How’s Diddy feeling? Well, his court case is approaching jury deliberation time, and his defense team called not one witness. The music and fashion mogul is facing down the possibility of life in prison if he’s found guilty of all that he’s been charged with, so he’s likely feeling some less-than-fun things at the moment. […]
How’s Diddy feeling? Well, his court case is approaching jury deliberation time, and his defense team called not one witness. The music and fashion mogul is facing down the possibility of life in prison if he’s found guilty of all that he’s been charged with, so he’s likely feeling some less-than-fun things at the moment.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to live under a digital rock and don’t know who P. Diddy is, allow me to fill you in. Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is a music and fashion icon who has essentially been royalty in the hip hop world since the ’90s. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, an American record label that centered hip hop and R&B artists, elevating the “ghetto fabulous” style. Diddy had numerous chart-topping hits, totaling 11 songs that ranked in at the number 1 spot. He was famous for his “White Parties,” which were highly exclusive soirées at which everyone on the guest list was expected to show up in all white. Invites to a Diddy Party were highly coveted from the 1990s all the way into the 2020s. The guest list was usually comprised of A-list celebrities, high-profile power players in the music and political world, and frequently lesser-known models who were trying to make connections for their careers. On the surface, it seemed like once you were “in” with Diddy, you had it made.
Except there was a lot more going on under the surface than what people saw at the parties, hence the big legal drama with Sean Combs as the unwilling star. In addition to being charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, multiple credible witnesses have come forward to accuse the hip hop mogul of sexual and physical abuse. He’s also been accused of coercion and control, with alleged victims claiming that Combs would threaten their careers to keep them quiet, or would use drugs to keep them under his control. Combs is also accused of obstruction of justice, as witnesses claim that Combs and his associates used blackmail to keep victims from coming forward, and would bribe officials to ensure that the eye of the law was looking elsewhere. If he’s found guilty, he’s looking at a nice cozy life inside of a prison cell for his remaining time on the planet.
Despite the stakes being sky-high, Sean Combs’ defense team ended their turn about the courtroom without calling forth a single witness. They did, however, read text messages between Combs and his ex-fiancée, Cassie Ventura. This isn’t Combs and Ventura’s first time going to court, as they settled a lawsuit in 2023 over physical abuse that Ventura endured from Combs during the course of their romantic relationship. Combs’ team elected to read the messages between the two not to deny any of the allegations against him, but rather to debate whether or not consent had been given.
Currently, the defense has rested after pleading their case relatively quickly. With no witnesses, there was no live testimony, there was no courtroom drama—there were just printed texts between Combs and Ventura. Combs even made the judge chuckle a little when he thanked him for the way he’d been running the trial.
Once closing arguments have concluded, the jury will be sent away to make their decision. With arguments set to close on Thursday, June 26th, jury deliberations could begin as soon as June 27th but will likely carry on into next week. There is a chance that a verdict could come out as soon as Monday or Tuesday, but I wouldn’t suggest holding your breath to find out whether or not Diddy beats the rap this time.
