Latest news with #criminalenterprise
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs and son Justin accused of rape in new US lawsuit
As closing arguments got under way in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs this week, the music mogul and his son Justin Combs were hit with a new lawsuit, accusing them of a 'brutal gang-rape' in 2017. In the suit filed in a Los Angeles court on Monday, a woman alleges that Justin Combs used his father's celebrity status to 'lure [the] plaintiff, a young female, from Louisiana to Los Angeles where she was literally held prisoner for a weekend and repeatedly raped' by the pair and two other masked men, according to the complaint. The lawsuit comes amid the final phase of the seven-week trial for Combs, and on the day the mogul's son Christian, who raps as King Combs, released a seven-song album – including one called Diddy Free – on streaming services. The album, Never Stop, credits King Combs, 27, as the lyricist, and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as a producer. Prosecutors have accused Sean Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, of running a criminal enterprise that engaged in sex trafficking, drug distribution, kidnapping, forced labor, arson and bribery, and coercing women, including his former partner singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, into participating in drug-fueled sex marathons. Combs's legal troubles kicked off in late 2023 when Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape and severe physical abuse over the course of a decade, and said he used his power and status to keep her trapped in the relationship. The lawsuit was settled the following day for $20m, but Combs soon faced dozens of lawsuits from others accusing him of sexual and physical abuse. This week's lawsuit claims that in 2017 Justin Combs, 31, lured the alleged victim, an 'accomplished, degreed professional', to Los Angeles with the possibility of a job, promising to use his father's connections. She was, the suit alleges, flown to Los Angeles and taken to a high-end Beverly Hills property where she was eventually drugged and repeatedly raped by Justin Combs and his father and two 'unknown, masked' men over the course of a weekend. Justin Combs allegedly held the potential job 'over [the] plaintiff's head' as well as 'risque' photos she had sent him. The suit accuses Sean Combs of a 'pervasive history of sexual assault and violence'. 'The conduct described herein is strikingly similar to how [the] defendant Sean Combs and his entourage conducted themselves for many years, and it appears that Combs's penchant for sexual violence is shared by his son,' the suit states. The woman is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the assault, which, according to the suit, left her with 'severe emotional distress, emotional anguish, fear, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment, physical injury, emotional injury and trauma'. In a statement to media, Combs's legal team denied the allegations, stating that 'anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason'. The statement said: '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.'
Associated Press
13 hours ago
- Associated 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. 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.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs and son Justin accused of rape in new US lawsuit
As closing arguments got under way in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs this week, the music mogul and his son Justin Combs were hit with a new lawsuit, accusing them of a 'brutal gang-rape' in 2017. In the suit filed in a Los Angeles court on Monday, a woman alleges that Justin Combs used his father's celebrity status to 'lure [the] plaintiff, a young female, from Louisiana to Los Angeles where she was literally held prisoner for a weekend and repeatedly raped' by the pair and two other masked men, according to the complaint. The lawsuit comes amid the final phase of the seven-week trial for Combs, and on the day the mogul's son Christian, who raps as King Combs, released a seven-song album – including one called Diddy Free – on streaming services. The album, Never Stop, credits King Combs, 27, as the lyricist, and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as a producer. Prosecutors have accused Sean Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, of running a criminal enterprise that engaged in sex trafficking, drug distribution, kidnapping, forced labor, arson and bribery, and coercing women, including his former partner singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, into participating in drug-fueled sex marathons. Combs's legal troubles kicked off in late 2023 when Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape and severe physical abuse over the course of a decade, and said he used his power and status to keep her trapped in the relationship. The lawsuit was settled the following day for $20m, but Combs soon faced dozens of lawsuits from others accusing him of sexual and physical abuse. This week's lawsuit claims that in 2017 Justin Combs, 31, lured the alleged victim, an 'accomplished, degreed professional', to Los Angeles with the possibility of a job, promising to use his father's connections. She was, the suit alleges, flown to Los Angeles and taken to a high-end Beverly Hills property where she was eventually drugged and repeatedly raped by Justin Combs and his father and two 'unknown, masked' men over the course of a weekend. Justin Combs allegedly held the potential job 'over [the] plaintiff's head' as well as 'risque' photos she had sent him. The suit accuses Sean Combs of a 'pervasive history of sexual assault and violence'. 'The conduct described herein is strikingly similar to how [the] defendant Sean Combs and his entourage conducted themselves for many years, and it appears that Combs's penchant for sexual violence is shared by his son,' the suit states. The woman is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the assault, which, according to the suit, left her with 'severe emotional distress, emotional anguish, fear, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment, physical injury, emotional injury and trauma'. In a statement to media, Combs's legal team denied the allegations, stating that 'anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason'. The statement said: '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.'
