‘I believe all the women’: Harlem responds to the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs verdict.

When Mayor Eric Adams gave Sean “Diddy” Combs a key to New York City in 2023, he called the music mogul a “son of Harlem” and said he “has never forgotten where he came from.”

Combs has since returned the key at the mayor’s request, and on Wednesday a Manhattan federal jury convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He now faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge.

The jury acquitted Combs on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which could have sent him to prison for the rest of his life. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has denied breaking the law. He did not testify at his trial. Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that Combs stay in jail while he awaits sentencing.

While hordes of reporters, social media influencers, supporters and detractors surrounded the Lower Manhattan courthouse where Combs stood trial after the verdict was announced, business continued as usual on 125th Street, the main thoroughfare in Harlem, which Combs once called home. He was born in the neighborhood and signed several local musicians to his label, Bad Boy Records.

Reaction to the verdict here was largely critical of Combs, who was described in court as violent and abusive during his nearly two-month trial. Several people, interviewed not far from the famed Apollo Theater that honored Combs two years ago, said they were disappointed that Combs wasn’t convicted of all the charges.

Some said they weren’t surprised by the outcome, given Combs’ high-powered legal team. Many told Gothamist they had no interest in sharing an opinion at all.

Sam Stigger said Combs means “nothing” to the local community.

“Do you see any signs or anybody celebrating? Anybody saying ‘Go Diddy?’ No,” he said. “Because it’s wrong.”

Stigger said he grew up listening to artists managed by Combs, like Biggie Smalls and Jodeci. But he said he’s no fan of Combs and now feels skeptical of the music industry.

“I just feel that if you do something wrong, you should be punished for that,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. It doesn’t matter who you are.”

Federal prosecutors accused Combs of creating a criminal enterprise to abuse women and satiate his sexual desires. The indictment followed a 2023 civil lawsuit filed by Combs’ former girlfriend and recording artist, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.

In criminal court, Ventura and another former girlfriend, identified as “Jane,” accused Combs of physically abusing them and forcing them to participate in sex marathons, according to the testimony, covered by media from around the globe.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel said in a statement that perpetrators of sex crimes should be “brought to justice.”

“Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories,” they said. “We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.”

Outside the Apollo, Denver Williams said the verdict was “disheartening.”

“I believe all the women. I always will believe all the victims,” she said, adding: “I wouldn’t know how to feel if I was those victims.”

Williams said she thinks Combs got an unfair advantage because he had the resources to defend himself.

“It’s just messed up,” she said. “He needs to stay in that jail.”

Jordan Thomas, a hip-hop artist who goes by Jay Vlone, said he hopes the trial will open people’s eyes to the “dark side of the music industry.”

“There’s other people in the industry that act like this, carry themselves this way, treat people this way and get away with it, because they have a lot of money to throw out their problems,” he said.

Thomas, who was raised in Mount Vernon like Combs, said the environment he grew up in inspired him to become a musician, along with his love of poetry. But he said Combs’ acquittal on the more serious charges sets a “bad precedent.”

“ I feel like people have done way worse and gotten away with it,” he said. “But at the end of the day, this is an injustice, bro.”

This story was updated with additional information.