50 Cent has issued a swift and bizarre response after Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty on two charges in his federal trial, following a highly publicized court battle in New York.
On Tuesday, the 55-year-old music mogul was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, related to his ex-partner Cassie Ventura and another unnamed woman.
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Combs was found not guilty on three other counts, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, allowing him to avoid a life sentence. The verdicts can be seen below:
- Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy - Not guilty
- Count 2: Sex-trafficking of Cassie Ventura - Not guilty
- Count 3: Transportation for prostitution of Cassie and others - Guilty
- Count 4: Sex-trafficking of Jane* - Not Guilty
- Count 5: Transportation for prostitution of Jane and others - Guilty
*The name Jane (Doe) was used to protect the woman.
The verdict was delivered after nearly two months of testimony from 34 witnesses, including former employees, ex-girlfriends, male escorts, and federal agents. Combs, who has been in custody since his arrest in September last year, is awaiting sentencing, BBC News reports.
The charges he was convicted of each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, meaning Combs could face up to 20 years behind bars if given the full sentence. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will seek a 20-year maximum for Combs, per NBC News.
Taking to Instagram shortly after the verdict, 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, shared an AI-generated image of himself alongside the caption: “Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man ! [Clapping Emojis] beat the Rico, he the Gay John Gotti.”
John Gotti was a notorious American mobster who became the boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Known as the “Teflon Don” - because charges against him often failed to stick - Gotti was known for his flamboyant style, public presence, and ruthless approach to maintaining power within the mafia.
He was eventually convicted in 1992 on charges including murder and racketeering and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
This post is the latest in a long string of reactions from 50 Cent, who has closely followed the case while taking public jabs at Combs throughout the proceedings.
During the trial, former Combs assistant Capricorn Clark testified that Combs had allegedly threatened 50 Cent during an elevator confrontation at MTV Studios, recalling Combs saying: “I don’t like all the back and forth … I like guns.”
After Clark’s testimony, 50 Cent posted an AI-generated image of himself on a movie set with the caption: “Cut, CUT...Wait a minute PUFFY’s got a gun, I can’t believe this I don’t feel safe...LOL.”
He followed up with another post featuring himself looking startled while wearing a Yankees cap, writing: “Oh my goodness itty bitty Diddy wants me Dead, I have to lay low, I think I’m gonna hide out at the playoff game tonight. LOL.”
True to his word, 50 Cent later attended the Indiana Pacers’ game against the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, sharing photos from the event, including images with Tyrese Haliburton and rapper Rob49.
One altered image appeared to show him wearing a shirt with “Free Diddy” printed across the front, though the original logo was from Balmain. He captioned the post: “Bro this game is crazy.”
Following testimony from Ventura, who described forced “freak-off” sex sessions and other abuse allegations, 50 Cent posted: “Damn he did all that s*** to go out like this, [shaking my head]...This s*** crazier th[a]n regular crazy.”
Amid the allegations, 50 Cent also announced he is producing a Netflix docuseries titled Diddy Do It?, which will explore the sexual assault and rape allegations against Combs. He stated that proceeds from the project will go to victims of the alleged crimes.
In another post, he shared an AI-generated image depicting what Combs might look like after 20 years in prison, captioning: “What’s the spread on this, I got Diddy doing 20. His friends just got the f-- away from him. SMH BadBoy Dangerous.”
When allegations surfaced that Combs destroyed Kid Cudi’s car with a Molotov cocktail in 2012, 50 Cent posted burnt-out car images with the caption: “Molotov Diddy was doing old school s--- out here. Old killer Rat Jimmy threw one them at us. LOL.”
While Combs avoided conviction on the most serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges, the guilty verdicts on two prostitution-related charges could lead to significant prison time.
A sentencing date has yet to be confirmed, but Combs faces a maximum of 20 years if given the harshest penalties for the charges he was convicted of. But some legal experts are already predicting that this maximum sentence is highly unlikely.