Washington Post
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Diddy and Cassie a ‘modern love story,' defense says in closing arguments
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs's defense team called the sex trafficking case against him 'badly, badly exaggerated' during their dramatic and at times erratic closing arguments Friday, pushing back on the prosecution's claims that the music mogul ran a criminal enterprise and portraying his sexual exploits as a 'lifestyle' that involved 'personal-use drugs.' While addressing jurors in Manhattan federal court for roughly four hours, lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo attempted to counter the government's charges against Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sex trafficking, one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted of the most serious charges, he could face life in prison. Agnifilo said his client is 'the only man in America' being put on trial for making homemade pornography. 'The crime scene is your private sex life,' the lawyer told the jury, framing Combs's drug-fueled sex parties — known as 'freak-offs' — as consensual encounters. He also suggested Combs's accusers were driven by regret and greed, seeking money from the wealthy businessman for sexual conduct they had agreed to take part in. Agnifilo's delivery stood in stark contrast to the prosecution's structured and neutral summation from Thursday. At times, he was animated and theatrical, pacing the floor of the courtroom in front of the jury box, his voice raising and almost cracking. Combs, who was dressed in a yellow sweater over a white collared shirt, appeared to watch his lead attorney attentively — a markedly different demeanor from the restless energy he displayed during the prosecution's closing remarks. Here are the major points Agnifilo made during closing arguments, ahead of jury deliberations next week. To prove the racketeering charge, prosecutors must show that members of an ongoing organization, with a common purpose, and with Combs as its head, agreed to commit crimes on the defendant's behalf. They failed, Agnifilo argued Friday. 'Nobody came into this courtroom and said, 'I was a member of an enterprise, and let me tell you how it worked,'' Agnifilo said. The sex and drugs that many witnesses spoke of, according to the defense, were part of Combs's personal life and completely divorced from his well-known music and apparel brands. The personal matters that the mogul's assistants dealt with, Agnifilo argued, was 'one percent' of their jobs. He also highlighted Combs's success as a Black businessman and champion of diversity and inclusion, pointing out all the former employees who testified that they admired the mogul. 'Being with him from a business standpoint was like drinking from a fire hose,' Agnifilo said, quoting one of them. 'They loved him. Even the ones that are suing him.' Referencing transcripts shown during the trial, Agnifilo noted that the word 'love' was uttered nearly 900 times by prosecution witnesses. Agnifilo countered the prosecution's claims that narcotics distribution is one of the most clear-cut illegal offenses Combs committed that would support a racketeering conspiracy charge. Procuring drugs for personal use — while still illegal — does not meet the legal definition of distribution, he said. (The prosecution blatantly disagreed.) Agnifilo also sought to undermine allegations of kidnapping related to that charge, mocking the possibility that Combs's former assistant Capricorn Clark could have been kidnapped every day for a week. Clark has alleged that Combs forced her on multiple days to undergo questioning, including a lie-detector test, related to missing jewelry. In a surprising strategy, Agnifilo called the toxic and abusive relationship between Combs and Ventura 'a great modern love story.' The defense attorney also told jurors that the couple's text messages — many sexually graphic examples of which were read during the trial — were 'some of the most beautiful things I've ever read.' The defense has conceded throughout the trial that the relationship was abusive. Ventura, who said she endured years of unwanted sex with strangers and physical abuse from Combs, was actually just a woman who liked sex a lot, the lawyer told the jury: 'She's beautiful. She should.' He also pointed jurors to an Instagram post from Ventura last year, after CNN released surveillance footage showing Sean Combs beating her in a hotel lobby. She thanked those who sent her messages of support and wrote, 'domestic violence is the issue.' 'Believe her,' Agnifilo beseeched the jurors in his closing arguments for Combs's defense. 'When she says to you that domestic violence is the issue, I'm asking you to believe her.' This has been a pillar of the defense's strategy: that Combs has taken responsibility for domestic violence but is not guilty of the charges he faces. Agnifilo said Combs's accusers did not even disclose their allegations to criminal investigators but instead filed lawsuits because, in actuality, 'this is all about money.' 