Sean “Diddy” Combs is officially on verdict watch after a 12-person jury began deliberating in his sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
Us Weekly was in the courtroom on Monday, June 30, when Judge Arun Subramanian delivered jury instructions prior to their deliberations, carefully laying out what rules they must follow as they attempt to reach a verdict. (Diddy, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all of the allegations against him.)
“We’re in the home stretch,” the judge said before a soft applause was heard in the courtroom. “As jurors, you must not be swayed by bias and sympathy.”
Subramanian asked the jury not to jump to conclusions based on their personal likes or dislikes before reminding the group that “your verdict must be unanimous, but you are not bound to sharing your honest convictions.”
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Before providing the jury portions of trial-related transcripts, Subramanian thanked the jury for their service and added, “Please accept my heartfelt gratitude.”
The judge then provided the jury with his personal contact information in case they have any questions or concerns during deliberation. If the jurors agree, they can deliberate past 5 p.m.
“If you listen to the views of your fellow jurors, and you use your own common sense, you will find a common verdict,” Subramanian shared before the jury was dismissed to begin their deliberation at 11:30 a.m.
Sean “Diddy” Combs Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadioDiddy’s trial began in New York City on May 5 following his September 2024 arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has vehemently denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Before the trial officially began, potential jurors were asked about their familiarity with various celebrities, including those who personally knew or had been involved with Diddy. Some stars who ended up testifying in the seven-week trial included Cassie, Kid Cudi and Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard.
Last week, the 12-person jury — consisting of eight men and four women — heard closing arguments from both the prosecution and defense.
Diddy’s defense team argued that their client’s so-called freak offs were not criminal but rather an expression of Diddy’s sexual proclivities. They also claimed that his drug use was personal and evidence of a substance abuse issue and not a criminal enterprise.
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In regards to the racketeering charge, Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said, “There is a gaping lack of evidence when it comes to the racketeering conspiracy acts. If you find that you’re in the weeds of this great complexity, maybe that’s because it’s just not there.”
Prosecutors, however, presented a different side of the case and urged the jury to convict.
“For 20 years, the defendant got away with his crimes,” prosecutor Maurene Comey claimed. “Today it ends in this courtroom. He is not a god, he is a person. Find him guilty.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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