It wasn't the police who brought Diddy to face justice. It wasn't the press. It was one woman.

The trial of rapper and music producer Sean Combs has come to an end, with the music mogul being found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.

Jurors found him guilty of two prostitution-related offences but cleared him of the more serious charges. He could still face up to 10 years in jail for each charge.

After the judge dismissed the jury and lawyers for both sides, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery.

"I'm gonna be home soon," he said, smiling and clasping his hands. "I love you. Thank you, I love you."

Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers and left the courthouse to chants of "love, love, love" from Combs' supporters.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian has since confirmed that Diddy will not be allowed out on bail before his sentencing, which will take place at a later date.

The verdict has been met with outrage from Diddy's critics, it wasn't the justice they wanted.

But although there was only a partial conviction, there's no denying it would not have come about without brave women speaking out.

And the woman who put her name on the line for this?

Well, we thank you, Cassie Ventura.

Watch: Cassie's lawyer gives statement after the verdict. Post continues below.

As the seven-week trial comes to a close, it can be understandably difficult to recall how it all began.

Combs, who has spent the last nine months in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, faced numerous allegations of sex trafficking, abuse, battery, drug possession, extortion and coercive control.

The allegations faced by the 55-year-old were not uncovered by top journalists who worked with brave women, like the case of Harvey Weinstein.

The sprawling, gruesome trial of Combs occurred almost seven years after the #MeToo reckoning, and it is largely thanks to one woman: Cassandra Ventura.

Cassie was the star witness in the prosecution's case against the music mogul.

Listen to The Quicky discuss the Diddy verdict. Post continues below.

Her lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, issued a powerful statement after the verdict, saying Cassie "paved the way" for the two guilty prostitution-related verdicts, which carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence each.

"This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023," he said in a statement, per ABC News.

"By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat — with no reservation — that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial."

Jurors found Combs guilty of prostitution-related offences but cleared him of the more serious charges. Image: Getty.

Wigdor praised Cassie's "unquestionable strength" during the trial, saying she "brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion."

"This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors."

Speaking outside of court, Wigdor said Cassie was "in a good place".

"She was pleased that he's been found guilty and held responsible to federal crimes, something that he's never been held responsible [for] in his entire life," Wigdor told reporters, per ABC News.

"He still faces substantial jail time. Of course, we would have liked to have seen a conviction on the sex crimes and RICO [racketeering], but we understand beyond reasonable doubt is a high standard, and we're just pleased that he still faces substantial jail time."

Casandra, or Cassie as she was known professionally, was a star pupil at her arts-centred high school in her home town of London, Connecticut with a talent for piano and ambitions of becoming a professional musician.

She signed to a prestigious modelling agency when she was 16 and, in 2005, was introduced to Combs in New York City, who signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records. Cassie was 19, and Combs was a 35-year-old music producer who promised her worldwide success and enduring fame.

That dream never eventuated.

Instead, Cassie, who released just one album under Combs' label, became his girlfriend and the alleged victim of torturous abuse, locked into a contract, given drugs, physically beaten, threatened and sexually assaulted, forced to participate in group sex marathons and isolated, until she finally left Combs in 2018.

Cassie met Combs when she was just 19. Image: Getty.

Cassie's 2023 lawsuit asserted that Combs, then a multi-millionaire music mogul almost double her age, "became deeply entrenched in Ms. Ventura's life, almost immediately asserting possession and control over her, and inserting himself into all aspects of her career and her personal life."

The defence has argued that Combs was merely a bad boyfriend, embroiled in a non-conformist, albeit toxic, relationship with Cassie.

As producer and creative consultant Rico DadeFire alleged, "Cassie wasn't just in a toxic relationship. She was in a prison built with contracts, fear, and control. She was young, isolated, and surrounded by power she couldn't fight alone. Even when she tried to escape, he had leverage. Videos. Threats. Pressure.

"That's what abuse looks like when money and fame get involved. It's not always black eyes and screaming matches. Sometimes it's manipulation, control, and silence. And the world looked the other way for over a decade."

Cassie's attempt to escape Combs at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 after he gave her a black eye was caught on surveillance video, showing Combs following her out to the elevator and grabbing her, throwing her to the ground, kicking her and dragging her down the hallway by her top.

But it would be another three years until Cassie had enough support to finally leave.

Cassie's bravery was pivotal in the prosecution launching a case against Combs.

It is a myth that people don't leave violent relationships, according to DVNQ. "Many leave an average of five to seven times before they are able to leave permanently. Women are in greater danger from their partner's abuse when they leave."

The not-for-profit pointed to a New York Times article from May, noting: "It was Cassie's brave decision to file a federal lawsuit — and Combs' choice not to settle the dispute before it became public — that led to this moment, in which Combs, now 55, "[fell] from a beloved billionaire celebrity to an inmate facing a potential life sentence."

Cassie and Combs settled out of court, but as the suit had already been made public, CNN were able to find the surveillance tape in the Los Angeles hotel where Cassie was brutally assaulted by Combs. It's arguable that such horrific footage, that even Combs himself was unable to deny, lent courage to his other victims.

Because not long after that, numerous other women and men came forward with civil lawsuits of their own against Combs, alleging sex trafficking, sexual assault, harassment and prostitution.

Put simply: there wouldn't have been a criminal trial, or the slew of civil lawsuits, against Combs without Cassie.

Listen to The Quicky, Mamamia's daily news podcast, for more on the verdict. Post continues below.

So on behalf of women everywhere, thank you, Cassie.

Thank you for using your name and reliving your trauma. Thank you for standing up to your abuser, facing him in court at eight and a half months pregnant, watching horrific footage submitted as evidence, with courage few will ever know.

Many of us have a story — perhaps not as extreme as yours — but we carry the memories nonetheless. Many of us won't get our day in court. Many of us won't see justice.  We are thankful you have.

To Cassie, who had the potential to live a life that showcased your talent, only to see your dreams and hopes exchanged for a traumatising 13 years, we want to thank you for showing what bravery and resilience look like in its purest form.

Because of you, The Washington Post estimates that lawyers will file as many as 122 more lawsuits against Combs, spanning serious allegations from the 2000s and 2010s, including the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy under the pretence of an audition and involving the now infamous "freak offs" implicating other famous musicians.

By March this year, the Department of Homeland Security had enough evidence for a search warrant and raided Combs' properties in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. What they found amongst the illicit drugs, firearms and footage was over 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant — a fact that would be laughable if it weren't so sickening.

It took one woman's suffering, her bravery and the release of a horrific surveillance tape, to bring this measure of justice.

Thank you, Casandra Ventura. We wish you well.

-with AAP

For further reporting on the case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs:

• The most disturbing allegations from Cassie Ventura's testimony against Diddy.

• Cassie has spent days testifying against Diddy. Now another woman has come forward.

• The Diddy trial started with one story about Cassie. It sets the pattern for what is to come.

Featured Image: Getty.