible of, he faces a most of 20 years behind bars.

The choose has thanked the jurors for his or her “sacrifice”.

“I need you to know that it’s inspiring to all of us. You listened, you labored collectively, you had been right here daily, rain or shine. You probably did so with no reward, aside from the reward that comes from answering the decision of public service. That ought to give all of us hope,” Decide Arun Subramanian, who’s presiding over this case, mentioned.