Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal chef, Jourdan Atkinson, says she is living in fear following the music mogul’s partial acquittal in his federal sex trafficking trial.
Combs, 55, was found guilty on Wednesday of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, he was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, sparking concern among alleged victims and witnesses, including Atkinson.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, Atkinson urged the court to deny Combs bail, citing fears for her personal safety. The judge agreed, ordering the hip-hop mogul to remain in custody pending sentencing.
“This past year and a half has been traumatizing. This verdict is devastating,” Atkinson wrote. “I fear for my safety upon his release.”
Atkinson, who did not testify during the trial but was subpoenaed as a government witness, posted videos on Instagram after the verdict. In them, she alleged physical abuse by Combs during her employment and claimed to have witnessed the assault of his ex-girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. A hotel surveillance video from a previous incident involving Combs and Ventura was made public last year.
“I am not okay. I have not been okay. I do not feel safe,” she said in one of the clips, adding: “I stand with Cassie, as I always have. We have all been put in danger. FOR WHAT?”
Calling the outcome “a grave miscarriage of justice,” Atkinson maintained her previous allegations, stating, “I stand on everything that I have always said.”
If convicted on the sex trafficking charges, Combs could have faced a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison. With the acquittals, he now faces a maximum of 10 years for each of the two prostitution counts, with sentencing expected in the coming months.
Written By Rodney Mbua
