Diddy is found NOT GUILTY of sex trafficking and racketeering in shock verdict: Live updates

Diddy faced a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted of racketeering.

He faced up to 15 years for each count of sex trafficking.

The mogul was acquitted of all three of the top charges.

He was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The judge would decide the sentencing and whether they run concurrently.

Prosecutors said they will ask for 20 years in prison for Diddy.

Diddy has been found not guilty of the most serious charge against him – racketeering conspiracy.

He has also been aquitted of sex trafficking of his ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and ‘Jane.’

Diddy was convicted of transportation for prostitution, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years.

To hear all the explosive testimony from singer Cassie Ventura and the other witnesses in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial, tune in to Daily Mail’s hit podcast The Trial.

From sworn testimony to video evidence and the rapper’s every subtle move, our team of journalists take you inside the courtroom of the world’s biggest celebrity case.

Daily Mail has been following Diddy’s downfall from the very beginning. Join us as we hear from experts involved in the case, and members of the rapper’s inside circle.

During her testimony, Ventura – who was heavily pregnant as she took the stand – claimed that Combs often beat and abused her during their 11-year relationship.

The one-time music titan, 55, was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion — despite harrowing testimony about alleged sexual abuse, forced drug binges, and so-called ‘freak offs.’

Prosecutor Maurene Comey told the court the state will ask for a 20 year sentence for Diddy over his transportation for prostitution conviction.

It is the top possible sentence for the crime.

The defense asked for Diddy to be released on a $1million bond, and the judge said he would decide after two hours.

The music mogul smiled as he thanked the jurors for their verdict on Wednesday.

Diddy kept smiling as he shook his lawyers’ hands and looked at his family in the gallery.

The defense has asked the judge to release Diddy today on a $1million bond after he was convicted of transportation for prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked that Diddy be allowed to return to his Miami home as he awaits sentencing.

Prosecutors are arguing he should not be released as he remains at flight risk.

Diddy’s lawyers say he is not at risk of fleeing as his private plane is chartered and being used by others in Hawaii.

‘I want you to know that it is inspiring to all of us,’ judge Arun Subramanian told the jury after they reached a verdict Wednesday.

‘You listened, you worked together, you were here every day, rain or shine. You did so with no reward, other than the reward that comes from answering the call of public service. That should give all of us hope.’

He asked the media to not contact the jurors.

The verdict in Diddy’s trial will be read to the court any minute now as the jury has been brought back to the courtroom.

Diddy is surrounded by his lawyers and his family has all come back to the courtroom as they await to hear his fate.

The jury has sent a note saying they have reached a verdict in Diddy’s trial.

Diddy’s mother and sister are in the courtroom.

His six children had left the courthouse moments before the jury sent a note saying they have reached a decision.

Diddy is back in the courtoom and so are his children.

He walked in with his hands in a praying position.

Microphones are set up outside the U.S. federal court.

Diddy’s girlfriend and the mother of his youngest chilld, Dana Tran, is in court today.

She brought their baby named Love, born in 2023, to court on Wednesday as a verdict is expected.

Diddy’s first baby mama Misa Hylton is also in court supporting their son Justin.

Hylton is a stylist who has worked for celebrities like Mary J. Blige and Lil’ Kim.

Chasnce’s mother Sarah Chapman is also in court Wednesday.

Dana Tran, the mother of Love, two.

Diddy pictured with his youngest daughter

Chance’s mom Sarah Chapman in court on Wednesday

Evidence in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial unearthed text messages between an escort and the rapper’s associate, giving him detailed instructions on how to get to and from one of the marathon freak-offs.

It’s not known who the Diddy associate is, as the screenshots of the text conversation only identifies the person as ‘device owner.’

In messages dated on August 26, 2009, ‘device owner’ asked Jules if he wanted to fly from Los Angeles to New York City for the freak-off.

As he left the courtroom to wait in a holding cell, Diddy, wearing a yellow sweater, said to his family: ‘Stay strong.’

Diddy bowed his head in praying motion and his children did the same.

All six of his children are in the courtroom on Wednesday, including his youngest, Love.

‘God, please watch over my family,’ he said.

Diddy then dramatically turned to the public gallery and asked: ‘Say a prayer for my family.’

There was applause in the courtroom. 

Diddy’s children left the courthouse after he was led into the holding cell. They are expected to return for a verdict.

