After one closing witness to kick off what ought to be the ultimate week of trial, the prosecution is predicted to relaxation and hand issues off to the protection earlier than each side ship what are certain to be blistering closing statements and the jury is distributed off to attempt to attain a verdict.
For almost two months, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ has been on trial for prices of intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to interact in prostitution. He is maintained his innocence all through.
If convicted on all prices, which additionally embrace arson and bribery, Combs might face a compulsory 15-year jail sentence, with the potential of life behind bars.
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The prosecution has introduced a wide selection of witnesses, together with former girlfriends, workers, lodge staffers, and legislation enforcements brokers concerned within the hip-hop mogul’s arrests and numerous encounters over time.
The jury has additionally seen tons of and 1000’s of textual content messages, telephone calls, voicemails, and even video of sexual encounters alternately referred to as “freak-offs,” “king nights,” and “lodge nights.” Because the prosecution argues coercion, the protection is countering with consent.
For the sixth week of testimony, the jury met Brandan Paul, a former assistant of Diddy’s who admitted organising lodge rooms, procuring medicine, and cleansing up afterward — saying he was solely conscious of those nights being along with his then-girlfriend “Jane” (she testified anonymously beneath this moniker) and believed they have been consensual.
Together with “Jane” sharing how she felt coerced into “lodge nights” with Diddy and was shocked when former girlfriend Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit intently mirrored her personal ideas and experiences, the jury heard from Ventura, a number of of the male escorts concerned, in addition to Ventura’s mom and ex-boyfriend Scott “Child Cudi” Mescudi.
A centerpiece of the prosecution’s case has been the viral video of Ventura’s bodily assault within the hallway of the InterContinental Resort in Los Angeles in 2016, with jurors reliving that story from a number of people, together with a safety guard who alleged he was paid $100,000 by Combs instantly to offer him the one copies of that altercation.
To see the prosecution’s whole case because it was laid out up to now six weeks, take a look at the hyperlinks beneath.
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Diddy Trial’s Most Disturbing Claims: Week 1 Breakdown
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Diddy Trial’s Most Disturbing Claims: Week Two Breakdown
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Diddy Trial’s Most Disturbing Claims: Week Three Breakdown
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Diddy Trial’s Most Disturbing Claims: Week 4 Breakdown
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Diddy Trial’s Most Disturbing Claims: Week 5 Breakdown
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Week 7, Tuesday
Protection Requires Acquittal on All Counts
Combs’ protection got here out robust after the prosecution rested its case earlier than a lunch break, with lawyer Alexandra Shapiro instantly making a movement for an acquittal on all 5 counts. As famous by CNN, although, it is a routine Rule 29 movement made by defenses in prison trials, and it’s nearly at all times denied.
Nonetheless, concerning the conspiracy rely, Shapiro argued that the prosecution failed to offer robust proof that there was any conspiracy surrounding his sexual actions, or any crimes — save one.
“There’s, at greatest, skinny proof that any of the opposite workers willingly participated in crimes with and for Mr. Combs,” Shapiro mentioned, although she did concede there seems to be proof they could have been concerned in procuring some medicine for Combs’ private use.
She famous that it was proven repeatedly that assistants and staffers of Combs did not know a lot, “if something,” about what was occurring throughout “freak-offs” or “lodge nights.” The truth is, she famous, he “really took steps to hide the character of the sexual exercise he was partaking in from his workers.”
Calling again to many textual content exchanges shared all through the case, Shapiro argued that it’s clear that Combs, Ventura, and later “Jane” have been those who booked “entertainers,” somewhat than Combs’ workers, conserving at the least this side of these nights out of worker arms.
Of his employees, Shapiro mentioned, “They did errands and made journey preparations, however they didn’t have something to do with what went on with Combs and his girlfriends within the lodge room apart from they used child oil, Astroglide and drank alcohol and perhaps did medicine.”
