Diddy verdict live: Jury finds Sean Combs guilty on 2 of 5 counts but clears him of most serious charges

Key points

• Diddy jury deadlocked on final, most serious count as partial verdict reached
• Jurors to deliberate for third day in Sean Combs's sex-trafficking trial
• Explaining the racketeering conspiracy charge against Diddy
• Here's what you need to know this week

BREAKING: Sean "Diddy" Combs acquitted of sex-trafficking and racketeering

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found guilty on only two counts.

Jurors found him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.

However, he was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

Diddy back in the courtroom

Sean “Diddy” Combs has entered the courtroom, after jurors announced they had reached a verdict on all counts.

Per CNN, he looked at his family, nodded his head and gave a small smile.

Crowds swarm outside court

Crowds are swarming outside court, with some screaming, following reports that a verdict has been reached.

(Ariana Baio)

Scenes outside court

From Ariana Baio, outside court:

Crowds are rushing to the front of the courthouse.

People are screaming “verdict!”

BREAKING: Jury reaches verdict

Jurors have reached a verdict in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs – after previously being deadlocked over the final racketeering charge.

Stand by.

Diddy prays with his family before leaving court to await final verdicts

Before leaving the courtroom to wait for the final verdicts to be decided, Sean “Diddy” Combs prayed with his family.

“Stay strong,” he said, according to CNN, as they bowed their heads.

“God, please watch over my family,” he added, before asking that the jurors and his family be blessed.

Combs’ family replied “amen” and clapped, CNN reported.

What is 'racketeering conspiracy' – the last thing jurors must decide on?

Racketeering conspiracy – the final thing for jurors to decide on – carries potentially the highest sentence. But what is it?

The R.I.C.O. Act defines “racketeering activity” as any act or threat that involves different crimes like bribery, arson, extortion, kidnapping, and dealing in a controlled substance.

The Department of Justice website describes conspiracy as “two or more persons” who agree to commit a crime and take steps to further the plan.

The government has proposed 10 predicate acts – a specific crime that forms part of a larger criminal pattern – that support the R.I.C.O. count.

Watch: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' family arrives at court

Final deliberations in Diddy trial underway

The final deliberations in trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs are officially underway.

Entering the courtroom on Wednesday morning, Combs hugged his attorneys and waved to people in the gallery.

His mother and sister are seated in the family section.

Crowds disperse, now we wait

From Ariana Baio outside court:

The crowds have considerably dispersed after Diddy’s family goes in.

Now all there’s left to do is wait...

Diddy's family arrive at court

Members of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ family have arrived for what could be the final day of this trial – as jurors continue to deliberate on the final racketeering charge.

Scenes outside the courthouse

Ariana Baio reports that outside court Diddy fans are optimistic, with some convinced that he’s not guilty on nearly all of the counts.

Scenes outside court for Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial July 2 (Ariana Baio)

Scenes outside court for Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial July 2 (Ariana Baio)

Jury deliberations resume

Jury deliberations are about to resume inside Manhattan federal court.

The final, most serious count – racketeering conspiracy – will likely be the focus of today’s deliberations.

From outside the courthouse

The Independent’s Ariana Baio is outside court, waiting for reaction to any verdict:

It is once again humid and warm today with sprinkles of rain.

There’s a lot of media here but actual crowds of spectators haven’t fully shown up yet.

What is the max sentence Diddy could receive?

Depending on what the jury decides today, Combs may be looking at a very lengthy sentence – perhaps even life – in prison.

Count one – racketeering conspiracy – carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Counts two and four – sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – carries a minimum sentence of 15 years.

Counts three and five – transportation to engage in prostitution – typically carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Diddy looked glum upon receiving note from jury

Within minutes of receiving the note that the jury was in agreement over four of the five counts, the Combs slumped in his chair.

Eight defense lawyers huddled around in a semicircle behind the music mogul, contemplating the possibility that jurors had reached an agreement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties.

As his attorneys passed around the note for closer inspection, Combs bowed his head and had his hands folded in his lap.

At one point, the rapper solemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him.

Where do Diddy's business ventures stand?

Before Combs was arrested and charged last year, his major business ventures had collapsed.

He stepped down and later fully divested from Revolt TV, which was founded in 2013. The network offered a mix of programming focused on hip-hop culture, R&B music, social justice and documentaries.

He also reportedly lost a Hulu reality series deal and saw his once-iconic fashion brand Sean John vanish from Macy’s shelves.

After surveillance footage surfaced last year showing Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie, his then-girlfriend, in 2016, consequences mounted.

New York City revoked his ceremonial key, Peloton pulled his music, Howard University rescinded his honorary degree and his charter school in Harlem cut ties.

Last year, Combs settled a legal dispute with Diageo, relinquishing control of his lucrative spirits brands, Ciroc and DeLeón. While many of his ventures have unraveled, his music catalog — for now — remains intact.

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

Yesterday in photos: Diddy's family rallies around music mogul

Janice Combs, left, mother of Sean Combs, arrives for her son's trial at Manhattan federal court on Tuesday (AP)

King Combs, left, son of Sean Combs, and Quincy Brown, right, stepson of Combs, outside Manhattan federal court (AFP via Getty Images)

Justin Dior, son of Sean Combs, leaves a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday (AP)

What are the charges against Diddy?

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could soon learn his fate in a trial that has accused him of racketeering and sex trafficking.

It comes nearly 10 months after prosecutors in Manhattan initially unveiled a three-count criminal indictment against Combs, accusing him of engaging in transportation for prostitution and conspiracy over the course of more than 17 years.

A jury of 12 continues to deliberate the RICO charge against the mogul after hearing seven weeks of testimony in a New York federal courtroom.

