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Diddy's former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, claimed his client left an "indelible mark" on the entertainment industry following the jury's verdict in the ongoing trial. The Bad Boy Records founder was found not guilty of the charges of sex trafficking and racketeering but was charged with two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
After the verdict against Diddy, Cassie's lawyer released an official statement via CNN praising his client for paving the way for more survivors to come forward. The statement said:
"This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023. 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."
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Wigdor added that Ventura showed exceptional courage throughout the trial and said:
"By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors."
Despite being acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, Diddy can face ten years in prison per count for being found guilty of the two transportation to engage in prostitution charges. However, his lawyers requested that the judge grant him bail until his sentence is announced.
"Cassie prompted this investigation"— Ventura's lawyer shares thoughts on the Diddy trial verdict
In an interview with CNN following the verdict of the Diddy trial, Cassie Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, spoke on behalf of his client. The attorney credited Ventura for prompting the investigation against the music mogul.
"Obviously, we would’ve liked to have seen convictions on the RICO charges and the sex-trafficking charges, but Cassie prompted this investigation by the Southern District, and now Sean Combs stands before this court as a convicted felon of two crimes," Wigdor said.
Further, Wigdor admitted that it was not the "exact outcome" they expected, but Ventura and he are grateful to the jury for finding Combs guilty of two charges. He also commented on how the defense presented their arguments and said:
“Calling those sorts of behaviors as a modern-day relationship, you know, saying that she enjoyed sex, you know, saying she was a gangster, things like that — I don’t think that even with the jury verdict that they would have given that any credit,” he said.
He added that he also doesn’t believe “anyone who actually listened to the testimony and watched the testimony would either.”
The lawyer also claimed Cassie was "comforted" by playing a role in the criminal proceedings against Diddy and because she "shined a light" on the rapper's alleged behavior.
"I thought that those were sort of gratuitous comments that really weren’t based on any real facts," Wigdor added.
It all started when Cassie Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. Although the lawsuit was settled outside of court soon after, it led to multiple alleged victims filing lawsuits against Combs, accusing him of multiple counts of sexual abuse, rape, and harassment.
In his statements, Wigdor claimed that filing the lawsuit gave Ventura "some agency in life." He added that for 10 years of life, Combs "told her what had to be done, and she had no choice." He said:
"This was her ability to say, ‘No, I’m not going to accept this eight-figure settlement. I’m going to file this lawsuit.’ And that’s what she did. Ms Ventura is really gratified in knowing that other people have come out since the filing of the civil lawsuit."
Footage showing Diddy dragging Ventura in a hotel lobby and physically abusing her was also released last year. The rapper publicly apologized in a video shared on social media, claiming he takes full responsibility for his actions in the video.
Speaking further in defense of Ventura, her lawyer also responded to Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo's statements labeling her as the "winner" for achieving a million-dollar settlement in 2023 after filing her lawsuit. Wigdour claimed his client was not the "winner" following the verdict and said:
“She endured 10 years of abuse where she had to engage in days long sexual acts with UTIs, she alleged that 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.”
Further developments about Diddy's verdict are awaited as the rapper awaits his sentencing.
