Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Verdict Sparks Strong Celebrity Reactions
Diddy found guilty of transporting women for prostitution, but not of sex trafficking or racketeering. Celebrities respond with shock and support.
On Wednesday, a federal jury delivered a mixed verdict in the high-profile trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. He was found guilty of two prostitution-related offenses, but acquitted of more serious charges that could have put him in prison for life.
According to multiple reports, the jury convicted Combs under the Mann Act for transporting singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman, known only as “Jane,” across state lines to engage in prostitution. However, the jury did not find him guilty of sex trafficking using force, fraud, or coercion. He was also cleared of a racketeering conspiracy charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Although Combs avoided the most severe penalties, the conviction still carries weight. He could face up to 10 years in prison. He is also named in an ongoing civil case brought by singer Dawn Richard. During the trial, Richard testified that Combs threatened to kill her if she ever revealed that he was abusing Cassie.
Celebrity Reactions: Outrage, Support, and Criticism
The verdict triggered an immediate and emotional response from people in the entertainment industry. Some expressed deep disappointment, while others defended the outcome or blamed the prosecution.
Singer Aubrey O’Day, formerly of the group Danity Kane, reacted on Instagram as the verdict was being read:
“Oh, this makes me physically ill,” she said on her Instagram Story. “Cassie probably feels so horrible. I’m gonna vomit.”
O’Day has spoken out against Combs before. Danity Kane was formed on his MTV reality show Making the Band and signed to his label, Bad Boy Records.
Actor Rosie O’Donnell shared her frustration with how cases involving power and abuse are viewed:
“I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion, wow,” she wrote. “This decision got me angry.”
Rapper 50 Cent, who has long been at odds with Combs, responded with approval.
“Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!” he posted on Instagram. He also reminded fans that he plans to release a Netflix docuseries about the allegations.
Boosie BadAzz posted a video captioned “GREAT DAY N HIP HOP,” celebrating what he saw as a fair verdict:
“The courts had spoken,” he said in the video.
Questions Raised About the Case
Some public figures directed their criticism not at the jury, but at how the case was handled by federal prosecutors.
Lawrence Jones III, co-host of Fox & Friends, pointed to weak arguments from the Southern District of New York:
“They never made the case that trafficking was involved. As for RICO… they weren’t even close,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “When victims claimed to have willingly participated, the case was dead.”
Megyn Kelly, speaking during The Megyn Kelly Show, read the verdict aloud and called the outcome “disgusting.”
“It is stunning that he managed to escape a guilty verdict on RICO… but on sex trafficking, where the evidence was just overwhelming… he beat both women when they would not comply with his demands,” she said. “Clearly, what we’re seeing here is the jury bought and believed the defense argument that these women had agency, that these women were not forced to do anything.”
The case is far from over. While Combs avoids the most serious criminal penalties for now, his legal troubles — and the public debate surrounding them — are likely to continue. With new civil cases pending and a planned docuseries in development, the spotlight on the music mogul remains intense.
