The musician spoke out for the first time in court at his sentencing on October 3, apologizing to victims Cassie Ventura and “Jane.”
“Domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will have to forever carry,” Combs said. “My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick. I was sick, sick from the drugs, I was out of control, I needed help and I didn’t get the help, and I cannot make no excuse.”
He went on to share how the case has impacted him.
“I am just a human being, I was trying my best, I got lost in my excess and lost in my ego,” he continued. “Because of my decision, I lost my freedom and the opportunity to raise my children and be there for my mother. I lost all of my businesses and lost my career and destroyed my reputation and, most of all, I lost my self-respect. I have been humbled and broken to my core. I hate myself right now. I’ve been stripped down to nothing.”
Following the verdict, Combs was found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking of ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” though he was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution relating to both women.
Reacting to the verdicts, the singer’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a July 2 statement to E! News, “This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023. Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”
Noting the charges, which Combs pleaded not guilty to, Wigdor added, “We must repeat with no reservation that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial.”
He also praised Ventura, who was among 34 witnesses called during Combs’ 29-day trial, for her effort.
“She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion,” Wigdor continued. “This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.”
On July 2, the 12-member jury delivered their verdicts on the five federal charges Combs faced in his sex trafficking trial. The jurors, on their third day of deliberation, found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to ex-girlfriends Ventura and a woman referred to as “Jane.”
Combs, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, was found not guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
The day before delivering their verdicts, the jury informed U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian they were unable to reach a consensus on the racketeering charge due to “unpersuadable views.” The judge encouraged them to continue deliberations, and a verdict was reached hours after deliberations resumed the next day.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik spent nearly five hours delivering closing arguments, claiming that Sean “Diddy” Combs “used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted.”
“He doesn’t take no for an answer,” she said. “It was his kingdom. Everyone was there to serve him.”
Slavik pointed to Combs’ 2016 physical assault of his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a 2024 alleged assault of his then-girlfriend “Jane.”
“These two incidents are separated by eight years, but they’re not separate stories,” she noted. “They’re chapters in the same book, the story of Sean Combs and the criminal enterprise he led made up of his inner circle.”
“Again and again, that criminal enterprise serviced the defendant’s every desire through a methodical pattern of violence, coercion and manipulation,” she continued. “The defendant counted on silence and shame to keep his crimes hidden. He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”
Slavik also argued that Combs had the help of what she described as “a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant’s every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs.”
In a filing submitted to the court, prosecutors requested to amend parts of their theories regarding attempted arson and kidnapping.
Although Combs still faces the same racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking counts—which include the kidnapping and arson allegations—the prosecutors wrote in a June 24 letter they had “removed instructions from the charge relating to attempted kidnapping under both California and New York law, attempted arson under California law, and aiding and abetting sex trafficking.”
The government added that it “hopes” simplifying the language “not only serves the purposes of streamlining the instructions but also will avoid any confusion.”
Combs told Judge Subramanian he would not take the stand during his sex trafficking trial. The judge emphasized that, regardless of his decision, “no one, including the jury, could draw any inference or suggestion of your guilt from the fact that you did not testify.”
Combs confirmed that he had discussed his decision with his legal team and stressed that it was “solely” his choice.
“We have discussed it thoroughly, that is my decision,” he said. “That is totally my decision, I am making it.”
During the trial, voicemails to Combs’ former chief of staff Kristina Khorram played on June 23 revealed specific requests he made while staying at a hotel in November 2021, including a restock on baby oil—which he regularly used during what were described as “freak offs.”
“Tell them to call me before they are on the way,” Combs said to Khorram. “Can’t believe I’m out. Put 20 bottles in this motherf–ker.”
Khorram extended the hotel visit for an additional day, replying, “OK. The baby oil is outside the door.”
Text messages also showed Khorram preparing an IV drip for Combs and Jane, which was used as part of at least one “freak off” recovery, according to group texts. She also ensured there were Plan-B pills, an emergency contraceptive, in his nightstand.
Jurors were presented with a series of texts between Combs and Ventura, during which the “Long Way 2 Go” singer candidly revealed the toll the alleged abuse took on her.
After Combs asked Ventura, whom he dated on and off from 2007 to 2018, if she wanted to take a break in March 2017, she replied, “No. I just don’t want to be beat down for being defiant or ever. You treat me and make me feel like I don’t matter.”
In another message from May, she accused Combs of physically assaulting her.
“I give you love, and as soon as I turn my head for a second and you get fucked up, you drag me down the hall by my hair. I’m 30 years old,” Ventura wrote. “This isn’t play anymore. I felt like I was dead last night and it wasn’t happening to me bc seeing my light was so beautiful.”
On June 18, Judge Subramanian adjourned court after a juror did not return due to illness. The juror’s partner informed the court that he had vertigo and could not attend.
The judge noted it was unclear whether the vertigo, which causes dizziness, nausea, and headaches, was temporary or chronic but said the situation would be monitored.
