For decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs strutted through the corridors of fame with the untouchable air of a man who had played, and won, the game. From his Harlem hustle beginnings to Bad Boy Records and billion-dollar Ciroc deals, Combs seemed to embody a peculiarly American cocktail of ambition, affluence, and image management. But in the summer of 2025, the myth cracked—violently, and under oath.

It began in earnest in late 2023, with civil lawsuits and leaked footage painting a darker portrait of the man once known for dancing in shiny suits. By 2024, Combs was indicted on a slew of charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution offences, following a sprawling federal investigation that spanned multiple states and testimonies from over a dozen witnesses. His properties were raided, his public appearances vanished, and his silence grew louder with each passing week. The trial itself was a grim procedural march. Prosecutors presented video surveillance footage, financial records, and testimony from accusers who described being trafficked, manipulated, and surveilled by an organisation they likened to a “private regime.” The court heard of hotel suites wired with hidden cameras, of NDAs enforced through threats, and of a star who, shielded by fame, had allegedly orchestrated a system of abuse over decades. 

In July 2025, the jury returned a mixed verdict. Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges—sex trafficking and racketeering—citing lack of direct evidence of coercion in some cases. But he was convicted on multiple prostitution-related counts, with the presiding judge noting a “systematic pattern of exploitation.” He was denied bail and remanded to custody immediately. His sentencing is scheduled for September. Combs’ conviction marks not just a fall from grace, but a recalibration of how power operates—and unravels—in the entertainment world. It’s a trial that may not have ended with a Hollywood-style takedown, but in its revelations and reckoning, it sits alongside the most consequential celebrity court cases of the last decade.

And there have been many. From cult leaders and courtroom rematches to Bollywood’s long-haul redemption arcs, here are 15 celebrity trials that shaped public memory, media discourse, and the increasingly fragile firewall between stardom and scrutiny.

Sean “Diddy” Combs (2025)

Charges: Prostitution-related offences (acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering)

Outcome: Convicted on lesser charges; denied bail

Why it matters: The music mogul’s trial laid bare allegations of coercion, manipulation, and exploitation spanning decades. A critical flashpoint in how the entertainment industry confronts its predators.

A$AP Rocky (2024)

Charges: Assault with a firearm

Outcome: Acquitted

Why it matters: The hip-hop star’s decision to go to trial rather than accept a plea put the spotlight on loyalty, fame, and street politics.

Kevin Spacey (2023)

Charges: Sexual assault (UK)

Outcome: Acquitted by London jury

Why it matters: A rare legal win post-‘cancellation,’ but it also underlined the long-term reputational cost of public accusations.

Harvey Weinstein (2020–2024)

Charges: Rape and sexual assault

Outcome: Multiple convictions; sentenced in New York and Los Angeles

Why it matters: The central figure in the rise of #MeToo, his downfall became symbolic of an industry-wide purge.

Alec Baldwin (2021–2024)

Charges: Involuntary manslaughter (Rust set shooting)

Outcome: Charges dismissed in first trial; refiled later

Why it matters: Reignited debates around safety protocols on film sets and blurred lines of accountability.

Sushant Singh Rajput Case (2020–2023)

Charges: Multiple angles—narcotics, abetment of suicide, financial fraud (investigated, not all tried)

Outcome: Ongoing; CBI, ED, and NCB all involved; some arrests made, but the main case remains unresolved

Why it matters: Arguably the most media-exploited celebrity death in Indian history. The legal fallout sparked debates on mental health, celebrity harassment towards Rhea Chakraborty, and trial by television.

R. Kelly (2021–2022)

Charges: Racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography

Outcome: Convicted on multiple counts; sentenced to 30 years

Why it matters: After years of accusations, the trial finally held Kelly accountable for decades of abuse.

Raj Kundra (2021–2022)

Charges: Producing and distributing pornographic content

Outcome: Arrested and jailed for two months; released on bail

Why it matters: The trial exposed how India grapples with the intersection of adult content, morality, and media sensationalism.

Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard (2022)

Charges: Defamation (mutual)

Outcome: Depp awarded $10.35M; Heard awarded $2M

Why it matters: Played out like a Netflix series with real lives at stake. A brutal intersection of fame, domestic abuse claims, and performative internet culture.

Bill Cosby (2018–2021)

Charges: Sexual assault

Outcome: Convicted, then overturned on procedural grounds

Why it matters: The first celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era. Later reversal prompted heated debates over victim justice vs legal fairness.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (2017–2024)

Charges: Rape, murder, illegal castration

Outcome: Multiple convictions; serving life sentences

Why it matters: The flamboyant godman’s dramatic fall from grace laid bare the dark underside of cult power and blind faith.

Salman Khan (2018)

Charges: Blackbuck poaching (1998 incident)

Outcome: Convicted, sentenced to 5 years, granted bail, later acquitted

Why it matters: A two-decade-long legal saga that constantly tested India’s faith in equal justice for the rich and famous.

Aditya Pancholi (2016)

Charges: Assault

Outcome: Convicted; sentenced to 1 year

Why it matters: A rare instance of a Bollywood insider being held legally accountable for violence—though the case itself dated back to 2005.

Sanjay Dutt (1993–2016)

Charges: Illegal possession of firearms under the Arms Act; originally also accused under TADA in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts

Outcome: Acquitted under TADA in 2007; convicted under the Arms Act and sentenced to 5 years. Served his sentence between 2013–2016

Why it matters: A case that followed Dutt for over two decades, this was India’s original celebrity trial-by-media. From jail time to a full-blown redemption arc and even a blockbuster biopic (Sanju), the saga blurred the lines between reel life and real consequences like no other.