Trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs heads into closing arguments
Both sides have said their climactic summations will last several hours each, as the fate of the once-powerful music mogul hangs in the balance.
Prosecutors say Combs, 55, masterminded a decades-long pattern of wrongdoing that saw him and an inner circle of employees carry out crimes including forced labor, arson, bribery and witness tampering.
The famed producer coerced two women -- the singer Casandra Ventura and later a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane -- into years of drug-addled sex with paid escorts, prosecutors say.
The most serious charge of racketeering -- which includes the existence of a criminal enterprise that committed a pattern of offenses -- could send Combs to prison for life. He also faces two charges of sex trafficking and two more for transportation for purposes of prostitution.
But Combs denies it all: his lawyers have argued the artist's relationships were consensual and have sought to convince jurors that many of the witnesses who testified were doing so for reasons including financial gain or jealousy.
Along with alleged victims, government witnesses included former assistants and other employees, as well as escorts, friends and family of Ventura, and a hotel security guard who said he was bribed with $100,000 in a paper bag.
Law enforcement officials and a forensic psychologist were also among the 34 individuals to take the stand.
Combs opted against testifying on his own behalf, a common strategy of defense teams who are not required to prove innocence, only to cast doubt on government allegations of guilt.
The government's evidence included thousands of pages of phone and text records, and hours of testimony involved meticulous readings of some of the most explicit and wrenching exchanges.
Many of those records appear to indicate distress on the part of the alleged victims. But a lot of the messages also show affection and desire -- texts the defense underscored again and again.
Jurors have seen video evidence of the sex parties prosecutors say were criminal, while the defense has exhibited exchanges they said imply consent.
Also in evidence are reams of financial records -- including CashApp payments to escorts -- as well as flight and hotel records.
Deliberations up next
Since early May the proceedings have gripped the Manhattan federal courthouse where they're taking place.
And though electronics -- that includes phones, laptops, and even AirPods -- are barred from the building and must be left with security, dozens of influencers and content creators have buzzed around the courthouse's exterior every day, delivering hot takes to eager social media fans.
Combs is incarcerated and does not enter or exit the courthouse publicly. But some of the high-profile attendees and witnesses do, including members of the music mogul's family and figures like Kid Cudi, the rapper who testified that Combs's entourage torched his car.
The marathon closing arguments are anticipated to wrap up on Friday.
There is a slim chance jurors will go into deliberations that afternoon, but legal teams have indicated it's more likely the panel of citizens will get the case on Monday.
Then the world waits, as 12 New Yorkers consider the future of a man whose reputation as a dynamic starmaker is now in tatters.
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LeMonde
21 hours ago
- LeMonde
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorney takes aim at accusers in closing argument, defends rapper's sexual 'lifestyle'
Sean "Diddy" Combs's lawyer aimed Friday, June 27, to skewer the credibility of the music mogul's accusers, saying in closing arguments they were out for money while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man, who used his employees, wealth and power to foster "a climate of fear" and force women into demeaning, unlawful sex parties. Combs, 55, is a "self-made, successful Black entrepreneur" who had romantic relationships that were "complicated" but ultimately consensual "love stories," Agnifilo said. In his meandering closing arguments, Agnifilo aimed to confuse the narrative US attorney Christy Slavik provided one day prior. She had spent nearly five hours methodically walking the jury through the charges, summarizing thousands of phone, financial, travel and audiovisual records along with nearly seven weeks of testimony from 34 witnesses. In explaining the most serious charge of racketeering, the prosecution said Combs led a criminal enterprise of "loyal lieutenants" and "foot soldiers" who "existed to serve his needs." Central to their case is the claim that senior employees – including his chief-of-staff and security guards – were aware of his actions and actively enabled them. But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators in the indictment. "This is supposed to be simple," the defense counsel told jurors. "If you find that you're in the weeds of this great complexity, maybe it's because it just isn't there." "It takes a lot of courage to acquit," he said in closing. If convicted, Combs faces potential life in prison. 'Not sex trafficking' Agnifilo spent ample time dissecting the testimony of singer Casandra Ventura and a woman who spoke under the pseudonym Jane. Both witnesses described abuse and coercion under Combs in excruciating detail. