By Lauren Day Phoebe Hosier
A New York jury has returned a split verdict in the high-profile criminal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs, finding him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, but not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
The 12-member jury, made up of eight men and four women, returned the verdict after two days of deliberations.
The 55-year-old rapper put his hands together in prayer before pumping his right fist after the verdicts were read in the Manhattan courtroom.
The federal criminal trial, billed as one of the biggest in entertainment history, drew global attention and attracted throngs of spectators, tourists, journalists and content creators to the US District Court in Lower Manhattan.
The verdict marks the end of a lengthy and at times confronting trial that exposed and examined the sordid details of the drug-fuelled party lifestyle of one of hip hop’s biggest names.
For seven weeks, jurors pored over hundreds of exhibits and heard graphic testimony from 34 witnesses, including the rapper’s former girlfriends, staff and male escorts.
Combs had pleaded not guilty to five charges — one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the charge of sex trafficking carries a minimum of 15 years in prison. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum of 10 years for each count.