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The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial said they have reached a partial verdict, but remain undecided whether to convict him of racketeering.
CNN reported that the jury sent a note to the court indicating they have reached a consensus on counts two through five — which involve two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, they mentioned that they have not been able to agree on count one — racketeering.
The judge directed the jurors to continue their deliberations. He stated that he would delay providing them with a modified Allen charge, which the prosecution had requested. As explained by CNN, an Allen charge is a set of guidelines that instructs jurors to reconsider their individual positions when determining guilt.
Jurors listened to testimony from three women who accused Combs of physical or sexual misconduct. Cassie Ventura, who was romantically involved with Combs from 2007 to 2018, testified that Combs suppressed her music career while coercing her into participating in “freak offs,” which frequently involved her engaging in sexual acts with other men in Combs’ presence. Ventura described these drug-driven events as leaving her sleep-deprived and dehydrated, as they could span several days.
Another victim, who used the alias “Mia,” worked as Combs’ assistant for eight years. She accused Combs of forcing her to perform oral sex and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her without her consent. She also claimed Combs hurled objects at her and threw her against a wall.
A third woman, who used the pseudonym “Jane,” dated Combs from 2021 to 2024. She testified about “hotel nights,” which allegedly were sexual rendezvous arranged by Combs. Combs reportedly watched these encounters, which Jane said she had to be under the influence of drugs to participate.
The defense did not call a single witness to testify. Instead, they presented texts between Combs and the alleged victims, which they believe proved the sex encounters were consensual and non-coercive. They compared Combs and Ventura to “swingers” — and claimed the issues in their relationship stemmed from Combs dating other women, not from the alleged “freak offs.”
Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, outside a Manhattan hotel on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has been denied bail three times, as Judge Andrew L. Carter determined there was a “serious risk” of witness tampering in this case.
Federal authorities raided Combs’ homes in Holmby Hills, California, and Miami in March 2024. Reports indicated that the raids were connected to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation that resulted in his arrest months later.
The raids also occurred four months after Ventura accused him of sex trafficking and abuse. In a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, she alleged that Combs drugged her and forced her to have sex with other men. The pair settled the lawsuit a day after its filing.
However, in May 2024, CNN publicized hotel surveillance footage allegedly showing Combs assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles,. Two days later, Combs released a video expressing remorse for his behavior.
“I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry,” he said.
Days after footage of the Ventura assault was publicized, two more women filed lawsuits against Combs. One of those women was April Lampros, a New York Fashion Institute of Technology student who reportedly met Combs in 1994. Lampros accused Combs of sexually assaulting her on four occasions between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s.
Combs has been accused of committing or facilitating sexual abuse in at least 30 other lawsuits — including one, filed in October, which alleges he and Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl in New York in 2000. The accuser in that case had her lawsuit dismissed in February.
Combs turned down a plea deal days before his trial began.
[Feature Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File]