A hearing was held in a Manhattan courtroom in the case against the disgraced musician, showman, and media mogul. The jury has reached a verdict on four out of five charges. P. Diddy faces two counts of sex trafficking using force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution; and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering. The penalties range from 15 years to life imprisonment for the first charge, up to 10 years for the second, and life imprisonment for the third.
The fate of Combs in this criminal case is being decided by eight men and four women. They found the rapper guilty on several of the charges. During the session, the jury announced that they had reached a unanimous decision on the charges of sexual exploitation using force and coercion into prostitution, related to lawsuits filed by the artist’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another anonymous victim. However, they were unable to reach a verdict on the contested racketeering charge, stating that there were “irreconcilable opinions on both sides” of that issue.
P. Diddy’s legal team is currently weighing their next steps. Judge Arun Subramanian stated he would not accept a partial verdict and advised the jury to return to deliberations with open minds.
Present in the courtroom were the Grammy winner’s six adult children and his mother, Janice Combs. Before leaving the courtroom, P. Diddy whispered something to his children sitting in the second row behind him. He also leaned toward his mother and said, “I’ll be okay. I love you.”
Exotic dancer Shareé Hayes, also known by the stage name “Punisher,” testified that in 2012, he was paid $800 to have sex with singer Cassie Ventura in front of Diddy. However, he claimed he was unaware that the act was being filmed until the jury was shown a video capturing him and Ventura.
The jury has yet to reach a consensus on the racketeering charge. This accusation involves claims that Diddy used his staff to run a criminal enterprise that lured and abused women. If found guilty of racketeering, Combs could face life in prison. Jury deliberations are set to continue Wednesday morning.
