The rise and fall of Sean “Diddy” Combs spanned more than three decades.
He ascended into a hip-hop mogul in the 1990s, building an empire that included a Grammy-winning record label, a fashion brand and many other entrepreneurial ventures.
He is now awaiting the verdict as the defendant in a highly publicized sex trafficking trial, with jurors beginning deliberations on Monday. Here’s how he got there.
Why is Diddy on trial?
Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to all charges and has remained incarcerated without bail in a federal lockup in Brooklyn after multiple judges concluded last fall that he was a danger to the community.
Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday after having called 34 witnesses over 28 days of testimony to prove sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges.
Combs declined to testify in his defense. He sat in the courtroom last week wearing a sweater and button-down shirt, his hair and beard greying – a stark contrast to his appearance at the height of his career as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and Diddy.
(All photos via Getty Images)
How Diddy got his start
Combs got his start in the music business while a student at Howard University in 1990, when he began an internship at Uptown Records in New York.
Three years later, he launched his own label, Bad Boy, and released Notorious B.I.G.’s album “Ready to Die.”
Following Biggie’s 1997 murder in Los Angeles, Combs honored him with the release of “I’ll be Missing You” – which landed Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, and Faith Evans a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group. Combs also took home the Grammy for best rap album for his debut “No Way Out.”
When did Diddy’s legal troubles start?
Legal trouble soon followed for Combs, who in April 1999 was sentenced to an anger management course after he and his bodyguards were charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Later that year, Combs and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez fled a New York City nightclub shooting that left three people wounded. Combs was arrested on gun possession charges, with some witnesses telling police he was among those shooting in the club.
Combs, who was also charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car, was acquitted on all charges related to the shooting in 2001.
Two weeks after the trial, Combs announced that he wanted to be known as P. Diddy – which he’d keep until 2005, when it was changed to Diddy.
Diddy’s career beyond music takes off
He soon ventured into television, becoming producer and star of the talent search show “Making the Band.”
In 2004, he took home his third Grammy, winning for best rap performance by a duo or group for “Shake Ya Tailfeather” with Nelly and Murphy Lee.
Two months later, Combs took the stage in a new way, making his Broadway acting debut in “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Combs, in 2008, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – just two months after settling a lawsuit in which he was accused of punching a man after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel.
In 2017, having earned $130 million in a single year, Combs was named top earner on Forbes’ list of 100 highest-paid celebrities. With success also came philanthropy, as he opened the Capital Preparatory School, a Harlem charter school, and donated $1 million to Howard University in 2016.
Combs, who was honored with a lifetime honor at the BET Awards in 2022, released his first solo studio project in nearly two decades with “The Love Album” in September 2023.
Diddy is sued by former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura
Two months later, Combs was sued by R&B singer and former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who alleged he subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Combs denied the accusations but settled the lawsuit one day later.
Dozens of additional lawsuits soon followed by women and men accusing Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks.
Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach were searched by federal agents in March 2024. Nearly two months later, a video aired by CNN showed Combs beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
He was arrested at his Manhattan hotel in September 2024 and he was accused of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Combs faces five criminal counts in total, including two of sex trafficking. He has denied all the allegations.
