Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Defense closes; deliberations set for Monday

In the government's rebuttal, prosecutor Maurene Comey denounced the defense summation for insinuating the women "wanted it," telling the jury it defied logic to think Cassie Ventura wanted certain explicit elements of so-called "freak offs."

"What we're talking about is being in dark hotel room, awake for days, covered in oil, often with a UTI, in heels, with your pelvic area sore…having sex for hours, including with strangers," Comey said. "The defense wanted you to believe Cassie and 'Jane' wanted that. That's ridiculous on its face."

Comey also argued sex tapes that the defense said depicted "date nights" with "beautiful rooms" and "nice music" were not visual representations of beautiful evenings but repetitive sessions for one man's enjoyment. "It's the same performance," Comey said.

Comey told the jury that in order to convict Combs of sex trafficking, they only needed to find there was one so-called "freak off" when Combs knew he was using force, fraud or coercion to gain Ventura or "Jane's" compliance in the event.

After the defense argued the career opportunities Combs afforded Ventura and the rent he paid for "Jane" were evidence of generosity, not leverage, Comey insisted it was the opposite.

"The money, the career, the house, were all tools the defendant used to control Cassie and Jane," Comey said. "It trapped them."

Prosecutor Maurene Comey, in the government's rebuttal, took immediate aim at the defense's argument there was no evidence of Combs committing transportation for prostitution. She said Combs flew escorts across the country, masturbated in front of them and gave them money.

"When the defendant flew those men out and paid them it wasn't for their scintillating conversation," Comey said.

Comey also took aim at the defense's suggestion Cassie Ventura was not a trafficking victim but part of a "great modern love story" with Combs.

"The defense just spent a whole lot of energy trying to blame his victims and the government for his lies, his threats and his violence," Comey said. "Make no mistake, this trial was about how, in Sean Combs' world, 'no' was never an option."

In a closing argument that lasted just over four hours, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked jurors to acquit Sean Combs.

"He is not a racketeer; he is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He sits there innocent," Agnifilo said. "Return him to his family."

Agnifilo asked jurors to consider whether they should trust the government's case against his client.

"I think that the evidence shows, and you can conclude, that the government targeted Sean Combs," Agnifilo said. "The Cassie lawsuit comes out and these guys wanted to make a case."

Judge Arun Subramanian issued a curative instruction two times after Agnifilo twice said in his summation that the government targeted Sean Combs.

"The decision of the government to investigate an individual or the decision of a grand jury to indict an individual are none of your concern," the judge said.

In a continued effort to discredit the witness who went by the pseudonym, "Jane" may have instigated a physical fight with Sean Combs in June 2024 to use it against him later.

"She knows there's an investigation into Sean Combs. Did she prompt this? Did she want this to happen?" defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the jury. "Her story truly makes no sense. The whole night makes no sense."

"Jane" testified she started the incident by pushing Combs into a kitchen counter. She told the jury she ran into a bedroom and Combs kicked down the door. Outside, she testified Combs dragged her, punched her and then slapped her later in the shower.

"I think she prompted it," Agnifilo said. "That's the only way the unprovoked extreme violence makes sense."

The defense said Combs could not have knowingly committed transportation for the purposes of prostitution because he used an escort service, Cowboys 4 Angels, that is an "ongoing, successful, thriving business."

There was no witness that introduced himself saying, "Hi, I'm a male prostitute," Agnifilo said. "There's no actual evidence of prostitution."

He said customers of Cowboys 4 Angels pay for an escort's time.

"If you're paying for time and two adults meet, and you're paying for time, and they decide to have sex it's not illegal," Agnifilo said. "In his mind, this is ok."

Agnifilo also suggested Combs could not be guilty of racketeering conspiracy because "there was a gaping lack of evidence" from any witness testifying that Combs ran a criminal enterprise.

"This is his personal life," Agnfilio said. "It's not about an enterprise. There's no witness to say that there is. It's not about racketeering activity."