Cassie Ventura Presses Court to Keep Diddy Jailed After Mixed Verdict

A federal jury in New York on 2 July found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted him of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. Each conviction carries a potential 10-year term, leaving the music mogul facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have asked the court to impose 51–63 months, while a formal sentencing date has not been set.

Immediately after the split verdict, attorneys for Combs sought his release on a $1 million bond. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian rejected the request, citing past violent conduct detailed during the seven-week trial, and ordered that Combs remain in federal custody until sentencing.

Cassie Ventura — the rapper’s former girlfriend and a central prosecution witness — asked the court to keep Combs behind bars, arguing through her lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, that he “poses a danger” to her and other witnesses. Wigdor said Ventura’s November 2023 civil lawsuit “paved the way” for the convictions and praised her testimony for spotlighting longstanding abuse in the entertainment industry.