Latest news with #Combs
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jury set to begin deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial. Here's what to know
NEW YORK (AP) — For seven weeks, a jury in Manhattan has listened as prosecutors laid out a criminal sex trafficking and racketeering case against rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs. They heard his ex-girlfriends and other witnesses deliver shocking accounts of violence and drug-fueled sexual marathons. On Monday, jurors are set to begin deliberating, ultimately deciding whether Combs was running a criminal enterprise, as the government says, or — as his lawyer insists — merely living a swinger lifestyle that included recreational drug use and, regrettably, domestic violence. The answer will determine the future of one of the biggest music moguls and cultural figures of the past four decades. If convicted, Combs, 55, would face 15 years to life in prison. Here's what to know about the case: What are the charges? The three-time Grammy Award winner has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into abusive sex parties involving hired male sex workers, ensured their compliance with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and beatings. 'He's the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn't take no for an answer,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said in her closing arguments on Thursday. Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, portrayed the Bad Boys Records founder as the victim of overzealous prosecutors who exaggerated elements of his lifestyle and recreational drug use to bring charges that resulted in what he called a 'fake trial.' What is racketeering? The most serious charge, racketeering conspiracy, alleges that Combs ran a criminal enterprise for two decades that relied on bodyguards, household staff, personal assistants and others in his orbit to facilitate and cover up crimes. Federal prosecutors brought the charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Congress passed the federal law in 1970 with the declared purpose of targeting organized crime, but its use has been more widespread. To prove the charge, prosecutors must show that an enterprise existed and was involved in a pattern of racketeering activity. In this case, that alleged activity includes kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking. Key pieces of evidence Early in the trial, prosecutors showed jurors 2016 security video of Combs beating and kicking his former longtime girlfriend Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie, an R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, testified the assault took place as she was trying to leave one of the sexual encounters, which witnesses say he referred to as 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights.' Jurors saw numerous explicit clips of such encounters, some involving Cassie and others involving a later girlfriend who was identified only by the the pseudonym 'Jane.' Both women took the stand. Cassie testified over four days that she participated in hundreds of the events with paid sex workers while she and Combs were in a relationship from 2007 until 2018, often feeling like she didn't have a choice. She sued Combs in 2023, alleging years of abuse. He settled within hours, and dozens of similar lawsuits followed. Jane testified over six days that she was romantically involved with Combs from 2021 until his September arrest at a New York hotel, and that she, too, felt forced to have sex with the hired strangers in multiday sex marathons while Combs watched. The Associated Press doesn't generally identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has done. Testimony also included hours of text message exchanges, some of which involved Combs or other people in his orbit, that were read aloud by a Homeland Security Investigations agent. In all, 34 people took the stand, all of them called by the prosecution. Combs did not testify. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. How will jury deliberations work? Judge Arun Subramanian will give instructions to the jurors on Monday before sending them off to deliberate inside the Manhattan federal courthouse. The jury of 8 men and 4 women must unanimously decide guilty or not guilty on each count. That means all 12 jurors must agree. If jurors don't reach an agreement, they could come back and say they are deadlocked. Traditionally, the judge would then encourage them to continue deliberating, but if they can't reach a consensus, it would be up to the judge to decide whether to declare a mistrial.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyer says prosecutors trying to criminalise his ‘private sex life'
Sean "Diddy" Combs listens as his lawyer Marc Agnifilo makes his closing arguments during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, on June 27, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. PHOTO: REUTERS Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer says prosecutors trying to criminalise his 'private sex life' Sean 'Diddy' Combs' defense lawyer urged a jury on June 27 to find the former hip-hop mogul not guilty in his sex trafficking trial, saying prosecutors are trying to criminalise his unusual sexual preferences. The lawyer, Mr Marc Agnifilo, said during his closing argument in Manhattan federal court that over the past two months prosecutors had presented a 'fake trial' to use Combs' sexual proclivities as evidence of a criminal conspiracy centered on his businesses. 'They take the baby oil and the Astroglide and make it the evidence in this case, because there's nothing wrong with his businesses,' Mr Agnifilo said, adding that the 'crime scene' in the case was Combs' 'private sex life'. Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, the Bad Boy Records founder faces a minimum 15-year prison term and could be sentenced to life behind bars. Mr Agnifilo peppered his closing argument with sarcastic questions, including asking how the women who testified against Combs could have been sex trafficked if they agreed to fulfill Combs' sexual fantasies partly out of love for him. 'If we're at Freak Off number 75, and 75 of them have been consensual, what would have to happen at Freak Off 76 to say, now it's sex trafficking?' Mr Agnifilo said, referring to Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura and using Combs' term for drug-fueled sexual performances with male escorts. During her rebuttal on June 27 , prosecutor Maureen Comey told jurors that Agnifilo repeatedly tried to blame prosecutors and Combs' victims for his grave legal jeopardy, rather than Combs himself. 