Chance Combs, right, Quincy Brown, second right, and Justin Dior, second left, daughter and son of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

D’lila Combs and Jessie Combs

Diddy fans have been waiting outside the federal courthouse as they expect a verdict.

Some fans were seen hawking baby oil and selling t-shirts that read ‘a freak-o is not a rico.’

According to the BBC, one woman was seen running outside the courthouse in her underwear.

The disgraced mogul arrived in the courtroom Wednesday morning and spoke to his lead attorney Marc Agnifilo as four of his other lawyers stood nearby.

Prosecutors had not arrived to the courtroom as of 9.20am EST.

The jury in Diddy’s trial was deliberating for 12 hours before they sent a note saying they were stuck on count one – racketeering conspiracy.

They started delibarations on Monday morning after closing arguments last week.

On Wednesday, the jury headed straight for the deliberations room as instructed by the judge.

They did not stop in the court room before.

As the world is gripped by Sean Diddy Combs’ criminal trial and wonders what could have possibly led him into such depths of depravity, one man is notably absent.

Every day, the rapper, 55, who is currently standing trial in New York on sex trafficking charges, is supported at court by his loyal mother Janice.

Even most of his seven children attended the opening statements as a group, with some of his sons in regular attendance.

Yet if there is one man who haunts the trial, it is his late father, Melvin Combs – who may even explain how Diddy came to land in such hot water.

Melvin was the original ‘bad boy’, a gangster affiliated with the notorious New York mobster Frank Lucas, who was famously portrayed by Denzel Washington in the movie American Gangster.

He died when Diddy was just three, but his ‘hustler’ mentality inspired the music mogul’s pursuit of stardom.

DEEP DIVE delves into Diddy’s 30-year reign of excess and debauchery in unprecedented detail, starting with his ‘crazy’ fits of rage as a student in the 1980s that earned him the disturbing ‘Puff’ nickname.

Contained within hundreds of pages of civil court documents are the horrifying details of his tempestuous relationship with Cassie Ventura – which ultimately led to the floodgates opening.

Among the many allegations contained within the papers are claims that Diddy filmed fellow A-list celebrities taking drugs and having sex with prostitutes. In many cases, the name of the celebrities involved have been kept anonymous by court order.

On Tuesday, the jury asked the court for the transcript of male escort Daniel Phillip’s testimony.

Phillip, 41, took to the stand for an hour as the prosecution’s second witness.

He told the court Combs paid him up to $6,000 each time to take part in orchestrated sexual relations with R&B singer Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura.

Diddy would often direct their encounters, forcing them to engage in awkward ‘role play’ before giving Mr Phillip specific instructions on when and where to orgasm, the male escort alleged.

On Tuesday, as he was led away from the court room, Diddy told his mom: ‘I’ll be all right, love you.’

The 85-year-old has been present for most of the music mogul’s trial in Manhattan.

Diddy’s comment to his mother came after the jury said they were stuck on count one – racketeering conspiracy.

The jury wil continue deliberating on Wednesday after the judge asked them to try to reach a conclusion on count one.

Janice Combs is seen arriving in court on Wednesday morning.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after the panel of eight men and four women said Tuesday that it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy.

The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs’ defense team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts.

The jury’s decision on the other charges — two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — remains under wraps for now.

• Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy – up to life in prison.
• Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) – minimum of 15 years to a maximum of life in prison.
• Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie Ventura) and commercial sex workers – up to 10 years in prison.
• Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”) – minimum of 15 years to a maximum of life in prison.
• Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”) and commercial sex workers – up to 10 years in prison.

The prosecution and defense have both asked judge Arun Subramanian to tell the jury to continue deliberating after they said they can’t agree on count 1- racketeering conspiracy.

The judge said there are three paths to take.

The first is to tell the jury to keep going.

The second is an Allen charge – a supplemental intruction from the court encouraging them to re-evaluate their positions and strive for a unanimous verdict.

The judge the third one will come ‘at some point,’ – when ‘the court should advise the jury of the ability to return a partial verdict.’

The judge said ‘but we are not there yet.’

The jury in Diddy’s trial said they have reached a verdict on all but one of the charges against him after about 12 hours of delibaration on Tuesday.

They say they are unable to reach a verdict on the racketeering charge.

‘We are unable to reach a verdict on count 1 as we have jurors with unpersuadable opinions on both sides,’ the note read.

The announcement came as Diddy was seated surrounded by his eight lawyers, who were talking to him with serious expressions.