'Nobody calls the FBI. Nobody calls DHS. Nobody calls anybody,' Agnifilo said. 'They do call somebody, though — they call civil plaintiffs' lawyers.' Agnifilo then reminded jurors that Ventura got a settlement, which she said was $20 million, from Combs after suing him. The defendant's accusers saw an opportunity for a payday as misconduct allegations against him started to go public, the defense argued. 'We're here because of money,' Agnifilo repeated. Turning to the second alleged victim in Combs's sex trafficking charges, a single mother who testified under the alias Jane, the defense held Combs up as an example of a man committed to doing right by Jane and her child, wiring her money and paying the rent on her home. Agnifilo argued that Jane had a 'pretty bad deal' when it came to child support, and that she probably deserved more money from the father. 'He's picking up the ball for someone who seems to have dropped the ball with his own kid,' Agnifilo said. Jane may now be 'regretting that she made a choice' to join in Combs's freak-offs with other men, Agnifilo argued, but 'you can't look at things like criminal conduct looking backward.' Agnifilo also addressed the charge of transportation to engage in prostitution, contending that Combs wasn't paying men to have sex with his then-girlfriends but rather for their time. During the trial, the government had called two men who participated in freak-offs to testify, but neither identified themselves as a prostitute, Agnifilo said. One of those men, Daniel Phillip, testified he would have had sex with Ventura in front of Combs free, because he liked being so close to their celebrity. 'There's no evidence,' Agnifilo said, 'that there was negotiation of sex for money.' The prosecution, on Thursday, presented a trove of records during the trial to prove this charge — including bank statements showing Combs or his associates purchasing flights for alleged male escorts, airline records, hotel reservations and bank deposits, as well as communications with the men or escort services themselves.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Prosecution delivers closing argument, saying Combs used 'power, violence and fear' as ‘leader of a criminal enterprise'
Federal prosecutors presented their closing arguments in the sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Thursday, describing the hip-hop mogul as the 'leader of a criminal enterprise' who abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. 'The defendant was at the top of this enterprise," U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors. 'Remember, it's his kingdom. Everyone was there to serve him.' For nearly five hours, Slavik outlined how Combs exhibited a pattern of coercion, and sought to control his alleged victims, including ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane," with money, drugs and violence. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now,' Slavik said. 'It's time to hold him accountable. It's time for justice. And it's time to find him guilty." The defense will present its closing argument on Friday, followed by a rebuttal from the prosecution, before the jury is handed the case. Deliberations could begin as soon as Friday afternoon. Combs is facing five criminal counts, including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik wrapped up the prosecution's closing argument around 4:30 p.m. ET after nearly five hours. Court was adjourned for the day. Slavik thanked jurors for paying attention over the last seven weeks. 'You heard how the defendant ran his criminal enterprise with total control and with the loyal assistance of his inner circle," Slavik said. 'Up until today, the defendant was able to get away with these crimes because of his money, his power, his influence. That stops now. "It is time to hold him accountable; it is time for justice," she continued. "And it's time to find him guilty." In addition to Ventura and "Jane," U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors that "Mia," Combs's former assistant who testified under a pseudonym, was a victim of forced labor. Slavik recounted Mia's testimony about the abuse she says she endured from Combs. Mia told the court that Combs physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times during her employment. 'He sexually assaulted Mia when Cassie and his other girlfriends were not around,' Slavik said. The prosecutor argued that Combs had 'all the power and control,' often threatening Mia's job. Mia also testified that she witnessed Combs become violent with Ventura. 'Mia saw and experienced extreme violence at her boss's hands,' Slavik said. 'It's no wonder she was always worried about her physical safety if she was to tell him no.' Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the jury that Combs forced Cassie Ventura and "Jane" into days-long sexual activities without any sleep. Both women testified that Combs forced them to have sex with multiple men, multiple times over the course of several days. They said they were given drugs like Ecstasy and MDMA to keep them awake. "They got sores, they got sick, they got infections," Slavik said, noting that both women testified they were still told they had to have sex even when they hadn't recovered from infections. "These nights were labor and services. ... This was work." Judge Arun Subramanian and the jury have returned to the courtroom. The court has taken a 15-minute break. Prosecutors indicated that their closing arguments would take another hour when court resumes. Out of the five charges Combs is pleading not guilty to, two are counts of interstate transportation for prostitution in connection with "freak offs" and "hotel nights" with Cassie Ventura and "Jane." Prosecutor Christy Slavik presented tables and charts to the jury with multiple examples that she says prove Combs arranged for escorts to travel and meet at hotel rooms for sex in exchange for money. Slavik reminded the jury that Combs paid for escorts to travel to places like New York City, Miami and Los Angeles for "freak offs" with Ventura. In one specific example shown to the courtroom, Slavik showed messages where Combs told an escort named Jules which flight to get on and which hotel room to go to, as well as Combs's credit card records showing hotel charges for that time frame. Slavik emphasized that "even if all participants enthusiastically consented, it doesn't matter — it's still a crime" to pay for people to travel across state lines for sex. The prosecution returned again to the brutal March 2016 assault Cassie Ventura underwent from Combs in the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Ventura testified that the beating occurred when she tried to leave a "freak off." "This incident should leave no doubt in your mind that the defendant committed trafficking," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told jurors. "He was using force to cause Cassie to continue engaging in a 'freak off.'" At "every step," Combs "was in complete control of himself — angry, but in control," Slavik said. "That is sex trafficking." Ventura ultimately left the hotel after staff intervened and did not continue the "freak off." But Slavik noted that "the law does not require that a commercial sex act actually take place," only that Combs was knowingly using force in an attempt to get her to participate in one. Prosecutor Christy Slavik argued that a "trauma bond" between Combs and Cassie Ventura was what prevented Ventura from ever confidently leaving the on-and-off relationship the two shared for over a decade. 'The defense has asked during this trial why, if the violence was so bad, why if Cassie was unhappy — why she didn't leave?" Slavik said. "But you know why." The U.S. attorney reminded the jury of Ventura's testimony when she said she would try to end the relationship but then be confronted by Combs or someone from his inner circle, like his security guards. Even when Ventura finally ended the relationship in 2018, Combs still "demanded control until the very end." Slavik noted Ventura's testimony where she said Combs raped her after they broke up and had dinner together. 'The defendant created a climate of fear that can't be isolated to one moment in time,' Slavik said. 'The cloud of abuse was hanging over Cassie's head, always hovering." During her closing argument, U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik acknowledged that in some of the videos shown to the jury, Cassie Ventura and "Jane" appear to be enjoying the sexual encounters. Slavik cited a video of a 2024 "hotel night" that the defense said showed Jane was a willing participant. 'What it really showed was that she was super super high," the prosecutor said. Slavik then reminded the jury of Ventura's testimony about the painful "freak offs" with male escorts that could last hours and take days to recover from, a contrast from what the jury may have seen in the footage. "She's performing, just like Jane," Slavik said. "Don't be fooled into thinking that it's anything more than that: a performance." U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik moved to focus on Cassie Ventura, the singer who began dating Combs after she was signed to his label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006, when she was 19 years old. Ventura testified for four days during the first week of Combs's trial. Slavik argued that Ventura's testimony proved "freak offs" "became her job, it became her shame," and it was all powered by Combs being in charge of her, both in terms of her music career and socially since he paid for her car, phone and apartment. 'The age difference, the power inequality, Cassie's naivete — those dynamics drove the defendant's relationship with Cassie," Slavik said. 