Latest news with #I'llBeMissingYou
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, calls charges 'badly exaggerated'
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer implored a jury on Friday to acquit the hip-hop mogul, arguing overzealous federal prosecutors twisted his drug use and swinger lifestyle into a sex trafficking and racketeering case that could put him behind bars for life. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, calls charges 'badly exaggerated' 'He is none of these things. He is innocent,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, glancing at Combs during a four-hour closing argument. "He sits there innocent. Return him to his family who have been waiting for him.' Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Monday. Agnifilo repeatedly mocked the government's case, peppering his presentation with folksy quips and bawdy observations. He said prosecutors 'badly exaggerated' the charges, and he belittled federal agents who seized baby oil and lubricant in raids last year at Combs' Los Angeles and Miami-area homes. 'Way to go, fellas,' the defense lawyer said. Agnifilo accused the government of targeting Combs, irritating prosecutors and the judge, and questioned why no one else was charged in what the prosecution alleges was a racketeering conspiracy involving Combs' personal assistants, bodyguards and other employees. Judge Arun Subramanian instructed jurors not to consider why or how the government obtained an indictment. In a rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said Agnifilo spent 'a whole lot of energy' trying to distract from Combs' 'inexcusable criminal behavior.' 'Make no mistake," Comey told jurors, "this trial was about how in Sean Combs' world, 'no' was never an option.' Agnifilo called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that the 'I'll Be Missing You' singer engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say, 'Yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise — I engaged in racketeering?'' No, those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination, he argued. Combs, in a sweater and khakis, watched Agnifilo with rapt attention after looking down and slouching during Thursday's prosecution closing. He didn't testify during the seven-week trial, and his lawyers called no witnesses of their own. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, sat behind him. When the day was finished, Combs hugged one of his lawyers and smiled as he conversed with others. As the jury filed out of the courtroom for the last time this week, Combs watched them, but the jurors didn't look his way. Combs' ex-girlfriends R&B singer Cassie and a woman testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane' told jurors that Combs coerced them into participating in 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights' — drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed them. Agnifilo argued prosecutors had invaded Combs' most intimate personal affairs, warning jurors: 'Where's the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life." He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts, as well as the government's suggestion that many of the sex marathons at the heart of the case were crimes. If that's so, he said, 'we need a bigger roll of crime scene tape,' a reference to a famous line from the movie 'Jaws.' Agnifilo argued there's another factor at play in the allegations that women have lobbed against him: the prospect of draining him of his wealth through lawsuits. 'This isn't about a crime. This is about money. It's about money," Agnifilo said. Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, sued Combs in November 2023 over abuse allegations. He settled with her the next day for $20 million, but the allegations prompted federal law enforcement to open the criminal investigation that led to his arrest. Dozens of other lawsuits followed. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. Agnifilo reiterated that the defense 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent but argued that behavior does not justify the grave charges against him. Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship,' albeit a 'complicated' one, Agnifilo said. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship." Agnifilo said. "They were truly, deeply in love with each other, for real." Echoing prosecutor Christy Slavik's closing argument on Thursday, Agnifilo showed jurors part of the now-infamous security camera footage of Combs attacking Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Agnifilo acknowledged that the video clearly shows domestic violence, but he disputed the prosecution's theory that the assault was evidence of sex trafficking by force. He insisted Combs may have been angry not that Cassie was trying to flee a 'freak-off,' but that she was taking his cellphone. In her rebuttal, Comey said: 'Being a domestic abuser is not a defense to sex trafficking.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Mint
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Sean Diddy Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, calls charges badly exaggerated
