The controversial verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial caused a stir outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York City, leading to a verbal fight between his supporters and critics.
On Wednesday, July 2, two men were captured arguing over Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie after a jury found Diddy, 55, not guilty of sex trafficking despite her harrowing testimony about her alleged mistreatment at the hands of the rapper. Earlier in the day, the jury announced a verdict of guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. (Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges following his arrest last year.)
“Is he a woman abuser? Is he going to prison?” a man in a denim jacket, navy undershirt and orange sunglasses asked a man wearing a red bucket hat and red shirt regarding Diddy’s fate following the verdict.
In the video shared via X with footage from outside the courthouse, the two men on opposite sides of the case had a screaming match as a crowd gathered. (NBC News reporter Matt Lavietes shot the video.)
“He beat her,” the man in denim yelled, referring to Diddy’s alleged physical abuse of Cassie (full name Casandra Ventura) during their on-off relationship.
The man in the bucket hat claimed, “It doesn’t matter.” The first man fired back, “He beat her! He kicked her! He sat on her!”
The man wearing red didn’t care, shouting, “And she liked it, how about that?” A woman nearby then yelled, “She said, ‘No!’” backing Cassie, 38, and her allegations of abuse.
The man in denim tried to deescalate the situation, quieting the crowd so he could ask the man in red a question.
“Have you ever been so in love that it [is] a possibility that Cassie Ventura went through things like these horrific, horrible things — you agree the videos are horrible, right — is it possible she did things she wouldn’t normally do because she was so in love with this man?” the denim-clad individual asked. “The answer’s yes or no.”
The man wearing red took a minute and replied, “Yes,” but claimed, “At the end of the day, we all have cellphones. 911.” He started screaming “911,” implying that Cassie should have called for help if she was in danger.
The heated exchange came shortly after Diddy was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution on Wednesday following his trial. The musician was acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
During her multi-day testimony in May, Cassie, who dated Diddy on and off from 2007 to 2018, accused Diddy of sexually assaulting her and physically beating her on more than one occasion. She went into detail about the alleged violence, including explicit descriptions of Diddy’s “freak offs,” which she said she took part in to please her then-partner.
Following the jury’s verdict on Wednesday, Cassie released a statement via her attorney Douglas H. Wigdor.
“This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” the statement to Us Weekly read. “Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.”
Cassie previously sued Diddy in November 2023 for sexual assault and physical abuse, which Diddy adamantly denied. The exes settled the case out of court one day after Cassie filed.
Her lawsuit, however, created a ripple effect, and other people soon came forward with similar allegations of misconduct against Diddy. The music mogul has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo told Us in September 2024 following his client’s September 2024 arrest. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
The attorney continued: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy’s sentencing date has not been set, but according to a court reporter, Diddy was “ecstatic” about the jury’s decision.
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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