The trial of the year just came to an end with a mixed result for embattled rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. And it appears, to the shock of many, to be in the rapper’s favor.
In the end, Diddy was found guilty of two out of the five counts he was charged with. He was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage prostitutions, but acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. With that ruling, he now faces up to 20 years in jail. Had he not been cleared of the other three counts, the Bad Boy Records founder could have faced life imprisonment.
That last detail is what angered many people, including celebrities, who followed the trial. While Diddy and his defense team are celebrating the lighter ruling, people took to social media to express their outrage over the decisions.
50 Cents, Diddy’s longtime rival and critic, made an Instagram post captioned: “Diddy beat the (RICO charge), that boy a bad man” before likening the mogul to John Gotti, the infamous mob boss who also dodged racketeering charges back in the day.
Aubrey O’ Day, former member of Diddy’s girl group Danity Kane, shared on Instagram stories that she was “physically ill” watching the verdict in real time.
“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,” she wrote in a lengthy follow-up post. “I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described.”
“Broken hearted for the brave survivors on top of more broken heart,” wrote actress Rosanna Arquette, who previously accused disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
These comments mirror general sentiments condemning the ruling as a “nasty precedent and trend for what people (especially those with wealth & power) believe they can get away with.”