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer implored a jury on Friday to acquit the hip-hop mogul, arguing overzealous federal prosecutors twisted his drug use and swinger lifestyle into a sex trafficking and racketeering case that could put him behind bars for life. 'He is none of these things. He is innocent,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said, glancing at Combs during a four-hour closing argument. "He sits there innocent. Return him to his family who have been waiting for him.' Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Monday. Agnifilo repeatedly mocked the government's case, peppering his presentation with folksy quips and bawdy observations. He said prosecutors 'badly exaggerated' the evidence, and he belittled federal agents who seized hundreds of bottles of baby oil and lubricant in raids last year at Combs' homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area. 'Way to go, fellas,' the defense lawyer said. Agnifilo accused the government of targeting Combs, irritating prosecutors and the judge, and questioned why no one else was charged in what the prosecution alleges was a racketeering conspiracy involving Combs' personal assistants, bodyguards and other employees. Judge Arun Subramanian instructed jurors they were not to consider why or how the government obtained an indictment. In a rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said Agnifilo had spent 'a whole lot of energy' trying to distract from Combs' 'inexcusable behavior.' 'Make no mistake," Comey told jurors, "this trial was about how in Sean Combs' world, 'no' was never an option.' Agnifilo called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial" and ridiculed the notion that the 'I'll Be Missing You' singer engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say, 'Yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise — I engaged in racketeering?'' No, those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination, he argued. Combs, in a sweater and khakis, watched Agnifilo with rapt attention after looking down and slouching during Thursday's prosecution closing. He didn't testify during the seven-week trial, and his lawyers called no witnesses of their own. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, sat behind him. When the day was finished, Combs hugged one of his lawyers and smiled as he conversed with others. As the jury filed out of the courtroom for the last time this week, Combs watched them, but the jurors didn't look his way. Combs' ex-girlfriends R&B singer Cassie and a woman testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane' told jurors that Combs coerced them into participating in 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights' — drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed them. Agnifilo argued prosecutors had invaded Combs' most intimate personal affairs, warning jurors: 'Where's the crime scene? It's your sex life." He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts, as well as the government's suggestion that many of the sex marathons at the heart of the case were crimes. If that's so, he said, 'we need a bigger roll of crime scene tape,' a reference to a famous line from the movie 'Jaws.' Agnifilo argued there's another factor at play in the allegations that women have lobbed against him: the prospect of draining him of his wealth through lawsuits. 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money," Agnifilo said. Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, sued Combs in November 2023 over abuse allegations. He settled with her the next day for $20 million, but the allegations prompted federal law enforcement to open the criminal investigation that led to his arrest. Dozens of other lawsuits followed. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. Agnifilo reiterated that the defense 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent but argued that behavior does not justify the grave charges against him. Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship,' albeit a 'complicated' one, Agnifilo said. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship." Agnifilo said. "They were deeply in love with each other." Echoing prosecutor Christy Slavik's closing argument on Thursday, Agnifilo showed jurors part of the now-infamous security camera footage of Combs attacking Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Agnifilo acknowledged that the video clearly shows domestic violence, but he disputed the prosecution's theory that the assault was evidence of sex trafficking by force. He insisted Combs may have been angry not that Cassie was trying to flee a 'freak-off,' but that she was taking his cellphone. In her rebuttal, Comey said: 'Being a domestic abuser is not a defense to sex trafficking.'
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Daily Record
P Diddy and son Justin accused of rape in fresh lawsuit as sex-trafficking trial ends
P-Diddy's sex trafficking trial hears defence closing argyments. However, the disgraced music mogul faces a fresh rape accusations in new lawsuit. P Diddy and his son, Justin Combs have been accused of rape in a brand new law suit. The shamed star's current trial, in which he is accused of sex-trafficking, is being presented with te defence's closing arguments today. However, Diddy - real name, Sean Combs - faces fresh allegations, this time, along with his son. As per documents obtained by the Mirror US, a woman from Louisiana claims she connected with Justin, 33, on Snapchat, before she was invited to California where she was told she could further her career in the entertainment industry, reports the Mirror. She has accused Justin of luring her to his Los Angeles mansion in 2017 to be raped by his father, 55, and two other 'masked men.' The woman alleges she was offered pills, alcohol and marijuana before the three men arrived at the property, one of whom she claims