What to know about the trial
- Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo completed his closing arguments saying the government failed to prove any allegations of the racketeering charge filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
- Agnifilo said the defense made no attempt to dispute allegations that Combs battered then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. “We own the domestic violence — I hope you guys know that,” he said as he began his closing.
- Despite acknowledging the physical abuse, Agnifilo described the relationship between Combs and Ventura as “a great modern love story.”
- Judge Arun Subramanian said the jury would be charged on Monday and would then begin deliberations.
- Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.
- This live briefing may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline.
- Sign up for the “Diddy on Trial” newsletter for key developments and analysis; listen to the podcast “Dateline: True Crime Weekly” for daily coverage.
Prosecutor urges jurors to hold Combs accountable
The clock has run out for Combs, a prosecutor said, as she urged jurors to finally hold the music mogul accountable.
"The defendant thought he was above the law for the past 20 years," Comey told jurors. "He got away with crime after crime without consequences."
The courtroom could finally be the venue where Combs might meet his match, the prosecutor said.
"For 20 years, he got away with his crimes. That ends in this courtroom. The defendant is not God. He is a person and in this courtroom, he stands equal before the law. Overwhelming evidence proves that. It is time to find him guilty and it is time to hold him accountable."
Comey spoke to jurors for 77 minutes.
Judge Subramanian sent the jury home and asked them to return before 9 a.m. on Monday.
Prosecutor says Combs beat Jane 'with a vengeance'
A terrifying assault that Jane said she suffered at the hands of Combs last year was an example of being beaten "into submission," the prosecution said.
The then-girlfriend didn't want to have sex with another hired male escort and let Combs know, the prosecutor said.
“Jane may have started that fight but he finished it with a vengeance," Comey said. "He has literally beat her into submission. Sean Combs won that fight and he made her pay by performing with Anton and she had no reason to lie about that."
Combs paying close attention to these final moments of argument
As Comey hammered away at Combs, the defendant paid close attention to the prosecutor's rebuttal argument.
He sat close to the defense table with his hands crossed on his lap.
Women felt like they had no choice but to give in, prosecutor says
By the time Combs beat up Ventura, during the infamous 2016 hotel incident, he was at a stage of his psyche where all demands needed to be met — or else, the prosecution said.
"The defendant took this to an extreme point. By the time he got to the InterContinental, he was so far past the line, he couldn't even see it," Comey said.
The commonality these women shared was their shared abuse by one man, Comey said.
"The cycle of abuse made them feel trapped because they were trauma bonded," Comey added.
Prosecutor says Combs' sexual desires were 'predictable and insatiable'
Combs' former girlfriends had no reason to lie or share a common desire to have sex with male escorts, the prosecution said.
These "freak offs" and "hotel nights" were all allegedly the brainchild of one person.
"His (Combs') desire for these nights was predictable and insatiable," Comey said.
She urged jurors to take these women at their word.
"The defense makes all kinds of claims of why they were lying," Comey said. "Remember these women have no reason to lie."
No acting awards handed out in court, prosecutor says
The former assistant Mia testified truthfully about sexual assault she endured from Combs, the prosecutor said.
"Mia is not some trained actor putting on a performance," Comey said. "No one is handing out Tonys or Oscars for performances in this courtroom. She was here to tell you what happened."
The former girlfriend Jane didn't sue Combs, so she too had no incentive to lie, according to the government.
"If she was looking for a payday, where is the lawsuit?" Comey said. "There is none because she was not trying to copy Cassie."
Ventura, Jane and Mia were forced into sex they didn't want, prosecutor says
Two former girlfriends and a former assistant said they were sexually assaulted by Combs, despite the defense's assertions that sex was consensual, according to the government.
All three women made it clear they did not want to submit to acts pushed onto them by Combs, Comey said.
"These three women had no reason to lie," Comey said.
Sean Combs had plenty of help — because he can't do anything on his own, prosecutor says
The music mogul ran a criminal enterprise with help from plenty of employees, who helped him do nearly everything in daily life, Comey said.
The prosecutor mocked Combs' inability to execute a host of daily tasks, arguing that was indicative of his need to use "his inner circle" for nearly everything in life.
"This is a guy who can't get his own water bottle or plug in his phone charger," she said. "He is the general, not a foot soldier or lieutenant."
Capricorn Clark was kidnapped to go to Kid Cudi's place, prosecutor says
Capricorn Clark, a former aide to Combs, was taken against her will to confront Kid Cudi in what amounted to a kidnapping, Comey said.
The prosecutor said it was "laughable" to believe defense assertions that she was there willingly to help with the break-in.
Combs wanted to confront Kid Cudi with a gun, according to the prosecution.
“Agnifilo said Sean Combs was a hands-and-fist guy — sure, with his girlfriends,” Comey said.
Prosecutor says Combs didn't hire male escorts for 'scintillating conversation'
Comey mocked the defense for arguing that Combs' frequent hire of male escorts was just for their time and not at all related to sex work.
"It doesn't pass the laugh test. Common sense tells you (that) he did not pay them for their scintillating conversation," the lead prosecutor said in her rebuttal argument. "It was for sex."
Even if there was not a spoken or written agreement for sex, the intent was clear, according to Comey.
"What matters in the law is what was on Sean Combs' mind when they crossed state lines," she said. "Sean Combs intended to pay them for sex when he transported them. When they collect their paycheck, they are getting paid for the work they have done."
