Sean “Diddy“ Combs‘ attorney is seeking his immediate release after the mogul was acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
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Following the verdict, Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, asked that Diddy be allowed to return to his Miami Beach home on Star Island.
“His family is here and could sign a bond,” Agnifilo told Judge Arun Subramanian on Wednesday, per CNN. “He should be released today.”
When Subramanian asked, “Are you proposing he just walk outside now?” Agnifilo replied, “Yes.”
“He is no longer charged with sex trafficking or racketeering,” his lawyer continued. “His plane has been chartered—it is in Maui. He does not have access to his plane. This is his first conviction, and it is a prostitution offense. He should be released.”
Agnifilo went on to request a $1 million bond that would allow Diddy to travel to New York, Los Angeles, and Florida.
On the contrary, prosecutor Maurene Comey said, “The U.S. opposes his release…A person found guilty shall be detained until the judicial officer finds he is not likely to flee or be a danger.”
Subramanian said he needed “to address a few matters with the lawyer,” saying: “I am not going to resolve this this second. I need to review the statutes.”
Though Combs was acquitted on the racketeering and sex trafficking charges, he was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.
Multiple women and men have accused Diddy of sexual assault and sex trafficking, starting with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. She testified in May as a key witness for the prosecution after Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him and continuously denied all allegations.
In a statement toUs Weeklyon Wednesday, July 2, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, reacted to the verdict, applauding Cassie’s courage in coming forward.
“This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” Wigdor began. “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Combs’ arrest came almost one year after Ventura filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of sexual and physical abuse throughout their relationship, which lasted over a decade. The mogul denied her claims in a statement shared by his attorney, though her lawsuit was settled less than 24 hours later.
Wigdor commented on whether Ventura has been following the case, saying, “Yes, so, I mean, she is primarily and has been focused on her family. She did testify when she was eight months pregnant. And she is really trying to look forward,” according to CNN.
“I mean, obviously, it’s almost impossible not to see some of the media about the case, and so she has seen some of that,” he continued. “I can tell you that some of the comments that were made in the closing argument, I thought were repugnant, frankly, calling those sorts of behaviors as a modern-day relationship, saying that she enjoyed sex, saying she was a gangster, things like that. I don’t think, even with the jury verdict, that they would have given that any credit.”
Wigdor also reacted to Combs’ defense attorney saying Ventura is a “winner,” clarifying: “Obviously, Cassie Ventura, at that point in time and today, is not the winner. She endured 10 years of abuse, where she had to engage in days-long sexual acts with UTIs. She alleged that she was raped. And so to call her a winner, even though she did get $30 million part from—as she testified—part from Sean Combs, part from the hotel, no amount of money is going to ever undo what she had to endure and what she had to go through.”
Most recently, Cassie submitted a letter to the judge asking that Diddy not be allowed to post bond, alleging that he “poses a danger to the victims.”