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey As in their opening statements, Combs's defense conceded that while domestic violence was a feature of the artist's relationships, his outbursts did not amount to the sex trafficking he's charged with. The prosecution showed multiple examples they say are "crystal clear" evidence of trafficking that included coercion into drug-addled sex with paid escorts under threat of reputational, physical or financial harm. The defense countered that the women were consenting adults making their own choices – at times even making light of their harrowing witness testimony. Agnifilo pointed to Ventura's civil lawsuit against Combs in which she was granted $20 million: "If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it would be Cassie," he said. Ventura spent days on the stand, speaking through tears as she described brutal physical violence, emotional manipulation and fear that Combs would ruin her career or reputation if she left him. Addressing an infamous video of Combs beating Ventura in a hotel hallway, Agnifilo acknowledged it was "terrible" and "very much domestic violence," but insisted the video "is not sex trafficking." 'Drugged, covered in oil' Prosecutors have explained to jurors however that the case is "not about free choices" and that the women involved were "drugged, covered in oil, sore, exhausted." Agnifilo questioned testimony from both Ventura and Jane about being coerced into sex with male escorts, scenarios core to charges related to transportation for purposes of prostitution. "This was a lifestyle. You want to call it swingers, you want to call it threesomes... that's all it is," Agnifilo said. In taking on drug distribution accusations, which are among the eight possible acts that could result in a racketeering conviction, Agnifilo said that too was simply part of Combs's party boy lifestyle. "They seem to be doing what people in creative fields do," the lawyer said. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages of affection and desire from both women – but prosecutor Slavik said taking those words literally, and in isolation, doesn't paint the whole picture. Slavik repeatedly referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by their abusers. The government has the last word: Prosecutor Maurene Comey will rebut Agnifilo's argument, the last piece of the proceedings jurors will hear before they head into the weekend. And on Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will instruct jurors on how they are to apply the law to the evidence during their deliberations before they are handed the case.
France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
Trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs heads into closing arguments
Both sides have said their climactic summations will last several hours each, as the fate of the once-powerful music mogul hangs in the balance. Prosecutors say Combs, 55, masterminded a decades-long pattern of wrongdoing that saw him and an inner circle of employees carry out crimes including forced labor, arson, bribery and witness tampering. The famed producer coerced two women -- the singer Casandra Ventura and later a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane -- into years of drug-addled sex with paid escorts, prosecutors say. The most serious charge of racketeering -- which includes the existence of a criminal enterprise that committed a pattern of offenses -- could send Combs to prison for life. He also faces two charges of sex trafficking and two more for transportation for purposes of prostitution. But Combs denies it all: his lawyers have argued the artist's relationships were consensual and have sought to convince jurors that many of the witnesses who testified were doing so for reasons including financial gain or jealousy. Along with alleged victims, government witnesses included former assistants and other employees, as well as escorts, friends and family of Ventura, and a hotel security guard who said he was bribed with $100,000 in a paper bag. Law enforcement officials and a forensic psychologist were also among the 34 individuals to take the stand. Combs opted against testifying on his own behalf, a common strategy of defense teams who are not required to prove innocence, only to cast doubt on government allegations of guilt. The government's evidence included thousands of pages of phone and text records, and hours of testimony involved meticulous readings of some of the most explicit and wrenching exchanges. Many of those records appear to indicate distress on the part of the alleged victims. But a lot of the messages also show affection and desire -- texts the defense underscored again and again. Jurors have seen video evidence of the sex parties prosecutors say were criminal, while the defense has exhibited exchanges they said imply consent. Also in evidence are reams of financial records -- including CashApp payments to escorts -- as well as flight and hotel records. Deliberations up next Since early May the proceedings have gripped the Manhattan federal courthouse where they're taking place. And though electronics -- that includes phones, laptops, and even AirPods -- are barred from the building and must be left with security, dozens of influencers and content creators have buzzed around the courthouse's exterior every day, delivering hot takes to eager social media fans. Combs is incarcerated and does not enter or exit the courthouse publicly. But some of the high-profile attendees and witnesses do, including members of the music mogul's family and figures like Kid Cudi, the rapper who testified that Combs's entourage torched his car. The marathon closing arguments are anticipated to wrap up on Friday. There is a slim chance jurors will go into deliberations that afternoon, but legal teams have indicated it's more likely the panel of citizens will get the case on Monday. Then the world waits, as 12 New Yorkers consider the future of a man whose reputation as a dynamic starmaker is now in tatters.
