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Jurors will begin deliberations on Monday in the high-profile federal case against American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who stands accused of orchestrating a long-running criminal operation involving sexual abuse, drug use, and coercion.
Over seven intense and often distressing weeks, a jury of 12 New Yorkers heard from 34 witnesses and reviewed thousands of pieces of evidence, including phone records and financial documents.
The case centres on allegations that the 55-year-old music mogul exploited his fame, wealth, and influence to force women into performing drug-fuelled sexual acts with escorts.
If convicted of the five federal charges—which include sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution—Combs could face a life sentence. He has denied all accusations.
On Friday, the prosecution and defence delivered their closing arguments. Combs’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, sought to discredit the key accusers, claiming they were motivated by financial gain and emphasising that Combs’s past relationships, though sometimes violent, were consensual and do not equate to criminal conduct. Agnifilo rejected the notion of a criminal conspiracy.
However, federal prosecutor Maurene Comey urged jurors to see through what she described as an effort by the defence to distort the facts. She portrayed Combs as a man who believed he was above the law and out of reach of accountability.
The prosecution’s case heavily relied on testimony from two women—Casandra Ventura and another who testified under the alias “Jane.” Both gave harrowing accounts of abuse, describing coercion, threats, and psychological manipulation, claiming they were pushed into complying with Combs’s sexual demands.
While the defence accused the women of distorting reality and making choices of their own volition, the prosecution insisted the women were victims of deliberate grooming and abuse.
Expert testimony from a forensic psychologist was used to explain the psychological tactics abusers use to exert control over their victims.
Prosecutors argued that Combs led an organised network of senior aides who carried out his orders, which allegedly included acts of forced labour, witness tampering, arson, kidnapping, and bribery. However, the defence noted that none of these associates gave evidence against Combs or were formally named as co-conspirators.
Many of the witnesses received immunity in exchange for their testimonies.
To secure a conviction on the racketeering charge, jurors must unanimously agree that Combs entered into an agreement with others in his organisation to commit at least two of the crimes listed under the statute.
Judge Arun Subramanian is set to instruct the jury on how to interpret the legal requirements before deliberations begin.
The panel—comprised of eight men and four women—must reach a unanimous verdict on each of the five charges Combs faces.
