After a jury convicted Sean “Diddy” Combs not guilty of the most serious sexual charges he faced, including sex trafficking and racketeering, civil rights leaders are declaring the #MeToo movement is dead. Many women expressed “sadness” and “anger” in response to the decision, while many others echoed the idea that they were “not surprised” by the choice, according to RadarOnline.com.
In a time when misogyny is still rampant, this decision brought up important issues regarding how society views consent and what it means for the #MeToo movement. On the surface, Diddy appeared to be devastated by the trial processes. Judge Arun Subramanian put the jury’s difficult duty of sorting between “clear evidence of violence and lawlessness” on the jury, which consisted of eight men and four women.
For a number of women working in the legal industry, however, the absence of conviction on the sexual trafficking accusations points to a “troubling disconnect in how consent is understood within the judicial framework.”
A civil rights blogger said: “For most women (and many men) who watched video evidence of violent assault and read the testimony of witnesses – describing years of violence, threats, rape and humiliation – this verdict felt like a heartbreaking letdown, and a grim and inevitable one too.”
The dynamics of the jury have long been examined, and this case is no different. The jury’s verdict was rendered in the context of a culture that appears to have condoned predatory behavior. The civil rights commentator pointed out: “There were 77 million Americans who voted to re-elect Donald Trump as president after he was found liable for sexual abuse.
🚨 ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! 🚨
Diddy was found NOT GUILTY on almost all counts!
THAT MAN IS A PREDATOR! 🤬 pic.twitter.com/4nUAOpENL6— Jannine.. #MagaMemeQueen ™️ 👑🇺🇸 (@janninereid1) July 3, 2025
“Trump’s America has invited in a parade of alleged sexual predators, from Andrew and Tristan Tate (currently being tried for rape and sex trafficking in Romania) to Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor, found guilty of rape in a civil case in November 2024, who was seen partying at the White House on St Patrick’s Day in March 2025.
“The ‘manosphere’ has morphed from being a pathetic and abusive male subculture into something very mainstream.”
Human-trafficking expert Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco noted: “Trafficking cases come with longer statutes of limitations, more severe penalties and more public support. Existing domestic violence statutes are often outdated or ill-equipped to address coercive control, especially when the abuser is wealthy, powerful and legally savvy.”
Diddy was found not guilty on all serious charges. Are we seriously about to let this freak walk 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/AynZ9PYZDe
— dogfish (@dogfish_) July 2, 2025
The defense centered on portraying Diddy’s purported victims as complicit. By displaying text conversations meant to portray her as an enthusiastic participant in sex acts with Diddy and male escorts, they portrayed one victim—only identified as Jane Doe—as a consenting sex partner.
Additionally, Diddy’s lawyers focused on text messages that Cassie Ventura and Diddy exchanged prior to a freak-off in 2016, suggesting that Cassie was organizing the event and highlighting texts that implied her agreement to participate.
