Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is denied bail and will remain in custody after he was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking
He was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution related to his ex-partner Casandra Ventura and another woman referred to as "Jane"
As the verdict was read out, Combs remained hard to read, writes our reporter in court, Sakshi Venkatraman. Before, he was praying with his children
Casandra Ventura's lawyer says he's pleased Diddy - who has been behind bars since he was arrested in September last year - "still faces substantial jail time"
The trial heard from 34 witnesses over nearly two months, including ex-girlfriends, former employees of Combs, male escorts and federal agents
Warning: This page contains details some readers may find distressing
Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
Image source, ReutersThe NYPD has closed down the entire block around the courthouse, which is now closed to anyone but press.
As a reminder, court will resume at 13:00 local time (18:00 BST).
Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
The anti-Diddy crowd is a minority out here today.
Some have been getting into fights with the rapper’s supporters, saying they’re disappointed in the outcome today.
Some say they’re hopeful, though, that Combs could still face significant prison time for transportation.
Just after the verdict was handed down, we heard from Cassie Ventura's lawyer outside court.
Take a look at how he reacted to the mixed verdict:
Brandon Drenon
US reporter
Georgetown law professor Erica Hashimoto tells the BBC that in addition to jail time, Diddy could also face financial penalties.
The government could try to seize money from Diddy if he profited from any of the money exchanged in the two counts of transportation for prostitution charges, she says.
"If he was paid money for these women, arguably they could seize it," Hashimoto explains, which she says is unlikely.
The government could also issue Diddy a fine for the two counts.
The third option is that if the judge "finds that the women were harmed by the illegal conduct", he could order restitution, or payments to the victims.
Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court
Legal expert Mitchell Epner says he “would not be surprised at all” if Combs ends up walking out of the courthouse today a free man.
That’s because the conditions at the federal jail where Combs has been held for over nine months - MDC jail in Brooklyn - are horrible, he says, so judges try to avoid sending people there unless absolutely necessary.
Epner says Combs’ attorneys will now be arguing for him to receive a sentence of time served, meaning no more time in prison.
Prosecutors will be arguing for much more, but in the end, Epner says, Combs is likely only looking at a sentence of three years in prison maximum, in comparison to the life sentence he was facing if convicted of the most serious charges.
The family of Sean Combs left court triumphantly today, after a verdict they are seeing as positive.
Combs' adult children, mother and others have been present throughout the lengthy trial.
Watch: Combs' family leaves court after verdicts read
Image source, ReutersMarc Agnifilo arriving at court today
Leading his defence is Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer who has some experience defending high-profile cases.
Agnifilo previously defended cult leader Keith Raniere, convicted fraudster Martin Shkreli, and former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng.
He’s also currently representing Luigi Mangione alongside his wife Karen Agnifilo.
Agnifilo’s second chair on the case is Teny Geragos, the daughter of famous celebrity attorney Mark Geragos. In the last few days, the prosecution has taken issue with the elder Geragos, especially because he’s been sharing details on his podcast, “2 Angry Men”.
There are five other lawyers representing Combs. In a court sketch from jury selection last week, Diddy was seen hugging Brian Steel, the defence’s most recent addition who also represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia.
On the other side, there are eight members of the prosecution, including Maurene Ryan Comey, who’s had a storied career in the Southern District of New York and previously secured a conviction for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
Image source, Michael M Santiago/Getty ImagesMaurene Ryan Comey arriving at a previous day in the trial
Throughout this trial, bloggers and other content creators have joined journalists in broadcasting every development to audiences around the world.
Our correspondent Nomia Iqbal just caught up with two content creators who have been following the trial from the beginning.
Etsy Roe says she was immediately invested in the case due to Combs's status as "a cultural icon" with his "fingerprint on pop culture".
She says the trial will have had a "big hit" on his public image, to which Angela Star adds "when you think of Diddy now, you think of baby oil".
Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
Image source, REUTERS/Jeenah MoonPolice are putting up additional barricades to handle the growing crowds outside the courthouse.
We now have a statement from the Southern District of New York, who were prosecuting Combs.
Attorney Jay Clayton and Homeland Security's New York Field Office leader Ricky Patel thank their teams, as well as the New York Police Department, and others who helped in "sharing our victim-centred approach to combatting sex crimes".
"Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society."
