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Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial verdict was announced on Wednesday, with the jury finding him guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution. However, the rapper was acquitted of the two most serious charges: racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Podcaster Andy Signore has commented on the verdict in a video uploaded on his channel, Popcorned Planet, on July 4. In the video, while discussing the subpoena notice that he received from Blake Lively, Andy commented on "powerful people" and expressed his disbelief at how Diddy walked free.
"They let him go. How did this happen? How did that happen? How is all this happening? I tell you, it's happening in my opinion because the shady, powerful people are trying to stomp on all of us. They want to silence us. They want to bankrupt us. They want to control everything. They want to be able to get away with that type of stuff later," Andy said.
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Andy Signore commented that the jury "ignored" the fact that the rapper was allegedly distributing "substances." This, according to him, should have made him Diddy "guilty" of RICO charges.
"We just watched the Diddy thing go down. I gotta be honest. I feel so dirty by it all. He was charged with RICO. It was as clear-cut as day. Even if you want to argue about the consent... They found him guilty on one of the charges, one of the indictments of RICO, and then they just ignored the fact that he was distributing substances, which those two alone make him guilty of RICO," Andy said.
Further in the video, Andy addressed TMZ's exclusive article, which talked about podcasters being subpoenaed by Blake Lively for an alleged smear campaign. Andy alleged that TMZ is "bought and paid for" by Blake Lively.
"They want to be able to get away with that type of stuff later. Nothing is nothing is right anymore. I don't even know what to believe. TMZ is literally bought and paid for, it seems, by Blake Lively," he alleged.
Reactions from other podcasters on the Diddy trial verdict
After an almost two-month-long trial, Diddy was acquitted of the two most serious charges that the prosecution had brought against him. The verdict has been drawing reactions from the podcasting community.
Political commentator and podcaster Megyn Kelly shared her views on Diddy's trial verdict in the July 2 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. Kelly commented that it was "stunning" to see that the jury didn't charge the rapper with s*x trafficking despite the presence of evidence.
"The evidence was just overwhelming on the fact that he did threaten at least Cassie and Jane over and over again. He beat both women when they would not comply with his demands... He's guilty as sin in my view," Kelly claimed.
Pop culture commentator Perez Hilton has also reacted to the verdict in a July 2 video and called the rapper a "monster."
"He's been arrested in the past, but he just evaded the law for the longest time. This guy, gross. What a monster," Hilton alleged.
Zack Peter also shared his perspective on the verdict in his July 2 video, saying that the prosecution presented a weak case against Diddy. According to him, they should have prepared a case around domestic violence.
"I said that from day one. I was like, If this were a case about possession charges, if this were a case of DV charges, if this were a case of, you know, transportation for purposes of prostitution, like, yeah, sure, you have him on all of those things."
Candace Owens, in her July 3 video, said that she knew that it was a "show trial" and alleged that it was a "fed operation."
"Like, that's how you know it was a show trial. So this whole fake, 'Oh my god, I can't believe he got away with it.' Of course, he got away with it. This was a fed operation. That is my viewpoint. I am never going to change it," Owens commented.
On the two counts for which Diddy was found guilty, each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years, with no mandatory minimum. The sentencing schedule has not yet been announced.
