Copyright Us Weekly
Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to maintain his innocence, filing a notice of appeal after being found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution during his trial. Diddy’s lawyer Alexandra Shapiro filed the notice on Monday, October 20, in New York, requesting an appeal of both the conviction and sentence. The notice does not include an explanation of the grounds on which Diddy’s legal team will base the appeal, but they have previously argued that the statute governing transportation, the Mann Act, should not apply in his case. A jury determined that Diddy, 55, was guilty of transportation, delivering their verdict on July 2. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison on October 3. Diddy previously pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution following his September 2024 arrest. He has vehemently denied all of the allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking made against him over the course of the past nearly two years. Diddy’s trial began on May 5 and featured weeks of testimony about his alleged sexual crimes and abuse, mainly focusing on claims made by his ex-girlfriend Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) — whom he dated on and off from 2007 to 2018 — and an unnamed Jane Doe. During the trial, Cassie, 39, testified that Diddy “raped me in my living room” in 2018 after she had begun her relationship with now-husband Alex Fine. (The pair tied the knot in August 2019 and are parents of daughters Frankie, 5, and Sunny, 4, and a son who was born in May.) “I just remember crying and saying no, but it was very fast,” Cassie recalled of the alleged sexual assault by Diddy. Cassie grew emotional on the stand while recounting her mental state when she decided to pursue rehab and trauma therapy in 2023. “I was spinning out,” she said. “I didn’t want to be alive anymore at that point.” After returning home from a music video shoot, Cassie told Fine, 32, “You can do this without me. You don’t need me anymore.” She then recalled attempting to walk into traffic but noted that Fine stopped her. Elsewhere in her testimony, Cassie detailed the alleged nature of her relationship with Diddy. “There were violent arguments that would usually result in some sort of physical abuse,” she said, claiming that Diddy physically assaulted her “too frequently.” Cassie also said that she participated in Diddy’s “freak offs” because she “loved him very much,” but she felt she “didn’t have much of a choice” as the situation progressed. After the conclusion of her testimony, a source exclusively told Us Weekly in May that Cassie “is really focused on her family and raising her babies in a peaceful and normal environment.” Fine will, of course, remain by her side as she continues to cope with the aftermath of the trial. “Having that kind of unconditional support has meant everything to her,” the insider said of Fine’s role in Cassie’s recovery. “He’s really been her rock through this horrific time.” As she looks to the future, Cassie hopes to venture into philanthropy to help other victims. “She never wants anyone to go through what she’s been through,” the insider said. “It’s been the most painful, terrifying experience of her life, but she’s trying to turn that pain into purpose.” If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
