Diddy trial week 7 recap: Combs’ fate awaits

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial approached its conclusion this past week, as federal prosecutors and Combs’ defense team both completed their arguments.

Combs, 55, opted not to testify in his own defense, and his lawyers called no witnesses during their 30-minute presentation on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, prosecutors attempted to solidify their case against the Bad Boy Records founder, emphasizing testimony from ex-girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman who testified using the pseudonym “Jane.”

The feds have spent weeks arguing that Combs and his army of assistants, bodyguards and other staffers constituted a criminal enterprise. Along with sex trafficking and intimidating women into submission, prosecutors claim the group committed crimes including kidnapping, arson, drug distribution, bribery, forced labor and witness tampering, all in service of protecting and enabling the rapper.

“Over the last several weeks, you’ve learned a lot about Sean Combs,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said Thursday during closing arguments. “He’s the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn’t take no for an answer. And now you know about many crimes he committed with members of his enterprise.”

The week’s proceedings began Monday with prosecutors calling their final witness, Department of Homeland Security Agent Joseph Cerciello, who examined piles of evidence against Combs.

Within that caseload of records were texts between Diddy and his top staffers, whom he allegedly directed to organize the days-long, degrading sex sessions known as “freak-offs” — including making travel arrangements for sex workers, booking hotel rooms and procuring drugs.

Also on Monday, the jury watched even more videos of the freak-offs that are central to the sex trafficking allegations against Combs. Prosecutors claim the rapper forced and threatened multiple women — including Ventura and Jane — to participate in the marathons against their will and no matter what physical state they were in. Combs’ defense team has argued all the sexual depravity was consensual.

The feds concluded their case on Tuesday, after which Combs’ lawyers spent just 30 minutes entering various pieces of evidence. Judge Arun Subramanian spoke directly with Combs to confirm he did not want to testify.

“I want to tell you, thank you, you’re doing an excellent job,” Combs told the judge while confirming his choice not to take the stand.

Prosecutors’ closing arguments

Proceedings resumed on Thursday, when prosecutors attempted to tie together the previous six weeks of testimony during their nearly five-hour closing statement. They said Combs “again and again forced, threatened and manipulated” women into the freak-offs and recorded the sessions to use as blackmail later, making it “absolutely clear” that Diddy is guilty of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion — two of the five counts he’s facing.

“The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” Slavik said. “He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”

Slavik told the jury they only need to find the elements of sex trafficking were met on one occasion — “If there was one time, one single freak-off, when the defendant knew or recklessly disregarded that Cassie or Jane was participating because of his lies, his threats or his violence, that’s it,” she said.

Combs also faces two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution tied to the debaucherous sex sessions. Slavik reminded the jury that both Jane and Ventura testified that Combs tasked them with sourcing escorts and that he flew them across the country to watch them have sex with the women.

To find Combs guilty of racketeering conspiracy, Slavik told the jurors they need to find that Diddy and one of his alleged accomplices agreed to commit at least two crimes.

The prosecutor said that evidence of drug distribution had yielded “hundreds” of examples alone, referencing the allegations that Diddy’s inner circle acquired and delivered drugs to keep women awake yet compliant during his sordid sex parties.

Testimony of alleged kidnappings, bribery, break-ins and car bombings by Combs and his crew was further evidence of racketeering, Slavik said, as were the countless times his staff hid Ventura in hotel rooms as she healed from his frequent brutal beatings.

“It was his kingdom and everyone was there to serve him,” the prosecutor said, claiming his “loyal lieutenants” were fully aware that Diddy was breaking the law. “The enterprise’s purpose was to protect its leader.”

Defense team’s closing arguments

On Friday, during the defense team’s closing arguments, attorney Marc Agnifilo said the feds had wrongly made felonies out of Combs’ sexual fetishes and “swingers’ lifestyle,” stressing that his client had never forced any woman to participate in the freak-offs.

He further noted that the male escorts Diddy flew across the country were paid for their time and then willingly chose to have sex, so those interactions were not illegal.

Agnifilo also poked fun at the federal agents who seized hundreds of bottles of baby oil, as well as drugs and firearms, during the raids on Combs’ properties last year.

“Thank goodness for the special response team,” he mockingly said. “They found the baby oil. They got, like, five Valium pills? Way to go, fellas!”

Regarding the charge of racketeering conspiracy, Agnifilo told the jury they hadn’t heard from anyone who considered themselves a member of a criminal enterprise, nor had anyone other than Diddy been charged with being a part of the alleged ring. Recreational drug use was also not evidence of organized crime, Agnifilo said.

“He did not do the things he’s charged with,” the attorney asserted. “He didn’t do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.”

While Agnifilo conceded that 2016 hotel footage seen by the jury clearly showed Combs viciously assaulting Ventura, he challenged the prosecution’s claim that the beating was evidence of sex trafficking by force. He added the rapper would have pleaded guilty to domestic violence, but was never charged with such.

Agnifilo also addressed the lawsuit filed by Ventura in November 2023 accusing Combs of rape, sex trafficking and years-long abuse. The former couple settled the suit for $20 million a day later, but dozens of lawsuits from other people claiming similar misdeeds soon followed.

“This isn’t about a crime. This is about money,” Agnifilo said, claiming the accusers were targeting the multimillionaire for a hefty payday. “If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it’s hard not to pick Cassie.”

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Monday.

With News Wire Services