Combs and his girlfriends even went as far as to coordinate efforts to maintain staffers at nighttime about “entertainer” arrivals and departures from motels, as evidenced by textual content exchanges shared beforehand with the jury, Shapiro argued.
As for Combs’ former chief of employees, Kristina Khorram, who was closely talked about all through the trial and did seem to have at the least some working data of “lodge nights,” Shapiro mentioned there was no proof offered that she knew or believed any of Combs’ girlfriends have been coerced into taking part.
Despite the fact that Khorram was characterised as a conspirator with Combs in his alleged prison actions, Shapiro famous how Combs would generally mislead her, including, “That’s not the way in which co-conspirators act with one another.”
Prosecution Rests Case
After simply over six weeks, 34 witnesses, and a slew of written and visible proof offered to the jury, the prosecution rested its case at 1:30 p.m.
Texts Displaying Enthusiasm, Collaboration for ‘Resort Nights’
The cross-examination of Homeland Safety Investigations Particular Agent Joseph Cerciello continued on Tuesday morning. He was anticipated to be the final witness for the prosecution, who completed their direct on Monday.
Cerciello’s position for the protection was to color a extra clear image of textual content messages, movies, voicemails, and telephone calls involving Combs, “Jane,” numerous workers of the rap mogul, male escorts, and many others. because it associated to organising and orchestrating “lodge nights.”
Protection lawyer Teny Geragos pulled out textual content messages from December 2021 the place Jane had written to an “entertainer” named Sly that she was interested by one among their current “lodge nights” and requested him to “ship me one thing.”
She then requested if he might fly to satisfy her that night time or the next day, and when Sly mentioned he was busy with household preparations for the vacations, she requested if he might make it a day journey.
Geragos brings this as much as push again towards Jane’s earlier testimony that she solely ever initiated express communications with Sly when with Combs and beneath his course. It is a part of their try to color these encounters as totally consensual on the a part of Jane, Ventura, and anybody else concerned.
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In addition they continued their pushback towards the concept the ladies have been coerced into taking part, with Geragos spotlighting an alternate from April 2022 a couple of totally different “entertainer.”
On this one, when Jane pushed again, saying she “selfishly” needed him to herself, including, “I am effective with the opposite stuff however I actually simply want you proper now,” Combs replied, “OK no matter you need.”
He adopted that up by asking if the “entertainer” named Leo could be free “after we spend some one on one time.” After the “lodge night time,” Jane texted Combs that she was “nonetheless interested by you loving throughout me.”
Geragos then shifted to communications round a “lodge night time” with Paul to indicate how Jane and Combs coordinated to maintain Combs’ employees from seeing the “entertainer” — many employees members testified they have been unaware that anybody however Combs and his girlfriend have been within the lodge rooms throughout these “king nights.”
One other alternate from August 2023 noticed Combs discussing having an “entertainer” signal an NDA with Jane, who mentioned she would be sure he did, noting, “He appears cool babe, hopefully he doesn’t know anyone we all know lol.”
Geragos additionally famous a message from the next month the place Jane wrote to Combs, “I really like being kinky for you, I really like driving you wild,” saying that she must get outfits from the “freak retailer” for that night time. The next day, she messaged “entertainer” Sly, “Tonight was wonderful as per normal.”
Transferring on to shortly earlier than Combs’ Could 2024 apology video (following the general public launch of the Ventura assault video), Geragos confirmed proof of Jane flying from Los Angeles to Miami, and that there was no proof of a 3rd social gathering being concerned. Jane had beforehand testified that she noticed an early draft of that video, however that the ultimate consequence was considerably totally different.
The protection then pushed towards the federal government’s charts from September 2023 to November 2023 which steered Combs’ journey supervisor might have paid for bills, with Geragos displaying the jury data that Combs had paid these bills from his private account.
“You didn’t write that Mr. Combs personally paid for these,” Geragos mentioned to Cerciello, who had beforehand said he helped put together the charts for the prosecution. After a short redirect, the prosecution rested its case.
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Week 7, Monday
Revisiting Jane’s Testimony: Coerced or Consent?
