New York City — A federal jury reached a partial verdict Tuesday in the high-profile sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs but remains deadlocked on the most serious charge — racketeering — which could carry a life sentence for the music mogul.
In a note delivered to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian late Tuesday afternoon, jurors indicated they had reached consensus on four of the five counts facing the 55-year-old hip-hop entrepreneur but were at an impasse on the racketeering charge.
“We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4, and 5. We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides,” the note read.
Judge Subramanian instructed the jury to resume deliberations on the unresolved charge Wednesday morning but dismissed them for the day. The contents of the partial verdict — whether guilty or not guilty — have not yet been revealed.
Count One, the racketeering charge, accuses Combs of orchestrating a sprawling criminal enterprise composed of senior employees and close associates who allegedly helped him manipulate, coerce, and violently control women for sex. Prosecutors allege this secretive inner circle engaged in crimes including forced labor, drug trafficking, kidnapping, witness tampering, and even arson — all to protect Combs’s interests and power.
To convict Combs on this count, jurors must unanimously agree that he committed at least two of eight criminal acts as part of a racketeering enterprise. The charge is punishable by up to life in prison.
In addition to racketeering, Combs faces two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution. The charges stem from explosive allegations by his former partner of 11 years, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, and a woman identified only as “Jane.”
Ventura’s civil lawsuit — settled out of court for $20 million — sparked a cascade of similar accusations that culminated in criminal charges. Both Ventura and Jane testified during the seven-week trial, detailing years of abuse, coercion, and control under Combs.
Prosecutors called dozens of witnesses, including former employees who described violent outbursts and a “climate of fear” around Combs. Thousands of pages of phone records, financial transactions, and video evidence were presented to support the claims.
“By the time the defendant committed his clearest-cut offenses, he was so far past the line he couldn’t even see it,” prosecutor Maurene Comey said in closing arguments. “The defendant is not a god.”
Combs’s legal team, led by veteran defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, portrayed the Bad Boy Records founder as a “self-made, successful Black entrepreneur” whose romantic relationships, while tumultuous, were consensual.
They argued that none of the alleged members of the supposed criminal enterprise testified against him, nor were they indicted. Many witnesses, they pointed out, received immunity from prosecution.
Agnifilo repeatedly dismissed the prosecution’s narrative, accusing them of “contorting the facts endlessly.” He acknowledged that Combs had been physically abusive at times but insisted that violence alone does not amount to sex trafficking or racketeering.
“This case is about adult relationships and bad breakups, not organized crime,” Agnifilo told the jury.
The jury — composed of eight men and four women — must reach a unanimous decision on each count. If they remain hung on the racketeering charge after further deliberation, Judge Subramanian may declare a mistrial on that count while allowing the verdicts on the other four charges to stand.
The courtroom — and much of the music world — now waits for Wednesday’s continuation of deliberations to determine the fate of a man once seen as untouchable at the peak of his power.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
