Sean Combs – or Puff Daddy, P Diddy or “Love”, as he has been known – was a superstar for decades. He leveraged his work as a rapper into a career as a hip-hop mogul. His parties were legendary, filled with A-list celebrities and famous for being wild.
Then, last September, he was charged with horrifyingly serious offences; one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. An eight-week trial ensued.
The Guardian breaking news reporter Anna Betts has been covering the case. She explains why the charge of racketeering – more often levied at mafia members – was brought. The court heard evidence from two women who claimed Combs had coerced them into what he called “freak offs”, and of his history of domestic violence.
Combs was found not guilty of the three most serious charges, and guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The Guardian US’s senior feature writer Andrew Lawrence tells Nosheen Iqbal about how much damage the case will do to Combs – and if the music industry is ready to reckon with the bad behaviour of its most powerful stars.