"He will be able to sleep well": Diddy's lawyer claims trial verdict was a 'great win'

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been cleared of sex trafficking and racketeering charges after a high-profile federal trial in New York City, but the jury found the rapper guilty on two counts linked to prostitution. The jury delivered its decision on July 2, marking a key legal turn in a case that had grabbed nationwide attention for the last two months.

Diddy's lawyer, Anna Estevao, spoke to reporters after the verdict, calling the result a "big victory" for her client.

"He was acquitted of sex trafficking, acquitted of RICO conspiracy," she said outside a Manhattan courtroom, according to NBC News. "He will be able to sleep well at night knowing that."

She pointed out the not-guilty verdicts on the most serious charges and said Diddy would feel some relief from the decision. Yet, he stays in jail after being refused bail and could face up to 20 years behind bars based on the sentencing for the prostitution-related convictions.

Testimonies from Cassie Ventura and Kid Cudi highlight alleged patterns of control in Diddy trial

The trial kicked off in May and included several testimonies, with 34 people taking the stand. One of them was Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, who had been Diddy's girlfriend for more than 10 years. Ventura, who's expecting a baby, gave detailed accounts of what happened during their time together. She talked about being abused many times and being forced into what they called "freak offs"—sexual meetups that Combs set up and controlled.

"Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, sex, everything," Ventura told the court, per NBC News. "I didn't have much say, I was super young, I didn't know if he would be upset enough to be violent or not want to be with me at all."

Ventura said people pushed her to join these events with male sex workers. She worried about payback if she said no. She claimed Combs threatened to share videos of these meetups to make her do what he wanted. Her story reportedly added to the bigger picture that prosecutors painted. They argued Diddy used his power to control and take advantage of people close to him. Kid Cudi, a rapper, also spoke up. He accused Combs of hitting back at him with violence.

Cudi said that after he dated Ventura briefly in 2012, Diddy attacked his stuff with a fire bomb. Prosecutors used this story to show how Combs tried to control people.

Although Combs beat the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering—crimes that could have put him behind bars for life—his legal troubles aren't done yet. He still has to deal with lawsuits, which means he'll likely be spending more time in court.

Though Diddy avoided the most serious consequences in this case, the conviction on prostitution-related counts and the volume of ongoing civil suits suggest that scrutiny around his conduct will remain high in the months to come. Sentencing for the current convictions has not yet been scheduled.

Gomala Devi is a journalist at Primetimer. 

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering and has over three years of experience as a content writer.

Gomala was drawn to writing after reading the Harry Potter series, and she developed an interest in fashion and pop culture at the same time.
She loves exploring the newest developments in the lifestyle space and crafting interesting opinion pieces. She references official websites, interviews, and social media to ensure that her work is factually sound.

In her spare time, she loves to read books and play chess.