Ariana Baio outlines the charges against Diddy and what they mean:

The jurors who will decide Diddy's fate

With jury deliberations to continue this morning, here’s a look at the 12-member panel tasked with deciding the music mogul’s fate.

Eight men and four women comprise the dozen New Yorkers selected to sit for the trial.

Ranging in age from 30 to 74, the jurors come from Manhattan, the Bronx, and nearby Westchester County. Their professions vary from a massage therapist to an investment analyst.

Several of the younger jurors said they listen to hip-hop and R&B music, genres aligned with Combs.

Some of the jurors said before the trial began that they were familiar with the 2016 surveillance footage of Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel.

What is Diddy’s life like in jail?

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul at the center of a bombshell sex trafficking trial in New York, has been behind bars for nearly 300 days.

Combs, 55, has spent the last nine months at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City. The prison, which has been described as “hell on Earth,” has held several high-profile individuals. Accused United Healthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione is being held there, and so was disgraced crypto founder Sam Bankman-Fried until March.

Other detainees have included convicted sex trafficker R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Katie Hawkinson details what we know about Combs’s life behind bars:

If guilty, Diddy faces up to life in prison

Sean Combs is facing two charges of sex trafficking, two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution and a racketeering conspiracy charge.

The jury reached a partial verdict yesterday, with the panel claiming there were “unpersuadable opinions” on both sides concerning the RICO charge.

Combs faces up to life in prison if he is convicted on the racketeering conspiracy charge.

If he is found guilty of sex trafficking, he faces another statutory minimum sentence of 15 years.

Transportation to engage in prostitution typically carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

How do jury deliberations work?

Judge Arun Subramanian gave instructions to the jurors on Monday before sending them off to deliberate inside the Manhattan federal courthouse.

The jury of 8 men and 4 women, all hailing from New York, must unanimously decide guilty or not guilty on each count.

That means all 12 jurors must agree. If jurors don’t reach an agreement, they could come back and say they are deadlocked.

That is what we saw in the partial verdict delivered Tuesday: jurors in agreement on two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, but split on the racketeering conspiracy charge.

As we saw yesterday, if the jury remains deadlocked, the judge will urge them to continue deliberations. However, if they still can’t reach a consensus, the judge may decide to declare a mistrial.

In sketches: Defense surrounds a flustered Diddy over jury note

Sean 'Diddy' Combs's defense team surrounds him as they discuss the jury note regarding a verdict on counts two, three, four and five on Tuesday (AP)

Explained: The racketeering conspiracy charge against Diddy

The jury was deadlocked Tuesday over the most serious charge Combs faces: racketeering conspiracy.

The jury told Judge Arun Subramanian in the afternoon that there were members “with unpersuadable opinions on both sides.” Deliberations are due to continue this morning.

The RICO Act defines “racketeering activity” as any act or threat that involves different crimes like bribery, arson, extortion, kidnapping, and dealing in a controlled substance. The DoJ website describes conspiracy as “two or more persons” who agree to commit a crime and take steps to further the plan.

The government has proposed 10 predicate acts – a specific crime that forms part of a larger criminal pattern – that support the RICO count.

The jury must unanimously agree that at least two of those acts listed were committed to convict Combs of the specific charge.

One of the predicate acts is sex trafficking, which, if jurors agree happened, they must specify it involved either of Combs’s ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura – between 2009 and 2018 – or the woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane” – between May 2021 and 2024.

The many faces of the ‘freak-off’-loving impresario

For many criminal defendants, courtroom reveals boil down to a nice business suit, occasional facial expressions and few words being uttered in public.

For Sean “Diddy” Combs, it’s not that simple.

Fame and fixers had long shrouded some of the darker, more salacious aspects of a life the mogul managed to keep hidden for decades, but his sex trafficking trial dragged all the many faces of Diddy firmly into public view.

From cheater to charmer, Kelly Rissman looks at the many faces of Diddy on view during his sex-trafficking trial:

Here's what you need to know this week

Jurors say they have reached some verdicts in the high-profile sex-trafficking case of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

After over 12 hours of deliberations, a note was passed to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday afternoon, saying the jury was in agreement over counts 2, 3, 4, and 5 – sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution, but remained divided on count 1 – racketeering conspiracy.

Both prosecution and defense teams indicated they would like jurors to push on to reach verdicts on all counts, but they were later dismissed and will return Wednesday morning.

In the morning, Subramanian swiftly addressed the jury’s concern over the drug distribution element of the racketeering conspiracy charge – a central legal issue in Combs’s case.

It followed another concern raised Monday to Subramanian after he gave legal instructions, about 10 minutes after deliberations began. “We have a juror, number 25, who we are concerned cannot follow your honor's instructions,” it read.

In response, Subramanian urged the jury to continue deliberating and reminded all members of their duty to follow his instructions.

Jurors to deliberate for third day after being deadlocked on RICO charge

Jurors are set to return to Manhattan federal court at 9 a.m. this morning for a third day of deliberations.

While the panel agreed on four of the five counts, two each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, jurors failed to reach a verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s high-profile sex trafficking trial.

Diddy jury reaches partial verdict

The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial reached a decision on most counts after 14 hours of deliberations – but still has one charge left to debate.

The jurors have reached a verdict on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, they told the judge in a note late Tuesday. For the final count — racketeering conspiracy — the jurors said they have “unpersuadable opinions on both sides.”

The panel returned a note at 4:05 p.m. indicating it had reached a verdict on some counts.

The jurors returned to the courtroom and the judge instructed them to keep deliberating.

Kelly Rissman, who was at Manhattan federal court, has more: