ADVERTISEMENTSean “Diddy” Combs was convicted yesterday of a prostitution-related offense but acquitted of more serious counts that could have put him behind bars for life.
Combs, 55, could still face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
He was denied bail after being convicted, as prosecutors said Combs remains a flight risk. A hearing has been set by the judge for 8 July to discuss the sentencing process.
The verdict has drawn divided reactions by his fellow celebrities.
“Oh, this makes me physically ill,” said singer Aubrey O’Day, formerly of the music group Danity Kane, on her Instagram story as she watched the verdicts come in. “Cassie probably feels so horrible. I’m gonna vomit.”
Danity Kane formed on Combs’ MTV reality television program “Making the Band” and signed to his Bad Boy Records.
O’Day posted a separate statement: “The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable. It is heartbreaking to witness how many lives have been impacted by their experiences with Sean Combs – only for those stories to fall short in the eyes of a jury.”
She added: “I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described.”
“I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion, wow,” wrote actress Rosie O’Donnell on Instagram. “This decision got me angry.”
Grammy-nominated singer Kesha posted the following in solitary with Cassie Ventura, Combs ex-girlfriend who testified as a witness: “Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.”
Kesha had previously announced that she was changing the lyric in her 2010 hit ‘TiK ToK’ to “fuck P. Diddy” from the original “feeling like P. Diddy” after the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against Combs.
Elsewhere, rapper 50 Cent, who has been a vocal critic of Combs and previously said that he would reach out to Donald Trump to prevent a Diddy pardon, posted: “Diddy beat the (RICO charge), that boy a bad man !” alongside an artificial intelligence-generated photo of himself. He also mocked Diddy and compared him to mobster John Gotti.
Conversely, rapper Boosie BadAzz said in an Instagram video captioned “GREAT DAY N HIP HOP” that the courts had spoken.
“I’m tired of seeing us Black moguls get took down like that,” he said. He added that he was “tired of seeing us Black people go against us Black moguls like that.”
Also on Diddy’s side where some crowds outside the courthouse.
Some of Combs’ fans expressed enthusiasm by covering themselves in baby oil, a controversial item referenced throughout the sex-crimes case.
Thousands of bottles of baby oil and lubricant were among the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs’ homes in March 2024.
In one crass celebration, a woman danced around while a man poured baby oil on her – a tasteless homage to an activity at Combs’ so-called “freak-offs” and “hotel nights.”
However, the general consensus online is one of dismay.
“The verdict for Diddy is a message to all women that they are not believed. Sorry to the women out there,” wrote an X user. “The victims especially, they deserved better.”