France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
Sean Combs trial: Takeaways from testimony
Music mogul Combs, 55, faces federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation with intent of prostitution. He denies all charges and faces life in prison if convicted. As the final stages of the at-times tumultuous proceedings approach, here are takeaways from the Manhattan trial. Key testimony from victims Throughout the prosecution's nearly seven-week case, three women took the stand to describe harrowing details of graphic sexual assault, including rape. The first was Casandra Ventura, the singer who dated Combs for 11 years. She made her dramatic turn as a star witness last month while eight months pregnant with her third child. She recounted degrading, drug-fueled, frequently filmed sex parties with escorts she said Combs coerced her into, and also told jurors he raped her near the end of their relationship. Jurors have repeatedly watched disturbing surveillance footage of Combs brutally beating and dragging Ventura, a video already seared into the public consciousness after CNN published it last year. A former assistant of Combs testified under the name Mia, and described trying to protect Ventura from Combs's fits of rage. Mia told jurors she personally endured abuse, including rape, from Combs. A third woman, Jane, also testified of orchestrated sex parties with paid escorts. She said she felt "obligated" to acquiesce to Combs's desires, for "fear of losing the roof over my head" that he was bankrolling. Bad Boy Entertainment or criminal enterprise? Prosecutors say Combs headed a criminal organization that enforced his power with myriad crimes including forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, witness tampering and arson. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known by its acronym RICO, encompasses 35 specific offenses, including the aforementioned crimes. Prosecutors must prove a criminal pattern involving at least two of them. Government attorneys, who must also show the existence of an enterprise, say Combs's sprawling music, fashion and business empire doubled as a criminal ring that included some high-ranking associates and other employees. Through testimony and evidence, prosecutors have suggested that Combs's chief of staff and his head of security were both key to the alleged enterprise -- but neither were called to the stand, nor have they been charged publicly. Many witnesses, including former assistants, were given immunity orders so they could speak truthfully without fear of incriminating themselves. The digital footprint Records of private messages have played a major role in the prosecution's case, a reflection of the paper trail that accompanies society's dependence on digital communication. The government's evidence included thousands of pages of phone and text records, and hours of testimony involved meticulous readings of some of the most explicit and wrenching exchanges. Combs's relationship with Ventura lasted from around 2007-2018, and records included many texts as well as e-mails. The testimony of Jane, a girlfriend of Combs from 2021-2024, was grounded in voluminous text conversations as well as audio voice messages and diaristic entries into her Notes app. Many of those records appear to indicate distress on the part of the alleged victims. But a lot of the messages also show affection and desire -- texts the defense underscored again and again. Jurors have seen video evidence of the sex parties prosecutors say were criminal, while the defense has exhibited exchanges they said imply consent. Also in evidence are reams of financial records -- including CashApp payments to escorts -- as well as flight and hotel records. Coercion versus consent Core to the prosecution's case is a question of coercion versus consent: were the alleged victims in the case coerced, forced or fraudently made to engage in drug-addled sex marathons under threat of harm -- or were they knowing and willing participants? In its opening statements, the defense said Combs's accusers are "capable, strong adult women." "Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking," said lawyer Teny Geragos. Ventura and Jane both said they experienced emotional manipulation and threats that were reputational, financial and physical. And a forensic psychologist explained to jurors how the tactics of abusers can keep victims from leaving relationships. Celebrities, influencers and the online gossip machine Jurors are instructed every day not to consume media about the case -- a mighty task, as news of the trial has permeated media ecosystems and social platforms. Dozens of news organizations are covering the trial, along with enthusiastic content creators cashing in on the internet's desire for hot takes and celebrity gossip. Combs is incarcerated and does not enter or exit the courthouse publicly. But some of the high-profile attendees and witnesses do, including members of the music mogul's family and figures like Kid Cudi, the rapper who testified that Combs's entourage torched his car. And the brief cameo of Ye, who stopped by to lend his "support" to Combs, was a particular field day for the chronically online.
