What Was Diddy Accused and Convicted Of? Unpacking His Criminal Charges and Verdict

Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges he faced after a seven-week trial in New York City.

The former music mogul was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering and was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution by the jury on July 2. Combs could face up to 20 years in prison, but he could have been sentenced to life in prison if he had been convicted on the charges of sex trafficking or racketeering.

The high-profile federal trial began in May and consisted of testimonies from several witnesses — including his ex Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. During the trial, prosecutors tried to argue that Combs coerced Ventura and others into participating in “Freak Offs,” alleged sexual performances with sex workers.

The rapper was taken into custody on Sept. 16, 2024, after nearly a year of ongoing investigations which included home raids and several lawsuits against him, alleging sex abuse and rape. The allegations came to a head in September when Combs was indicted on three charges, and a judge denied the $50 million bail proposal that his attorney put forth.

In the indictment, prosecutors allege that Combs manipulated women into engaging in “highly orchestrated performances,” which he called “freak offs,” that also allegedly involved paid male sex workers. Per the indictment, Combs was also accused of paying the sex workers and women to fly to wherever he was located at the time.

The day after he was arrested, Combs pled not guilty, and his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told PEOPLE he was “disappointed” by what he called an “unjust prosecution.”

From what he was charged with to what verdict the jury decided on, here’s everything to know about the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs — and what’s next for the rapper.

What was Diddy charged with?

Combs was indicted on three felony counts: racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. In addition to those charges put forth in the indictment, the prosecution also alleged that Combs partook in kidnapping, forced labor, bribery and other crimes.

On July 2, 2025, a jury found Combs not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. However, he was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

In the original 2024 indictment, prosecutors alleged that he ran a criminal group that carefully organized what Combs referred to as “freak offs.” Members of his staff allegedly planned events from start to finish in which Combs manipulated women to join him in drug-fueled orgys with male prostitutes, and filmed them to silence the victims after.

Planning the freak offs allegedly included arranging travel for the women and sex workers and supplying drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and oxycodone to coerce partygoers into sex. Combs’ staff would make sure to book and stock hotel rooms with the necessary supplies and would clean the room afterwards, while also resupplying Combs and delivering cash to the sex workers, the indictment claimed.

Agnifilo denied the charges and said that he and Combs would “fight like hell” to free the Bad Boy Records founder.

“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers, and I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs,” Agnifilo said.

What were the “freak offs” listed in Diddy’s indictment?

The September indictment was not the first time alleged “freak offs” were mentioned. In her November 2023 lawsuit, Ventura, claimed that she was forced to participate in them. She later rehashed the alleged “freak offs” in her bombshell testimony. Combs denied the allegations at the time.

As the trial played out, more claims about the alleged parties surfaced, including the lengths that Combs’ team went in planning them. The “freak offs” began when Combs allegedly lured a woman in under the pretense of a romantic relationship and used “force, threats of force and coercion” to make her participate.

Prosecutors alleged that Combs would organize and direct the “freak offs,” recording them to masturbate to often without the woman’s knowledge or consent. Drugs were allegedly distributed to reinforce compliance, the indictment claimed.

After a “freak off” ended — and they could last a number of days, the indictment alleged — Combs’ team distributed IV fluids for participating members to recover from the physical exertion and drug use. As evidence of these parties, prosecutors said that authorities found “freak off supplies,” including drugs and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, when Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March 2024.

What were the physical abuse allegations against Diddy?

In addition to the sex trafficking and abuse allegations, Combs was also accused of physical abuse. Prosecutors claimed in the indictment that Combs’ history of physical abuse dates back to at least 2009 and he has since abused a slew of women, “striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them.”

Per the indictment, the alleged behavior was witnessed by members of his staff and was “widely known.” The abuse often left visible enough marks that victims were “required to remain in hiding” while they recovered, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors specifically pointed to a March 2016 incident in which Combs was captured dragging and abusing Cassie on camera in a L.A. hotel. The indictment said he “kicked, dragged, and threw a vase” at the singer. CNN published the video footage of the incident in May 2024, with Combs responding on social media and stating that he took “full responsibility” for the altercation and called it “rock bottom.”

The indictment further alleged that Combs attempted to silence a hotel worker who witnessed the abuse with bribery.

What are the additional lawsuits against Diddy?

Following his arrest, Combs faced more lawsuits as Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he is representing 120 people accusing the rapper of sexual misconduct. On Oct. 14, 2024, the lawyer filed six new complaints on behalf of two women and four men in the Southern District of New York.

The plaintiffs accused Combs of either sexually abusing, sexually assaulting, sexually exploiting or raping them in incidents that allegedly took place between 1995 to 2021.

A couple of days later, another woman, Ashley Parham, alleged in a lawsuit that Combs raped her with a remote control in a March 2018 incident after she accused him of having “something to do with the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur,” per the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE.

An additional five lawsuits were filed on Oct. 20, in which all the plaintiffs accused Combs of either sexual assault or rape between 2000 and 2022. One of the plaintiffs was 13 at the time she claims she was raped in 2000 after attending one of Combs’ parties following the Video Music Awards.

He allegedly had a “crazed look in his eyes,” and told her, “You are ready to party!” She claimed that she was eventually drugged after being given a drink, per the complaint.

Where was Diddy jailed?

While awaiting and standing trial, Combs was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which is known for being dangerous and chronically understaffed. After his verdict was reached, his future will be determined by the judge in charge of his sentencing.

The facility holds 1,600 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial. The conditions of the jail are severe — its had outbreaks of violence and a high number of deaths and suicides. In their request for bail, Combs’ lawyers wrote in their motion that “several courts in this District have recognized that the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center are not fit for pre-trial detention,” per The Daily Beast.

“Just earlier this summer, an inmate was murdered,” they wrote. “At least four inmates have died by suicide there in the past three years.”

In June 2024, inmate Uriel Whyte was stabbed to death inside MDC while awaiting trial, and just a month later, a second man, Edwin Cordero, died after an injury in a fight.

His lawyer called Cordero’s death “senseless and completely preventable,” adding that his client was “another victim of M.D.C. Brooklyn, an overcrowded, understaffed and neglected federal jail that is hell on earth,” per The New York Times.

What is next for Diddy?

After jury members announced their verdict, Combs was taken back into custody. However, his future remains up in the air until his sentencing. Combs could serve up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution charges.

Combs’ attorney, Agnifilo, immediately argued that Combs should be released on bond immediately after the verdict to live at his Florida home.

Combs has not spoken about the verdict, but his son Christian Combs told outlets that his dad was feeling “great,” per NBC News.

How much prison time could Diddy face?

Combs’ attorneys will argue for a shorter sentence, while prosecutors will ask the judge for a higher sentence behind bars. If he is sentenced to consecutive maximum prison terms for the two prostitution charges, Combs could face 20 years behind bars.

Since he was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, he will no longer face the potential of life in prison.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.