Joseph Cerciello, a particular agent for Homeland Safety Investigations, is the ultimate witness for the prosecution. He returned to the stand Monday morning to proceed speaking about proof charts because the prosecution makes an attempt to tug collectively 5 weeks of testimony right into a cohesive story for the jury.
In a single chart of sexually express movies, Cerciello confirmed that Combs is seen in a number of of them, which collectively run a number of hours. Whereas the jury couldn’t probably — nor would they should — watch all of this footage, Cerciello gave a way of how a lot there was by noting there have been 50 express movies recorded simply between the dates of December 17 and 21, 2021.
The jury did watch greater than a dozen clips from these movies courting from November 2021 to October 2022, which might be whereas Combs’ was concerned with “Jane.” These movies, together with most express content material, sealed, so the viewers and media have been excluded.
One other chart detailed flight and lodge data for each Jane and an “entertainer” named Sly, with the prosecution noting {that a} bank card paid for by “Unhealthy Boy Ent” paid Jane’s journey bills. Jane coated Sly’s bills and was reimbursed by Combs’ account supervisor, whereas his journey supervisor booked the preparations.
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It’s key for the prosecution to tie these sexual exploits to Combs’ companies if they’re to be seen as extra than simply an unorthodox sexual curiosity.
Cerciello additionally walked the jury by previously-read textual content exchanges involving Jane, Combs and his employees about these “lodge nights” preparations, together with Jane’s preliminary resistance to taking part in a single in New York, solely to later acquiesce and plan the journey.
One alternate between Combs and the Cowboys for Angels escort service throughout that September 2023 journey noticed the rapper clap again when informed he wanted to pay $600. “Lol he could not even carry out,” Combs wrote, to which the corporate worker informed him he was paying for the escort’s time. Combs retorted she ought to be good to him as he was “a longtime buyer.”
Former chief of employees Kristina Khorram once more got here up, as she was notably concerned in serving to with numerous preparations for “lodge nights,” together with lodge bookings, room setup, monitoring escorts, cash requests, and child oil deliveries. One of many extra sensational particulars of the trial — and the raid on Combs’ miami dwelling — is how a lot child oil was concerned in his sexual actions.
Jane texting Combs that she felt “violated and manipulated” about how his “sobriety social gathering” became a “lodge night time” was additionally revisited with Cerciello on the stand. He testified that this was the final entry on the prosecution’s chart to occur earlier than Ventura’s bombshell lawsuit.
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The jury noticed texts from Jane the place she informed Combs, “I don’t really feel like performing loveless, chilly intercourse,” adopted by Combs organising lodge reservations and reserving an “entertainer.” Just a few days later, Jane requested if he might put some cash into her account as she felt “violated and manipulated.”
In cross-examination, protection lawyer Teny Geragos factors out a September 2023 bill associated to journey for Jane and “entertainer” Sly for a New York journey, noting that the bill says “numerous bills for Sean Combs,” not any of his enterprise entities.
She additionally emphasised the timeline of those “lodge nights,” highlighting that lots of them occurred earlier than Combs began paying Jane’s lease in April 2023.
Jane had beforehand testified that she felt coerced to carry out beneath risk of shedding her dwelling if she didn’t carry out in “lodge nights.” The protection is making an attempt to argue that her involvement was consensual and never pressured beneath any monetary duress or concern.
Geragos additionally pulled out further texts that the prosecution didn’t cite in her try to indicate Jane’s purported mind-set about “lodge nights,” together with one across the November 2021 the place she informed him she was “sexy” after Combs requested if she needed to see him and an “entertainer.”
When Combs replied that he needed her to “be express” and inform him what she needed to try this night time, she did so. She additionally despatched express texts to the “entertainer” Sly, saying she needed to see him, as Geragos identified to the jury.
After one encounter, Jane texted Sly she was “so completely satisfied you might be such a sweetheart,” “thanks for making me really feel stunning,” and later, “getting flashbacks” with a drooling emoji.