“The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable"

On Wednesday July 2, 2025, the jury delivered a split verdict in the trial against Sean “P Diddy” Combs.

After three days of deliberation, a 12-person jury made up of four women and eight men declared the disgraced media mogul not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, while convicting him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Had Combs been delivered a resounding guilty verdict, he would’ve been staring down the barrel of a life sentence; now, he faces the possibility of a maximum of 20 years. Though hardly insignificant in scope, it’s still a far cry from what many saw as a just punishment for his alleged crimes.

Celebrities, artists and industry names have responded to the verdict with varying degrees of shock and condemnation, each expressing their praise and support for the brave witnesses whose testimony brought the extent of Combs’ misconduct to light. Namely, one Cassie Ventura, whose decade-long suffering at the hands of Diddy formed the basis for the prosecution’s case.

“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” recalled Ventura’s attorney, Douglas G. Wigor following the verdict.

“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.”

Here’s how celebrities and fans have reacted to the Diddy trial verdict.

Kesha famously took Sony to court in August 2016 over the music giant’s refusal to free her from a contract with Lukasz “Dr Luke” Gottwald, who she had accused of rape.

Not only was her bid for freedom denied by the judge, but the retaliatory defamation case that followed played out in public for close to a decade. Since then, Kesha’s advocacy for victims of sexual violence has been unwavering.

Cassie, I believe you.
I love you.
Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.

— kesha (@KeshaRose) July 2, 2025

Sharing a message in support of Cassie on X, she wrote: “Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.”

Like Kesha, Evan Rachel Wood faced significant public scrutiny after alleging she had been abused by Marilyn Manson during their three-year relationship.

Sharing a message about domestic violence to her Instagram stories shortly after the Diddy verdict was handed down, she wrote: “There is no consent in a domestic violence relationship. Period. Once the threat of violence is there, you comply. You do not consent. It is self preservation and survival. It is not freely or willingly given. It is forced and coerced out of you. We clearly have a long way to go in our understanding of this.”

Rosie O’Donnell shared her response to the verdict on Instagram, captioning a post of the jury’s decision with: “I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion – wow – they just think women stay because what? money – fame – ‘they love the abuse’ – what a fucking joke – this decision got me angry #cassie.”

The former Danity Kane singer, who has publically shared her own experience with Diddy during her time in the band, live reacted to the verdict on Instagram.

In a video shared to her stories, O’Day expressed her horror, saying she felt “physically ill” and declaring “Cassie probably feels so horrible. I’m gonna vomit.”

Later, she posted a lengthy statement to her stories expressing her disappointment in the jury’s decision.

“The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable. 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. I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described.”

“My heart is with Cassie. A woman who could’ve had a life and career free of fear and control. A woman who told her truth in a courtroom, only to have the world dissect her credibility instead of her courage,” she added.

Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard, who has a pending civil case against the disgraced mogul, was also the fourth witness called to testify against Combs during the trial. She told the court that she had witnessed Combs assaulting his then-partner, Cassie Ventura, while other celebrities, including Usher, were present.

Following the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs verdict, Richard shared her reaction in a statement via her lawyer, Lisa Bloom. “Today’s split verdict is a disappointment, but the criminal charges are different than the civil claims we filed and have been fighting against Sean Combs,” Bloom shared with Us Weekly. “We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice for Dawn.”

Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson has been one of the most vocal celebrities to speak out against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in the lead up to the trial’s verdict.

Alongside a rather interesting AI-generated image of the rapper smiling, 50 Cent posted: “Diddy beat the Rico, that boy a bad man! He like the Gay John Gotti @50centaction”

Netflix has confirmed a docuseries backed by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson about the charges and allegations of sexual assault against Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs is currently in production.

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