Sean "Diddy" Combs’ trial has hit a snag, with jurors stuck on the big-ticket racketeering charge. The Manhattan federal court drama, unfolding in late June 2025, saw a jury of eight men and four women wrestle with allegations of a decades-long criminal empire. Yet, after 12 hours, they’ve only nailed down four of five counts, leaving the heaviest accusation unresolved.
The New York Post reported that jurors reached a partial verdict on two sex-trafficking charges and two prostitution-related counts, but the racketeering conspiracy charge, tied to the RICO Act, remains a sticking point.
The case accuses Combs of masterminding a sprawling network of crimes, including arson, kidnapping, and coerced “freak-offs”—days-long sex sessions allegedly recorded for leverage. Judge Arun Subramanian, unimpressed by the stalemate, ordered deliberations to continue into July.
Deliberations kicked off Monday, June 30, 2025, but not without hiccups. A note from the jury flagged one foreign-born Manhattanite for failing to follow instructions, hinting at internal friction. This isn’t a woke witch hunt, but a jury struggling with complex evidence in a high-stakes case.
Tuesday brought more tension as jurors requested Cassie Ventura’s testimony, zeroing in on a 2016 Los Angeles hotel assault. Ventura, Combs’ ex, described repeated beatings and forced participation in “freak-offs,” painting a grim picture of coercion. Her claims of threats—videos of her with male escorts—suggest a man wielding power, not love.
Another witness, “Jane,” echoed Ventura’s story, testifying anonymously about being strong-armed into “freak-offs.”
She alleged Combs threatened to cut off financial support if she refused, a tactic prosecutors say shows his control. The defense, however, waved around messages from both women expressing affection, muddying the coercion narrative.
“We have reached a verdict on counts 2, 3, 4, and 5,” the jury’s note declared, but admitted, “we have unpersuadable jurors on both sides” for the RICO charge.
That split screams indecision, not clarity, and the judge’s refusal to accept the partial verdict signals he’s not letting them off easy. The system demands a full answer, not a half-baked compromise.
Prosecutors argue Combs ran a criminal enterprise for 20 years, with crimes ranging from arson to sex trafficking. To convict on racketeering, jurors must agree he committed at least two underlying offenses with help from his inner circle. It’s a legal high bar, but the evidence—34 witnesses, including male escorts paid for “freak-offs”—piles up fast.
Security footage of Combs’ 2016 assault on Ventura, released by the Justice Department, bolsters the prosecution’s case.
Yet, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo countered with hundreds of messages suggesting Ventura and Jane were willing participants. Consent, he argues, dismantles the sex-trafficking charges, though racketeering could still stick.
“We request that you tell the jury to keep deliberating,” Agnifilo urged, aligning with prosecutors who also rejected a partial verdict. That rare agreement shows both sides know the RICO charge is the real prize. A fast verdict, as former prosecutor Neama Rahmani noted, often spells trouble for the government’s toughest counts.
Rahmani speculated jurors likely convicted Combs on prostitution charges but acquitted on sex trafficking, where consent is a defense.
“Racketeering is easier to prove than sex trafficking,” she said, noting consensual sex doesn’t negate other crimes like bribery or kidnapping. The defense’s love-letter strategy might sway jurors, but it smells like deflection from the core allegations.
Combs, 55, has been in custody since September 2024, facing life in prison if convicted on the RICO or sex-trafficking charges. His not-guilty plea and forlorn courtroom demeanor—flanked by seven lawyers—paint a man under siege. But sympathy stops short when witnesses detail threats and violence.
The trial’s seven-week run in Manhattan federal court has been a spectacle, complete with courtroom sketches capturing Combs reading jury notes and waving to supporters.
The jury’s request for Ventura’s testimony, including a 2013 yacht incident and threats over “freak-off” videos, shows they’re grappling with the coercion question. This isn’t about celebrity gossip; it’s about accountability.
Judge Subramanian’s order to keep deliberating reflects a no-nonsense approach to justice. “I ask at this time that you keep deliberating,” he told jurors, pushing them to resolve the RICO deadlock. The woke crowd might cry foul, but this is a court demanding evidence, not feelings.