'He's tossing up excuse after excuse for inexcusable criminal behavior, trying to explain away the devastating evidence,' Ms Comey said. 'Make no mistake: this trial is about how in Sean Combs' world, 'no' was never an option,' Ms Comey added. Over more than six weeks of testimony in Manhattan federal court, jurors heard two of Combs' former girlfriends testify that they took part in days-long, drug-fueled sex parties sometimes called 'Freak Offs' with male sex workers while Combs watched, masturbated, and occasionally filmed. Combs did not testify. The jury saw hotel surveillance footage of Combs beating one of the women in a hallway, and heard Combs' employees describe setting up hotel rooms and buying drugs for the performances. Jurors are expected to start deliberations either late on June 27 or June 30 . To convict Combs, they must vote unanimously. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
Diddy trial day 34 recap: Defense tries to reframe alleged sex trafficking as 'one of the great modern love stories'
It wasn't sex trafficking. It was "one of the great modern love stories." That's how lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs in their closing argument on Friday framed for the jury the world of alleged violence, drugs and choreographed orgies at the heart of the federal case against one the biggest superstars in the music world. After jurors heard weeks of testimony about how Combs allegedly used drugs, violence and threats to coerce women like his longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura into sex with male escorts, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo argued that Combs and Ventura had a "beautiful relationship" that was tainted by jealousy and infidelity. "You will cry. You will read evidence with an exhibit sticker on it and you will cry. Some of the most beautiful things ever said," Agnifilo said about the text messages between Combs and Ventura that were central pieces of evidence in the case. "They are truly in love with each other, and that is what defines their relationship." Combs' relationship with Ventura and another woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" are at the center of federal prosecutors' criminal case against Combs. They argue Combs love-bombed the women, pressured them into participating in days-long sex parties called "freak offs" or "hotel nights," then used violence and threats to ensure they stayed quiet about Combs' voyeurism. After prosecutors presented a lengthy nearly five-hour closing statement on Thursday, Agnifilo responded with a four-hour summation where he openly mocked the prosecution's case at various points and suggested Comb was unfairly targeted by law enforcement over his private sex life. "Thank goodness for the special response team. They found the baby oil. They found the AstroGlide," Agnifilo said, referencing the hundreds of bottles of lubricants said to have been recovered from Combs' home. "The only crime scene is your private sex life." While Agnifilo acknowledged that Combs might have engaged in domestic violence or threatened to release sex tapes of his romantic partners, Agnifilo argued Combs is not guilty of the charges he faces, including the allegation he used his business empire to run a criminal organization devoted to fulfilling his sexual appetites. Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and his attorneys have insisted that domestic violence and drug use are not the issues in the criminal case that has occupied the tabloids and headlines for weeks. His defense lawyers maintain that all sexual encounters were consensual. Combs faces the possibility of a life sentence, if convicted on all counts. The jury of eight men and four women are set to begin deliberating Combs' fate Monday morning, after the judge overseeing the case instructs them on the charges and how to apply the law to the testimony they've heard since mid-May. Defense tries to discredit testimony from alleged victims Jurors heard 13 days of testimony from three alleged victims, who took the stand to help prosecutors build their case against Combs. Ventura, a singer and longtime girlfriend of Combs, and "Jane" testified Combs pressured them to participate in the sex parties -- fearing violence or reputational harm if they refused. A former assistant, who testified under the name "Mia," said the rap mogul sexually assaulted and raped her. During his summation, Agnifilo tried to chip away at the credibility of each of the women, arguing they were motivated by money and that prosecutors "exaggerated" their claims against Combs. The defense cast Ventura as a beautiful woman who loved sex, seeking to undermine the government's portrayal of her as a victim of sex trafficking. "When she wasn't with Sean Combs she was with Michael B. Jordan," Agnifilo said of the movie star. "He's the most handsome man in the world. She's not messing around. She's at a high level. She has sexual confidence. Good for her. She's not clutching her pearls." Like Ventura, "Jane" was no trafficking victim, the defense lawyer asserted, saying "she's agreeing" to the kind of sexual activity with male prostitutes that Combs desired. "She regrets it. She resents him for it. That came later," Agnifilo said. "She agreed to it. That's all you need to know, and we can be done with it." Agnifilo disputed federal prosecutors' contention that Combs used paying "Jane's" $10,000 monthly rent as leverage to coerce her to participate. "The house is a gesture of kindness, of decency, of niceness," Agnifilo said. "I hope she's having a nice day. I don't know what she's doing but I know she's doing it in a house he paid for." Addressing the allegations of sexual assault and rape made by "Mia," Combs' attorney argued the sexual encounters were voluntary. He highlighted the effusive birthday message she sent Combs one year to suggest their relationship had crossed from the professional into the romantic. Defense tries to dismantle racketeering predicates In response to prosecutors' allegation that Combs used security guards, staff and assistants to commit crimes, Agnifilo mocked prosecutors for suggesting that Combs' actions were part of a broader criminal organization. