Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' attorneys plead with jurors in closing arguments
As closing arguments in Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial wind down, attorneys for the embattled hip-hop mogul will offer their final defense before jury deliberations.
Combs and his legal team were back in Manhattan court on June 27 to plead his case to jurors in the sweeping federal sex-crimes probe. This comes after prosecutors kicked off closing arguments on June 26, which lasted about six hours.
Assistant U.S. attorney Christy Slavik thanked jurors for their time after hearing how Combs allegedly ran his criminal enterprise with "total control and used his loyal staff" to go about it. The U.S. attorney also revisited testimony from Comb's former girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, and laid the groundwork for deliberations on Combs' racketeering charge.
"All of this evidence paints a clear picture of how the defendant committed crimes," Slavik told the courtroom. "Up until today, he was able to get away with it because of his money, his power (and) his influence." She added: "It's time for justice. It's time to find the defendant guilty."
Prosecutors called forward more than 30 witnesses over the course of nearly seven weeks of testimony. Several individuals in Combs' personal and professional orbit — from ex-girlfriends Ventura Fine and the woman using the pseudonym "Jane" to Danity Kane alum Dawn Richard and rap peer Kid Cudi — took the stand.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges.
Is Diddy in jail?
The disgraced music mogul is in custody, and despite repeated attempts at bail, has remained confined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
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What is Diddy charged with?
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling case that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to the five counts against him.
What is a RICO? Racketeering meaning
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have on video.
How to stream the Diddy trial
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
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