Sean “Diddy” Combs’ longtime rival 50 Cent posted a message on Instagram after the jury in Combs’ criminal trial delivered a split verdict. Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but he was acquitted on three more serious charges, for sex trafficking and racketeering.
“Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram with clapping hands emojis. “Beat the Rico, he the Gay John Gotti,” he added, in reference to the mob boss who similarly was acquitted on racketeering charges.
Combs still faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, but the split verdict was considered the best outcome for him outside of a total acquittal.
50 Cent trolled Combs throughout the trial, mocking him by referencing pieces of witness testimony. After a former employee of Combs’ testified that he showed up at her house with a gun and kidnapped her, 50 Cent posted, with several emojis, “Cut, CUT. Wait a minute PUFFY’s got a gun, I can’t believe this I don’t feel safe. LOL.” And when one of Combs’ sex trafficking accusers said she and Combs called each other by the nicknames “Bert” and “Ernie,” 50 Cent posted an image of the “Sesame Street” characters wearing lingerie.
Combs’ beef with 50 Cent, going back to the 2000s, was also referenced during the trial. Their issues with each other seemingly date back to 50 Cent’s 2006 diss track “The Bomb,” which accused Combs of knowing who killed the Notorious B.I.G., a close friend of Combs’ who was signed to his label, Bad Boy Records. There is no evidence that Combs had any involvement in the 1997 murder. There’s also been speculation that their issues stem from 50 Cent wanting to sign Mase, a flagship Bad Boy artist, which Combs attempted to block.
After a grueling eight-week trial, Combs was found guilty of transporting male prostitutes across state lines to engage in “freak-offs,” days-long sex parties fueled by drugs and baby oil. While he could still spend more than a decade in prison, he was acquitted on the major charges of the case, which was cause for celebration among the defense team.
After the jury announced the split verdict, Combs pumped his fist and mouthed “thank you” at the jurors. The 55-year-old music mogul appeared relieved and overjoyed, shaking his attorneys’ hands, facing his family and starting a round of applause. As Combs awaits sentencing, his lawyers are advocating for his immediate release, while federal prosecutors argue he should remain in the Brooklyn jail cell where he has been held since his arrest in September 2024.
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From Variety US