Victims go through "gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse" which leads to trauma, they add.
"New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice."
They say brave victims are required to come forward in sex crimes, and they recognise the hardship this puts on the victims.
They add they have "prioritised a victim-centred approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases".
We're now hearing more from Cassie Ventura's lawyer, who has released a statement reacting to this morning's verdict.
"By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice," the statement from Doug Wigdor says.
"She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion."
Image source, ReutersAs our court reporters noted, the tension this morning was palpable, a sign of what was to come. Here's how it all unfolded:
We're still waiting to hear whether Combs will return to jail to await sentencing, or if he will be released on bail - court is currently on break and due to return in just under two hours' time.
Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockChants of “let him go” can be heard outside the courthouse, as supporters continue to gather in celebration.
Two pro-Diddy influencers tell me they’ve been covering this case from the start of the trial. They’ve seen their audience grow significantly, specifically among other Diddy fans.
“There are more Diddy fans than not,” one said. They described the environment at the court as “mayhem”, but they say they’re happy with the outcome.
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Podcast host, Diddy on Trial
The success rate for prosecutors in the Southern District of New York is about 93%. For Diddy's defence team to get him acquitted of the most serious of charges in this case - it is more than a win.
Transportation for sexual prostitution is a federal charge, but some think it's unlikely that he'll get the maximum jail time for that.
Now, the conversation is going to shift to whether the federal government should have raised the more serious charges such as racketeering to begin with.
You can listen to our podcast, Diddy on Trial, on BBC Sounds or watch it on YouTube, external.
Outside court, we've just been hearing from Doug Wigdor, the lawyer for Cassie Ventura.
As a reminder, Combs has been found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution in relation to Ventura, but not guilty of sex trafficking her.
"We're just pleased that he still faces substantial jail time," Wigdor says.
He adds that he feels confident that Combs still faces "substantial incarceration" with the two charges he has been found guilty of, noting that each of the two charges have a potential 10 year maximum sentence.
Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC
Former federal prosecutor Robert Mintz continues by telling the BBC that the verdict the jury reached was “not a total shock”.
“It was always going to be difficult for prosecutors to prove their case, which basically required them to show that these acts were not consensual,” Mintz says.
“Because the defence had a fair number of examples of text messages and other communications where the victims seemingly agreed to participate in these sex acts”, it made it difficult for the jury to conclude that the victims were unwilling participants, he says.
“The burden of proof is always with the prosecution – beyond a reasonable doubt. And I think at the end of the day, jurors felt likely that the prosecution hadn't met its burden," Mintz says.
Brandon Drenon
US reporter
Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor focused on organised crime, tells the BBC that the Diddy verdict was about as good as the defence could hope for, outside of not guilty on all counts.
"There's no other way to characterise this as but a win for the defence and a stinging defeat for prosecutors," Mintz says.
With the more serious racketeering and conspiracy charges, Diddy could have faced up to life in prison.
Now, he will face a maximum of up to 10 years on each of the two charges which will likely run concurrently, Mintz says.
"The judge more or less has complete discretion in terms of what the sentence will be," Mintz says.
"I think we’re going to see a sentence more in the five-to-10-year range."
Image source, Getty ImagesMetropolitan Detention Center in 2021
Combs has been locked up in the Metropolitan Detention Center since September 2024, and has just indicated to the judge that he does not wish to return there.
Just now, the judge said to the court "I know Mr Combs does not want to go back to the MDC", to which Combs shook his head and raised his hands in a prayer gesture.
Arguing for him to be released on bail, his defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said that Combs had "been given his life by this jury".
"He would be nothing short of a fool to do anything that would violate any condition"
The notorious jail is the only federal jail in New York City and is where many high-profile cases are processed. The conditions there are such that jurors have been known to hesitate to put defendants away.
The family of Sean Combs, who have been a constant presence throughout this trial, are now leaving court.
Court will resume this afternoon to hear whether Diddy will be released on bail or sent back to jail.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersSakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court
Pro-Diddy influencers are outside the courthouse in full force, and some are starting fights with other influencers who think the rapper should have been found guilty on the more serious counts.
In one scuffle I just witnessed, two influencers - both live-streaming - screamed at each other near the back entrance of the building.
“Diddy should sue you,” the pro-Combs influencer said. The other yelled an expletive back.