Key testimony in the trial came from singer, songwriter, and former Diddy collaborator Dawn Richard. Richard alleged that, during that period, Diddy physically and verbally assaulted her during their years working together on the reality show Making the Band and in the groups Danity Kane and Diddy - Dirty Money. (She brought the same allegations in a lawsuit filed last year.) During the trial, Richard also testified to witnessing Diddy physically abuse Cassie on numerous occasions, including an alleged 2009 incident during which she watched Diddy “beat [Cassie] on the ground in front of us.” Richard added, “I was scared that if I intervened, I might get [it] worse. I had never seen anything like that before.”

During the second week of the trial, rapper Kid Cudi took the witness stand. Cudi testified that his brief relationship with Cassie infuriated Diddy to the point that he arranged for a Molotov cocktail to be thrown into Cudi’s car. Cudi claims that Diddy had his Porsche 911 convertible blown up as a form of retaliation for dating Cassie.

The prosecution also presented numerous former employees of Diddy, who claimed to have witnessed the rapper engaging in physical abuse and drug use; former escorts who testified about getting paid by Diddy for the alleged “freak-offs”; Cassie’s mother, who recalled that Cassie informed her, in 2011, that Diddy was threatening to release explicit sex tapes of her; and several others.

The defense focused on coloring Diddy’s alleged victims as willing participants. It depicted Jane as a consenting sex partner, showing text messages intended to present her as an enthusiastic participant in sex acts with Diddy and male escorts.

Diddy’s attorneys also zeroed in on text message exchanges between Cassie and Diddy during the lead-up to a 2016 freak-off, insinuating that Cassie was planning the event, and pointing out texts that suggested she was consenting to participation. Additionally, the defense presented drugs (or withdrawal from them) and jealousy as scapegoats for Diddy’s alleged violence.

Douglas H. Wigdor, the lawyer who represented Cassie in her quickly settled bombshell lawsuit against Diddy, released a statement today in response to the verdict. “This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” Wigdor said. “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. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat—with no reservation—that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. 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. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.”

In a statement to The New York Times, women’s rights organization UltraViolet said the following in response to today’s verdict: “This is a decisive moment for our justice system, one which threatens to undo the sacrifice of courageous survivors who stepped forward to share their stories in this trial, as well as to all those abused by Diddy who weren’t able to. Today’s verdict is not just a stain on a criminal justice system that for decades has failed to hold accountable abusers like Diddy, it’s also an indictment of a culture in which not believing women and victims of sexual assault remains endemic. We will continue to stand with the brave women and men who took great risk to reveal the person Diddy really is.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or domestic abuse, we encourage you to reach out for support:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
https://thehotline.org
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)