Hollywood stars are reacting to the news of the verdict in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking and racketeering case that found him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Over the past six weeks, federal prosecutors have called numerous witnesses and presented evidence that ultimately did not convince the jury that the former hip-hop mogul was guilty of using his company as a criminal enterprise and conspiring with his associates and employees to traffic and abuse women. The prosecution’s star witness was Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Combs’ longtime ex-girlfriend, who testified about years of alleged abuse, including coercion into non-consensual sex acts, physical violence and control through threats.
After the verdict was revealed Wednesday, entertainment industry figures took to social media to share their thoughts on the news. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, a longtime rival of Diddy‘s, took to Instagram to share his thoughts. “Diddy beat the Rico, that boy a bad man !” he wrote, adding, “he like the Gay John Gotti.”
Aubrey O’Day, who worked with the Bad Boy Records founder on his Making the Band 3 reality show centered on his label’s group Danity Kane, shared a video on her Instagram Stories reacting to the verdict.
“Oh my God, not guilty on Cassie, not guilty on Rico, no way that Jane is gonna be guilty,” she said while filming a video of CNN reporters sharing the verdict. “This makes me physically ill. … Cassie probably feels so horrible. Ugh, I’m gonna vomit.”
O’Day posted a separate statement to her Instagram Stories: “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. I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described.”
Over the years, O’Day has been vocal in her distaste toward Combs. After joining Danity Kane, she was kicked out of the musical group in 2008, alleging on an episode of Call Her Daddy that the mogul removed her because she “wasn’t willing to do what was expected of me, not talent-wise, but in other areas.”
She shared support for Ventura in her statement, adding, “My heart is with Cassie. A woman who could’ve had a life and career free of fear and control. A woman who told her truth in a courtroom, only to have the world dissect her credibility instead of her courage.”
“Women, Nor men, Nor ANY ARTIST – are the property of those with the most wealth, fame & power. We are not disposable. 12 people on a jury will not be deciding that for us,” she concluded the post.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, the singer appeared on Inside Edition where she said her reaction to hearing the news was “a gut punch.”
“I’m floored by the jury’s verdict,” O’Day added. “The evidence is there. For me, it’s all the way there.”
Grammy-nominated singer Kesha, too, posted on X in solitary with Ventura. There, she wrote, “Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.”
Kesha announced last year that she was changing the lyric in her 2010 hit “TiK ToK” to “fuck P. Diddy” from the original “feeling like P. Diddy” after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against Combs.
Rosie O’Donnell shared her take on the verdict on Instagram, writing, “i guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion- wow – they just think women stay because what? money – fame – ‘they love the abuse’ – what a fucking joke – this decision got me angry #cassie.”
