Sean “Diddy” Combs dropped to his knees in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday after a jury found him not guilty of running a sex trafficking ring and criminal enterprise.
The verdict brought a wave of emotion for the 54-year-old music mogul, who had been on trial for nearly two months facing some of the most serious charges of his career.
Just after 10 a.m., the 12 jurors filed into the wood-panelled courtroom and took their seats. The atmosphere was tense. Combs, dressed in his signature cream jumper and trousers, sat silently at the defence table, eyes fixed forward.
When the jury foreperson began reading the verdict, Combs barely moved. “Not guilty” was announced on the racketeering charge. Then came another: not guilty of sex trafficking. At that moment, the former Bad Boy Records founder crumbled, burying his face in his hands.
As the last of the verdicts were read clearing him of the most serious federal offences Combs pressed his forehead into the defence chair, overcome.
However, the jury did convict him on a lesser charge: transporting people across state lines for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
That decision did little to dim the celebrations inside the courtroom. Combs clasped his hands together in a prayer sign and turned to face the jury. Then, he offered the same gesture to his family, seated behind him his twin daughters, two sons, and 85-year-old mother, Janice Combs.
“I’m coming home,” he appeared to mouth, tears in his eyes.
His lead lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, praised the jury’s decision and argued that Combs should be freed immediately. “Mr Combs has been given his life back by this jury,” he told the court. “He will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him.”
One of Combs’ defence lawyers, Teny Geragos, was seen quietly wiping away tears as the verdict was read.
Supporters in the courtroom and a packed overflow room erupted in cheers. Combs rose, clapping his hands, and embraced his legal team in a series of hugs before waving to his family.
Outside the courthouse, crowds gathered behind metal barricades shouted, “Free Diddy!” as news of the acquittal spread quickly across social media.
But the celebrations were short-lived. Just hours later, Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ request for bail in a separate hearing. Despite the partial victory, he will remain behind bars at the federal jail in Brooklyn where he has been held since September.
A sentencing date has yet to be set, and Combs still faces legal uncertainty. While cleared of leading a sex trafficking network, the remaining conviction could carry jail time and may impact his ongoing business interests.
His legal team declined to comment following the bail ruling.
Once considered one of hip-hop’s most powerful figures, Combs has spent recent years fighting off allegations that have severely damaged his brand and reputation. The trial has drawn intense media attention, with many seeing it as a test of celebrity accountability.
