Ever since #MeToo exploded onto the scene, there’s been a flood of accusations against famous men, especially in music and film. But, honestly, only a handful have ended up in court facing real criminal charges. Sean “Diddy” Combs also got added to that infamous list.
Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest names who’ve faced criminal prosecution in recent years, and what happened to them:
Harvey Weinstein
Weinstein’s name is practically synonymous with #MeToo at this point. Dozens of women accused him publicly. He ended up prosecuted in both New York and California.
In L.A., a jury found him guilty back in 2022 of raping and assaulting one of four women who testified against him. The most serious charges involved an Italian actress and model—she said Weinstein showed up uninvited at her hotel room during a film festival in 2013.
He was found not guilty of a sexual battery allegation from a massage therapist in 2010. For two other accusers, the jury just couldn’t agree—a mistrial was declared on those counts.
In New York, Weinstein got convicted in 2020 for raping one woman and assaulting another, after a parade of gut-wrenching testimony. He got slapped with 23 years in prison, but earlier this year, that conviction got tossed. New York’s top court said the judge messed up by letting in testimony that shouldn’t have been part of that trial.
Now, there’s a retrial in the works, with new charges in the mix. It was supposed to happen in November, but with all the legal back-and-forth, it’s been pushed off—probably not happening until next year.
Weinstein, by the way, still says he did nothing wrong and is appealing his California conviction. Meanwhile, he’s also facing a pile of civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Bill Cosby
Cosby was the first celebrity to go on trial in the #MeToo era. He got arrested in 2015, right before the statute of limitations ran out, after a damaging deposition came to light in Andrea Constand’s lawsuit. She said Cosby drugged and assaulted her.
His first trial in 2017 ended with a deadlocked jury. The second time, in 2018, he was convicted and sentenced to up to 10 years. But that didn’t stick—the Pennsylvania Supreme Court tossed his conviction in 2021, saying the DA should’ve honoured a previous promise not to file charges (even though that deal was never written down).
Cosby’s now 87. Over 60 women have accused him of sexual assault, rape, or harassment. He keeps denying everything.
R. Kelly
Federal juries in both Chicago and New York found R. Kelly guilty—everything from producing child sexual abuse material to sex trafficking. He used his fame to abuse young fans for years, some of them barely teenagers.
He’s serving a 30-year sentence from New York and another 20 years from Chicago, running mostly at the same time. Prosecutors said he had a whole network of managers and assistants to help him find girls and keep them quiet. R. Kelly’s lawyers are still fighting those convictions in athe ppeals court.
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey walked out of a London courtroom a free man after a jury said “not guilty” to sexual assault charges. Four men had come forward, saying this stuff happened two decades ago. Three of them told the court Spacey grabbed their crotches—called him “vile,” even “slippery, snaky.”
Spacey didn’t deny being flirty with guys, said he’d had consensual stuff, and admitted to one awkward groin-touch, but claimed it was just a clumsy pass. That win in England followed another legal victory in New York, where Anthony Rapp (“Star Trek: Discovery”) had sued him, but Spacey beat that case, too.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr.—yeah, the “Jerry Maguire” guy—pleaded guilty in 2022 for kissing a nightclub worker without her consent back in 2018. By admitting it, he dodged more serious charges from two other women; the prosecutors dropped those, which honestly could’ve landed him in jail if things had gone differently.
Gooding even apologized in open court to the other women, called himself a “celebrity figure,” and said he never meant harm. The case dragged on for almost three years after his arrest, but in the end, he was pretty blunt: he told the judge he kissed the waitress on the lips and didn’t have her okay.
Danny Masterson
Danny Masterson from “That ’70s Show” is now behind bars, serving 30 years to life for raping two women. The first trial ended in a hung jury, so prosecutors went after him again. Second time around, the jury convicted him on two out of three rape charges—these attacks happened back in 2003 at his place, when he was riding high on fame.
The third charge? The jury couldn’t agree if he raped his longtime girlfriend. Prosecutors said Masterson leaned on his status in the Church of Scientology to dodge fallout for years, and the women said the church’s influence kept them from going to the cops sooner.
Sean “Diddy” Combs
Most recently, Diddy got arrested in September in New York. Prosecutors say he used his fame and power to pressure women and male sex workers into wild, drug-fueled sex parties—what he allegedly called “Freak Offs.” They’re also accusing him of using violence and blackmail to keep people silent.
Diddy, now 54, is facing some pretty serious federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. If the charges stick, he’s looking at a minimum of 15 years behind bars. This week, a judge shot down his request to await trial at home.