'He made her dependent on him." The prosecution detailed Combs's alleged physical abuse against Ventura throughout their relationship. Ventura testified that if she made "the wrong face," she would get "hit in the face." 'The defense doesn't deny the abuse; they just want to call it 'domestic violence,'' Slavik said. 'Just like the abuse lasted for the entire relationship, the defendant was having 'freak offs' with Cassie during the entire relationship." Picking up where she left off before lunch, U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said that Combs's alleged sex trafficking of "Jane" was part of a "pattern of the defendant's coercion" that years in the making. With Jane, Slavik said, it involvi rent, drugs and threats to release video footage of the sexual encounters. The rent Combs paid for Jane's apartment was financial coercion, Slavik said. The drugs Combs provided Jane for "hotel nights" was also part of his plot, the prosecutor argued. "If she was high on a drug that made her feel sexually aroused, she wouldn't refuse," Slavik said. His threat to send videos of Jane having sex with other men to her child's father was also part of the pattern. "This is not an adult woman making a free choice, as the defense has suggested," Slavik said. Judge Arun Subramanian has returned to the bench after the court went on a lunch break. The prosecution will now continue its closing arguments. Before the break, U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik cited three instances of alleged sex trafficking of "Jane." The first was in September 2023, when Jane told the court that she traveled from Miami to New York for what she was told would be a romantic trip filled with dinner and shopping. But while she was on the plane, Combs informed her of his plans for a "hotel night" instead. 'He knew that the only way to get Jane to have a hotel night was by tricking her,' Slavik told the jury. The second instance was the following month, when Jane said Combs encouraged her to have sex with multiple men even after she expressed her disdain for the encounters. 'I'm not an animal. I'm not a porn star,' she texted him. In her testimony, Jane said that after having sex with two male escorts, she vomited, but Combs convinced her to have sex with a third. The third occurred in June 2024, when Jane said Combs put her into a chokehold and beat her during a fight she instigated, leaving her with a black eye. Combs then ordered her to use makeup to cover up her injuries and participate in a "hotel night" with another male escort. Jane told the court that she repeatedly told Combs she didn't want to, but that Combs demanded she participate. 'The defendant's conduct had one purpose — to get Jane to agree to do 'hotel nights,' Slavik said. 'And because the defendant knew exactly what he was doing, this was sex trafficking.' The courtroom is taking a break for lunch. The prosecution will return to continue its closing arguments at 1:15 p.m. ET. Prosecutor Christy Slavik recounted the testimony of "Jane" about her relationship with Combs, which started in January 2021. Jane is one of Combs's accusers who testified in early June under a pseudonym. Jane's relationship with Combs began as a "classic example of lovebombing," according to Slavik. 'The defendant started grooming Jane, slowly introducing her to the different elements of 'freak offs,'' Slavik said. On June 9, Jane testified for the first time about participating in 'freak offs' — which she called 'hotel nights' — and told the court she felt obligated to have sex with other men because Combs was paying her rent. 'The defendant dangled different carrots to make Jane continue doing 'hotel nights,'' Slavik said. 'She started to feel obligated to do 'hotel nights' because the defendant was paying her rent and threatening to stop." Slavik told jurors that the prosecution is not arguing that every "hotel night" with male escorts qualifies as sex trafficking. Slavik reminded the jury that Jane did testify she wanted to be involved in some hotel nights early on in her relationship with Combs; however, there were times when she felt pressure to participate. The prosecution pulled up a text Jane sent to Combs in 2023 about the hotel nights, which said: 'Ever since l opened Pandora's box I've never been able to close it. One night of fun turned into the entirety of our relationship. And now it's all I'm expected to do and get called for. ... I don't want to feel obligated to perform these nights w you in fear of losing the roof over my head.' Slavik played an audio message Combs sent Jane in August 2023 when she did not want to participate in a hotel night with three men. In the recording, Combs said "ain't nobody threatening you," but Jane could face "a rude awakening." 'He may say it's not a threat, but the message couldn't have been clearer,' Slavik said. 