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?" Agnifilo said. "If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be [Combs and Ventura's] relationship." Agnifilo tried to distance Combs from some of the underlying crimes that prosecutors say Combs agreed to commit with other members of the alleged enterprise, including arson, kidnapping and bribery. Prosecutors alleged Combs orchestrated the firebombing of the luxury sports car of the rapper Kid Cudi after learning the fellow musician was seeing Ventura in 2011. Agnifilo called the claim "nonsense" and argued no evidence directly linked Combs to the crime. "There is no evidence, I mean no evidence, that he had anything to do with the Porsche," Agnifilo said. Federal prosecutors argued Combs and his associates were worried about being arrested after the attack on Ventura caught on 2016 hotel surveillance cameras and sought to bribe a security guard in return for the footage. Agnifilo said Combs had a different motive -- distrust of hotel staff. "Money is involved, and people want a payday," Agnifilo said, telling the jury hotel staff may have been willing to sell video of someone as famous as Combs. "They're not worried about the police." In staccato remarks, Agnifilo questioned the allegations of Combs' one-time personal assistant, Capricorn Clark, who testified she was forced to submit to a five-day lie detector test after Combs' jewelry went missing. Prosecutors said that amounted to kidnapping. "She went home. Everyday. So, what is the government alleging?" Agnifilo half-shouted. "I have no doubt that she was unsettled. She was not kidnapped." Prosecutor says Combs "trapped" his victims After hours of defense closing arguments, prosecutor Maurene Comey addressed the jury. She denounced the defense summation for insinuating the women "wanted it," telling jurors it defied logic to think Ventura wanted an escort to urinate on her or to go through other elements of the sex sessions. "What we're talking about is being in a dark hotel room, awake for days, covered in oil, often with a [urinary tract infection], in heels, with your pelvic area sore…having sex for hours, including with strangers," Comey said. "The defense wanted you to believe Cassie and Jane wanted that. That's ridiculous on its face." Comey told jurors they must find one freak-off when Combs knew he was using force, fraud or coercion to gain Ventura or Jane's compliance in order to convict Combs of sex trafficking. "The defendant never thought the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud about what he had done with him," Comey said. "For 20 years, the defendant got away with his crimes. That ends in this courtroom."
Herald Sun
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
'Not a god': arguments end in Combs trial ahead of jury deliberations
Sean "Diddy" Combs's lawyer aimed Friday 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. But in their rebuttal -- the trial's final stage before jurors are tasked with deciding the verdict -- prosecutors tore into the defense, saying Combs's team had "contorted the facts endlessly." Prosecutor Maurene Comey told jurors that by the time Combs -- once among the most powerful people in music -- had committed his clearest-cut offenses, "he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it." "In his mind he was untouchable," she told the court as the case came to a dramatic close. "The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud what he had done to them." "That ends in this courtroom," she said. "The defendant is not a god." For most of Friday's hearing defense attorney Marc Agnifilo picked apart, and even made light of, the testimony of women who were in long-term relationships with Combs, and who said he had coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties with paid escorts. 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" that allowed him to act with impunity. 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 freewheeling, nearly four-hour-long argument, Agnifilo aimed to confuse the methodic narrative US attorney Christy Slavik provided one day prior. She had spent nearly five hours meticulously walking the jury through the charges and their legal basis, summarizing thousands of phone, financial, travel and audiovisual records along with nearly seven weeks of testimony from 34 witnesses. Central to their case is the claim that Combs led a criminal enterprise of senior employees -- including his chief-of-staff and security guards -- who "existed to serve his needs." 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 upwards of life in prison. - 'Brazen' - Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane described abuse, threats and coercive sex in excruciating detail, for days. Combs's defense has conceded that domestic violence was a feature of the artist's relationships, but that his outbursts did not amount to sex trafficking. The defense insisted the women were consenting adults making their own choices. Prosecutor Comey snapped back that they were being "manipulated" into "brazen" acts of sex trafficking, reiterating once again for jurors what the government says are the clearest-cut examples. 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. Comey called that notion insulting: "What was her prize? Black eyes? A gash in her head? Sex for days with a UTI?" Agnifilo also pointed to a violent episode between Combs and Jane, when she says she struck him in an argument before he brutally beat her, struck her down in the shower, and then forced her into giving an escort oral sex. "Jane may have started that fight, but he finished it with a vengeance," Comey said, calling that incident the most obvious sex trafficking case and saying he had "literally beaten her into submission." Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages of affection and desire from both women -- and Agnifilo emphasized the love and romance once again. Both prosecutors said taking those words literally, and in isolation, doesn't paint the whole picture. They also referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by abusers. "The defense is throwing anything they can think of at the wall, hoping something will stick," Comey said. On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will instruct jurors on how to apply the law to the evidence for their deliberations. Then, 12 New Yorkers will determine Combs's future. mdo/sla Originally published as 'Not a god': arguments end in Combs trial ahead of jury deliberations
LeMonde
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
