Updated July 1, 2025 at 7:44 PM PDT
This report contains mention of sex trafficking.
A federal jury in Manhattan is continuing to deliberate in the criminal trial of Sean Combs, the hip-hop tycoon also known as Diddy or Puff Daddy.
A note the jurors sent to Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday afternoon — after about 12 hours of deliberations — said they had reached agreement on four counts against Combs related to charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Those charges revolve around accusations involving two of Combs' ex-girlfriends, the singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane." The government alleges that Combs forced Ventura and Jane into elaborate sex and drug marathons that included male sex workers.
The jury also stated, however, that it had been unable to reach a unanimous verdict on one count of racketeering conspiracy against Combs. The government has alleged that Combs and some of his associates and employees used his legitimate business empire to hide criminal activities, including bribery, drug distribution and obstruction of justice. In the note, the jurors said they were experiencing "unpersuadable opinions on both sides" of the racketeering conviction.
After receiving the note, Combs' defense attorneys huddled around the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul. Combs rubbed his eyes and dropped his head, appearing troubled by the note's contents. A few minutes later, he turned and waved at his children, who were seated several rows behind him in the courtroom.
Both the prosecution and the defense submitted proposals to the judge for how to respond to jurors. Prosecutors proposed a modified "Allen charge." Typically that is understood as additional instructions given to a hung jury to encourage them to consider the opinions of fellow jurors and remind them of their duty to try to come to a unanimous agreement and avoid a mistrial. Combs' defense disagreed with the prosecution's proposal. Attorney Marc Agnifilo said that the jury had been extremely "efficient" up until this point and should only be urged to continue deliberating.
"I don't think there's anything we need to do to move them along," Agnifilo told the judge. "They're moving along fine."
In all, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are seeking to convict Combs on five total criminal counts:
- Count One: Racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison
- Count Two: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion of Cassie Ventura, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment
- Count Three: Transportation to engage in prostitution (also known as the Mann Act) of Cassie Ventura, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years
- Count Four: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion of Jane, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment
- Count Five: Transportation to engage in prostitution of Jane, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years
After considering the proposals from the prosecution and the defense, Judge Subramanian called the jury into the courtroom.
"I ask at this time that you keep deliberating," he told them.
He re-read some of his initial instructions urging jurors to make their own decisions about the case. The jury finished its deliberations for the day shortly after these instructions, and will continue its discussions on Wednesday.
Copyright 2025 NPR