'Threatening to take away her home could turn a no into a yes. That's coercion, and it worked.' During closing arguments, prosecutors showed the jury a table containing 27 headshots of men who they say were hired by Combs to have sex, while he watched, with former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane 'This is not an attempt to criminalize dysfunctional relationship or unconventional sexual preferences,' Slavik said. But it did serve as a visual reminder of the frequency of the drug-fueled sexual encounters at the center of the government's case. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told jurors that Combs's $100,000 cash payment to a hotel security guard in exchange for surveillance footage of his brutal 2016 assault on Cassie Ventura amounted to bribery. The hip-hop mogul was in "damage control" mode, Slavik said, using his money, influence and loyal staff to pay off and manipulate witnesses. She argued that two members of Combs's inner circle — Kristina Khorram, his former chief of staff, and D-Roc, his security guard — did "everything they could to cover the defendant's tracks." Khorram tracked down the video while D-Roc monitored Ventura, she said. 'This is a perfect illustration of the 'Combs enterprise' at work,' Slavik said. U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik reminded the jury of the arson attack on rapper Kid Cudi's car in January 2012. Kid Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, briefly dated Cassie Ventura in late 2011 and testified in court that he had received a call from his dog walker that his car was on fire. 'It looks like the top of my Porsche was cut open, and that's where the Molotov cocktail was put in,' Kid Cudi testified on May 22. 'Of course, the defendant was behind this," Slavik told the jury. "Now it shouldn't come as a surprise to you that we're not suggesting the defendant personally cut the hole in Kid Cudi's Porsche. ... You heard the audio notes. The defendant didn't even buy his own soup.' Slavik then referred to an email Ventura had sent in December 2011 that described alleged threats Combs had made, including one threatening to hurt her and Kid Cudi. 'What a coincidence that the man Sean Combs hated and wanted to hurt had his car lit on fire just two weeks after this email was sent,' the prosecutor said. Kid Cudi testified that he met with Combs right after the incident, and that Combs denied setting the Porsche on fire. Kid Cudi stopped seeing Ventura and testified that years later, he saw Combs again and was surprised when Combs apologized to him. 'What are the odds that after that meeting, when Cudi agreed to stop seeing Cassie, nothing else happens. No more break-ins, no more Molotov cocktails,' Slavik said. 'And then years later, the defendant apologizes to Kid Cudi. That is quite a collection of coincidences. But, of course, you know that is not a coincidence. You know what happened here.' While summarizing its kidnapping allegations, U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik cited two specific examples. First, she recalled Cassie Ventura's testimony about a violent incident in 2009 in which she said Combs punched her and stomped on her face in the back of an Escalade. After the assault, Combs forced Ventura to stay in a hotel for a week while her injuries healed, Slavik told jurors. Ventura "wanted to go home to her mom,' Slavik said, 'but she wasn't allowed to." 'She had no choice. The defendant told her she couldn't leave,' she said. 'He had his security team telling her she couldn't leave. And Cassie knew what happened when people said no to the defendant.' Slavik also revisited testimony from Capricorn Clark, Combs's former assistant, who testified that he forced her at gunpoint to join him in an alleged plot to kill rapper Kid Cudi. 'He just said, 'Get dressed, we're going to go kill [him],'' Clark testified. When she said she did not want to go, Combs said, 'I don't give a f*** what you want to do, go get dressed,' Clark told the court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik referred to Combs's assistants as "young and eager" "foot soldiers" who "didn't blink an eye" when it came to following instructions. The lower-level employees "may not have known about all the crimes the defendant was committing, but they played an important role in helping the criminal scheme," Slavik told the jury. Some of them, like Brendan Paul, who worked as an assistant to Combs from 2022 to 2024, had testified during the trial. Paul testified last week that Combs wanted the assistants to "move like SEAL Team 6" and be "militant" in following his orders. Paul testified that part of his job included getting drugs for Combs and organizing several "freak offs." Slavik pointed out that Paul had testified that Combs paid him $100,000 and that Kristina Khorram, Combs's former chief of staff, commonly known as "KK," who has not been charged in the indictment, made $600,000 a year. Prosecutors referred to Khorram as an "agent and co-conspirator" of Combs earlier in the trial.
