Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The music mogul was acquitted on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The trial lasted eight weeks.
Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges. His ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura testified about the physical abuse she endured during their 11-year relationship. Legal experts are speculating about Combs’ potential sentence.
Robert Shapiro, a member of O.J. Simpson’s defense team, estimated that Combs could face 2.5 to 3.5 years based on standard guidelines. David Chesnoff, another prominent lawyer, noted that the judge might consider additional factors and impose a higher sentence. Combs faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, with 10 years for each count of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The prosecution has suggested a prison term of four to five years. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 3. Judge Arun Subramanian cited a 2016 surveillance video that shows Combs attacking Ventura when deciding to deny the rapper’s bail.
Legal experts discuss Combs’ sentencing
Combs remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. Combs’ legal team, led by attorney Marc Agnifilo, remains optimistic.
“We are not nearly done fighting. We are just getting started,” Agnifilo stated after the verdict. “We fight on and we’re going to win, and we’re not going to stop until he walks out of prison a free man to his family.”
Separately, Combs faces numerous lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault.
In December 2023, a woman known as Jane Doe alleged that she was gang raped by Combs and others in 2003 when she was 17. This allegation is part of a broader set of lawsuits involving more than 100 women and men from across the U.S.
Combs, who has also gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love, emerged in the hip-hop scene in the 1990s. His early career included helping to launch the careers of Mary J.
Blige and Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.). His music label, Bad Boy Records, became a significant force in rap, featuring artists like Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Lopez. Combs has also had a prolific business career outside of music.
This trial and the allegations against him have cast a long shadow over his legacy and career.