to believe was Diddy. The rape was said to have lasted several hours. Diddy's lawyer denies the allegations. Diddy's team told the Mirror US, 'No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court." It comes as the I'll Be Missing You star's bombshell sex trafficking trial nears its end. Prosecutors finished their closing arguments on Thursday after five hours. On Thursday, the prosecution argued to the jury that Combs is the "leader of a criminal enterprise", who used violence and fear in "brutal crimes." Defence attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told the jury it's important to remember that none of the alleged victims called the police, as the defence's closing arguments began today. Instead, Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs for $33m (£22m), of which she won $20m. The federal case was spurred by that lawsuit, so if Combs wasn't rich, there would be no federal criminal trial, he said. "He's a self-made successful black entrepreneur," he added, saying: "He's built wonderful, sophisticated businesses." Agnifilo also reminded the jury that Jane - an ex-girlfriend of Combs who testified against him under a pseudonym - is still living in a house that Combs pays for. "Jane came here and testified against him…I don't know what she's doing today, but whatever she's doing it's in a house he paid for. He takes care of people," Agnifilo added. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The music mogul was joined in court on Friday, June 27, by Justin and his twin daughters, who have supported their father in the final days of his sex-trafficking and racketeering trial following a long, emotional day on Thursday. Jessie and D'Lila stood beside the rapper as they sent support for the Diddy during the trial's closing arguments. Early on in the trial, the twins were present to support their father, even sharing a social media post saying, 'The past month has devastated our family. Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiralled into absurdity on social media.' Diddy denies any wrongdoing in the federal charges brought against him.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs used ‘fame, wealth and power' to create twisted criminal ‘kingdom,' feds charge at close of bombshell trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a crime boss who abused his status as a powerful hip-hop mogul to force his ex-lovers into humiliating, drug-fueled sexual escapades, the feds charged at the close of a bombshell Manhattan trial Thursday. Federal prosecutors painted the disgraced Bad Boy Records founder as a terrifying tycoon who used his fame and fortune — and his circle of trusted employees — to cover up his alleged monstrous acts for decades. 'He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law — but over the course of this trial, his crimes have been exposed,' Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors in closing statements. 5 Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik makes her closing arguments at Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex-trafficking trial on June 26, 2025. REUTERS The feds spent more than four hours painstakingly detailing evidence of Combs' alleged slew of crimes — urging the jury to convict him of sex-trafficking and racketeering charges that could land him behind bars for life. Slavik described for jurors how Combs allegedly handed a security guard $100,000 in a brown paper bag in a failed bid to coverup the infamous footage of him brutally assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. Combs also plotted to set rapper Kid Cudi's Porsche on fire in a jealous rage, prosecutors said. And he trafficked Ventura and another ex-lover — who testified using the alias 'Jane' — by forcing them into 'freak-off' sex sessions with male escorts, after beating them and threatening to release explicit tapes of them, Slavik said. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' she said. 'Dozens of witnesses agreed – he doesn't take no for an answer.' 5 Combs making a gesture to the courtroom audience on June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg The jailed 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper's trusted inner circle — including his 'loyal lieutenant,' chief of staff Khristina Khorram — allegedly 'aided and abetted' his schemes, while his security guards were 'armed and ready' at his side for some of Combs' 'most violent acts.' 'It's his kingdom — everyone is there to serve him,' Slavik said. Combs, who has been held without bail at a Brooklyn lockup since his September 2024 arrest, didn't betray much emotion as he sat at the defense table during the closing argument, dressed in a baby blue sweater. He pushed his chair a few feet away from the table and occasionally shot a look over at the jury of eight men and four women that will decide his fate. But Combs slumped his shoulders and stared down at his hands, with his head bowed, when the prosecutor mentioned Ventura's emotional trial testimony that he had raped her in 2018 after their break-up. The R&B singer was among more than 30 witnesses who testified against Combs over the course of the seven-week trial. To convict on the racketeering rap, jurors will need to find that Combs was the kingpin of a crew that plotted at least two alleged crimes. They'll have several choices: the car arson, sex trafficking of Ventura and Jane and the alleged bribe to the security guard. 