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A surreal scene unfolded outside a Manhattan courthouse on July 2, 2025, as supporters of Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated his partial acquittal in his high-profile sex trafficking trial by spraying baby oil into the crowd, a bizarre nod to one of the trial’s most-discussed pieces of evidence.
The 54-year-old music executive was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The mixed verdict led to emotional responses inside and outside the courtroom, as per NBC News reporters present.
While Combs dropped to his knees in prayer upon hearing the decision, his fans outside erupted into cheers, with some people dousing themselves and others in baby oil, a product that had become associated with the case.
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Throughout the seven-week trial, prosecutors painted a picture of Combs’ alleged “Freak Offs”, drug-fueled sex parties where baby oil was a recurring element. Former assistants and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura are among the witnesses who testified that Diddy's staff would line hotel suites with dozens of bottles of baby oil in anticipation of these parties. Hotel records filed as evidence referenced damages and baby oil stains that remained after he checked out.
Federal agents confiscated more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, as well as drugs and other items purportedly associated with the parties during the March 2024 raids on Diddy’s Miami and Los Angeles homes. Defense attorneys, meanwhile, sought to minimize its importance, with Combs' lawyer, Teny Geragos, quipping during opening statements,
"He is physical, he is a drug user, you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No!"
Reactions to the jury's verdict in the Diddy trial
Following the verdict, several supporters poured baby oil on themselves in a show of celebration as a crowd gathered outside the courthouse. NBC News journalists at the scene reported a woman dancing and removing her wig, and a man pouring baby oil on her, from a ledge alongside her. A second shirtless man slathered himself in the lubricant.
Although Diddy avoided the most serious charges, he still faces potential prison time for the prostitution-related convictions. Douglas Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, lamented the mixed outcome in a statement to E! News,
“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."
Wigdor also spoke to CNN:
“She endured 10 years of abuse where she had to engage in days long sexual acts with UTIs, she alleged that she was 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.”
Judge Arun Subramanian denied Diddy bail. He will be sentenced on October 3, 2025, and could face up to 20 years in prison.
