NEW YORK, USA — A federal judge in Manhattan has denied bail to music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, following his partial conviction on charges related to a federal sex crimes case that has shaken the entertainment industry.
Combs, 55, was found guilty by a jury of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
He now faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025.
At Thursday, July 3, 2025’s, hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian ruled against releasing the Bad Boy Records founder, citing a history of violence and concerns raised by the victims.
“The defence conceded violence in his personal relationship,” the judge said, referring to testimony and admissions about past abuse.
Despite arguments from his legal team that Combs posed no flight risk — noting his private jet was under charter in Hawaii — the judge was unmoved.
Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, had urged the court to consider his client’s efforts at personal reform, pointing out that he had enrolled in a domestic violence rehabilitation programme before his arrest and had not exhibited violent behaviour since 2018.
“I just think we should trust him,” Agnifilo pleaded in court.
But the argument was countered by a letter from Combs’ ex-girlfriend, musician Casandra Ventura, who testified during the trial and warned the court that the rapper remained a threat if released.
“Ms Ventura believes that Mr Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community,” her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, wrote in a letter to the court.
The jury’s verdict followed a nearly two-month federal trial that included harrowing testimony from more than 30 witnesses, including Ms Ventura, rapper Kid Cudi, former employees, and hotel security staff.
Prosecutors alleged that Combs used his celebrity status and vast business empire to orchestrate a criminal operation that preyed on women.
At the core of the prosecution’s case was a 2016 surveillance video showing Combs beating and dragging Ventura through a Los Angeles hotel hallway — footage which hotel staff said he tried to have destroyed.
Prosecutors claimed Combs facilitated and filmed so-called “freak-offs”, in which his partners were coerced into sex acts with other men, allegedly under threat of exposure or retaliation.
Despite the acquittals on three of the most serious five charges, the courtroom was tense as the verdict was read.
Combs reportedly dropped to his knees, bowed his head onto his chair, and began to shake as he appeared to pray.
The racketeering charge — formally known as conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act — would have required jurors to find that Combs ran a coordinated criminal enterprise involving his employees in crimes including sex trafficking, drugging, and obstruction of justice.
The jury informed the court it had been unable to reach a unanimous decision on the racketeering count, citing “unpersuadable” differences in opinion.
The split resulted in Combs being cleared of the charge.
Combs’ defence had argued that even if there was misconduct, it did not meet the threshold for racketeering, as there was no evidence that his employees knowingly participated in a criminal enterprise.
While Combs avoided convictions that carried a potential life sentence, he remains in custody at the federal detention centre in Brooklyn, where he has been held since September 2024.
In addition to the criminal case, Combs faces numerous ongoing civil lawsuits alleging sexual violence and abuse spanning decades.
Once a dominant force in hip hop with his Bad Boy Records label, Combs also built a multimillion-dollar business empire that includes Sean John clothing, fragrances, alcohol brands, and media ventures.
The verdict marks a dramatic fall from grace for the Harlem-born entrepreneur.