5 Prosecutors argued that Combs used his fame to create a criminal 'kingdom.' REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Prosecutors said Combs should be found guilty on each of the two sex-trafficking counts — which carry a minimum 15-year prison sentence — even if only one of the countless sex sessions described by Ventura and Jane was coerced. The March 2016 hotel episode caught on camera — where Combs was seen shoving, kicking and trying to dragging Ventura back to their room after she tried to leave a freak-off early — was just one example of a forced or coerced sex-trafficking incident, Slavik said. 'This is what happened when Cassie said no,' she told jurors, while playing the sickening footage. 5 Surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. U.S. Attorneys SDNY Ventura and Jane also both testified that Combs threatened to release tapes of the degrading sex sessions if they did not comply with his demands. 'He held these sex tapes over her head as collateral,' Slavik said, speaking about Ventura. 'The freak-offs themselves became a way to coerce her into doing freak-offs.' The embattled entrepreneur, who has pleaded not guilty, maintains that the freak-off encounters were consensual. 5 Combs bowed his head in court when the prosecution brought up his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura's testimony about him allegedly raping her. WireImage His three 18-year-old daughters, who had not been seen at his trial for weeks, returned Thursday and sat sitting in the third row of the gallery behind him, alongside Combs' mother and other supporters. Combs' defense attorneys are set to deliver their own closing statements Friday. — Additional reporting by Kyle Schnitzer
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sick juror derails Diddy trial as rapper's ‘drug mule' was set to testify
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' bombshell sex-trafficking trial was derailed Wednesday because of a sick juror — as the rapper's alleged 'drug mule' had been poised to begin testifying. Manhattan federal Judge Arun Subramanian informed Combs, his lawyers and prosecutors just after 9:00 a.m. that a juror had been experiencing 'vertigo symptoms.' 'I don't see how we can proceed today,' the judge added. 4 Trial was derailed Wednesday because of a sick juror as Sean 'Diddy' Combs' alleged 'drug mule' had been set to testify against him. REUTERS Brendan Paul, a former college basketball player who allegedly supplied Combs with drugs — arrived in court Wednesday morning as he was slated to begin testifying as the last major witness in the prosecution's case against the hip-hop mogul. The closely watched trial will now be on hold until Friday morning because of the Juneteenth federal holiday on Thursday. Paul, 25, was arrested on March 26, 2024, around the same time the feds raided the Bad Boy Records founder's Miami and Los Angeles homes. Paul was found with cocaine and marijuana candy when he was cuffed just as he was about to board Combs' plane in Miami. The feds dropped the case against Paul in December after he completed a drug treatment diversion program. On Tuesday, when the jurors were not in the courtroom, Paul briefly took the witness stand to plead the Fifth and exercise his right not to incriminate himself. However, prosecutors then said they would grant him immunity if he testified truthfully in the case. 4 Paul was expected to testify as the last major prosecution witness and he is expected to testify under an immunity deal with prosecutors. REUTERS In a $30 million lawsuit filed by producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones against Combs last year, the hooper-turned-amateur-music-producer was accused of being Combs' 'drug mule' who also supplied him with guns. Paul — an Ohio native — played Division I basketball at Syracuse University from 2018 to 2020 before he transferred to Fairmont State University to play for a Division II team for his last two years. The baller is expected to be the last major witness in prosecutors' case against the 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper. After Paul, only two more law enforcement witnesses are scheduled to testify before the prosecution rests its case. 4 Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking and racketeering charges. REUTERS Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo on Monday indicated that the defense case would last as little as two days. He said he planned to call at least three witnesses, including two former employees of Combs and a paralegal at Agnifilo's firm. The scheduling announcement by the attorney suggested that Combs will not testify in his own defense. Combs, 55, is accused of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and prostitution related charges. 4 Paul was arrested last year as he was about to board Combs' plane in Miami and he was allegedly carrying cocaine and marijuana candies. REUTERS Prosecutors claim he forced women to have sex with male prostitutes while they were high on drugs and while he watched, recorded and pleasured himself during so-called 'freak-offs.' Combs has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have argued that the women who partook in the drugged-and-lubed-up sex marathons were his gal pals and willing participants. But jurors have heard testimony from two women, including Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura, that he was physically and emotionally abusive and that their participation in the sex sessions was coerced. Combs — who has been behind bars since his September arrest — faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge. With Post wires
