Cassie Lawyer, 50 Cent, Aubrey O'Day, Social Media React to Diddy Trial Verdict with Shock and Outrage

News By TooFab Staff |
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"I'm gonna vomit," said O'Day as she watched the verdict being revealed live on CNN.

UPDATED at 2:22PM PT

Judge Arun Subramanian has denied Combs' request to be released on $1 million bail while awaiting sentencing. He will remain behind bars until his sentencing on October 3.

"Even if the defendant was solely required to show that he is not a danger to the community, he could not meet that burden. Prior to trial, the court denied bail, and sees no reason to reverse that now," Subramanian said when making the decision Wednesday.

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW

After two full days and a few hours of deliberation, the 12-person jury in the trial of  Sean "Diddy" Combs reached a verdict Wednesday.

Combs was found guilty of Transportation to Engage in Prostitution with both Cassie Ventura & "Jane," Counts 3 and 5, and not guilty on all other charges -- which included racketeering, as well as sex trafficking of Ventura and Jane. Each guilty charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Combs had pleaded not guilty on all charges and rejected a plea deal; he reportedly clapped after the verdict was read.

Reacting to the verdict, Cassie's lawyer Doug Wigdor 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."

"By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice," he continued, saying Ventura showed "exemplary courage throughout this trial" and "brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion."

"This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors,” he concluded, before asking he not be released on bail before sentencing. A decision on that matter will be made later today.

Shortly after the verdict was revealed, social media also blew up with reactions, many upset and confused over the decision. Someone who was watching and reacting in real time was Aubrey O'Day, who has been an outspoken critic of Diddy's over the years and shared footage of her watching the verdict come in on CNN to her Instagram Story.

"Oh my god. Not guilty on Cassie, not guilty on RICO," she said after the first two counts were revealed. "No way Jane is going to be guilty. Oh, this makes me physically ill. Cassie probably feels so horrible. I'm gonna vomit."

Instagram

She later took to her Story to share a full statement, writing, "I'm still unpacking the magnitude of it all. The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable. It is heartbreaking to witness how many lives have been impacted by their experiences with Sean Combs -- only for those stories to fall short in the eyes of a judge. I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described."

She showed support for Cassie, before describing Combs' "pattern of behavior" as "control, coercion and abuse" that she believes has been "legitimized by the system."

50 Cent -- another big Combs critic -- meanwhile, shared a photo of himself smiling to his IG feed, captioning the post, "Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man ! 👏👏👏 beat the Rico, he the Gay Jhon Gotti."

Rosie O'Donnell also reacted almost immediately, sharing to Instagram, "i guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion- wow - they just think women stay because what? money - fame - 'they love the abuse' - what a f--king joke - this decision got me angry #cassie."

Others took to X to share their shock -- see their responses below.