With court not in session on June 19 for Juneteenth, the trial resumed with a shortened session on June 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
On day 21 of the trial, assistant U.S. attorney Maurene Comey requested to remove one juror, citing “lack of candor” with the court that raised “serious issues.”
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro—who noted that Juror No. 6 was among the panel’s Black members—asked for one or two days to respond in writing and review case law. Judge Subramanian reserved decision on the matter.
During testimony on June 10, Jane had a tense exchange with attorney Mark Geragos, who insinuated she was having sex with men for luxury goods.
Geragos reviewed text messages from November 2021, in which Jane expressed upset over Combs having sex with other women. She asked if he gave one woman “a Chanel bag” after sex. Jane said she didn’t get a Chanel purse but mentioned she “got trauma.”
When Geragos asked about a Bottega bag’s cost, Jane replied, “How much does my body cost?”
Jane was granted a 10-minute break following the exchange.
She testified that around 2022, she believed Combs was a “cuckold,” someone who finds pleasure in watching their partner be physically intimate with another person, after researching their sexual dynamic.
“It gave me more of an understanding,” she said. “I was just trying to deep dive on all the reasons why they had derived so much pleasure from watching their woman be with other men.”
Jane theorized that Combs’ desire for “hotel nights,” which closely resembled Ventura’s “freak offs,” stemmed from curiosity about his own sexuality.
“Cucks could also have a real curiosity that they’re too ashamed to experience themselves,” she testified, “and so they use the woman to venture out in this curiosity without actually doing the act itself.”
On June 10, Judge Subramanian denied a motion for mistrial filed by Combs’ legal team. The lawyers had argued that Ventura and her friend Bryana Bongolan lied about Combs dangling Bongolan over the 17th-floor balcony of Ventura’s apartment in September 2016.
In their filing, Combs’ lawyers accused the prosecution of “misconduct” through the “introduction of perjured testimony.”
“The government has presented testimony that it knew or should have known was materially false related to its allegation that Mr. Combs dangled Bryana Bongolan from the balcony of Cassie Ventura’s apartment in September 2016,” the letter said. “Accordingly, to avoid an unfair conviction the Court should grant a mistrial.”
Jane also alleged that Combs beat her for hours in June 2024.
She testified that they began arguing over Combs seeing a woman 25 years his junior, which led Jane to call him a “pedophile” and push his head into a marble kitchen counter.
Jane said she hid in the primary bedroom while Combs kicked the door open. Photos of the cracked door were entered as evidence.
She claimed that while trying to run away, Combs kicked her in the back of the thigh, causing her to fall.
“He put me in a chokehold on the ground, lifted me up, and I couldn’t breathe, and I was on my tippy toes,” she told the prosecution. “I was just trying to get out of his grip.”
Jane said she ran outside and hid behind a wall for about two hours, hoping Combs would leave. They later returned to his home, where she curled up in the backyard to protect herself as Combs allegedly attacked her.
The altercation escalated after Combs allegedly punched her back.
“He started punching my head,” she recounted. “He started kicking me. He started saying all kinds of things and just kept punching.”
She alleged that Combs accused her of trying to take him away from his kids and family.
“I said, ‘No, I’m not. Just leave me alone. Just leave. Please stop,’” she testified.
Jane said Combs grabbed her arm and hair and dragged her back to the house.
After the alleged assault, she noted seeing “two golf ball-sized welts” on her forehead and a black eye.
Jane also alleged that Combs threatened to release their sex tapes and show them to her baby’s father in December 2023.
She testified that as their relationship deteriorated, Combs told her he had “nothing to lose” by releasing the videos.
“It was just back-to-back pressure phone calls,” she said.
Jane texted Khorram about these threats, which were entered into evidence. In the messages, Jane said Combs was threatening to post footage in which she said she was “heavily drugged.” She added she needed “time away from” Combs to work through the “all the trauma” he caused.
Khorram assured Jane that Combs would not use the footage.
Jane told the court that parts of Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit—which was ultimately settled—mirrored her own experiences with Combs.
“I almost fainted, in fact, I think I did,” she told jurors tearfully. “There were three specific pages that were a harrowing reference to what I was experiencing.”
Jane, who participated in “hotel nights,” said reading Ventura’s documents felt like reading “her own story.”
“I feel like I am reading my own sexual trauma,” she said.
She shared screenshots in evidence showing messages like, “I am sick. It’s exactly word for word, drug-filled days and nights. You knew this was coming. You gaslit me, you made me go crazy.”
“I am disgusted, I felt forced to perform back to back,” the messages continued. “You made me feel crazy about the sex trauma I was feeling. I feel very violated. This was sexual exploitation.”
Combs later called Jane and secretly recorded their conversation, which was also entered into evidence.
In the recording, Combs said to Jane, “We did these things together” and pleaded with her, “This is when I need you to be there.”
Unaware she was being recorded, Jane told Combs she felt “sick” to her stomach after reading Ventura’s documents.
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This trial has been marked by intense testimony, complex legal arguments, and deep emotional impact on all involved. The proceedings continue to unfold as justice seeks resolution.
https://www.eonline.com/news/1424320/sean-diddy-combs-prison-release-date-revealed?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories
