Federal prosecutors delivered their final arguments in the high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs on Thursday in New York City. The government contended that Combs systematically used “violence, power, and fear” to control alleged victims and orchestrated a sophisticated criminal enterprise to facilitate his alleged crimes over two decades.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik presented the prosecution’s case theory, asserting that the extensive testimony and evidence presented over the past six weeks amounted to proof of charges that include two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation for prostitution, and one count of racketeering conspiracy. Combs has maintained his plea of not guilty to all charges.
Allegations Centered on Coerced Encounters
Central to the government’s case is the testimony of two former girlfriends: singer Cassie Ventura and a woman identified only as “Jane.” Both women testified that Combs pressured them into participating in highly-orchestrated sexual encounters with male escorts, often referred to as “freak-offs,” “hotel nights,” or “wild king nights.” These events allegedly involved heavy drug use, lasted for multiple days, and were sometimes filmed and directed by Combs.
The women testified they repeatedly told Combs they did not want to have sex with other men but were coerced into continuing their participation. The prosecution argued this coercion involved various methods, including financial control, physical violence, and threats, notably the threat of blackmail using explicit videos of them.
Prosecutor Slavik emphasized the striking similarities in the women’s accounts, despite their relationships with Combs being years apart, presenting them not as isolated incidents but as “chapters of the same book” depicting a disturbing pattern of behavior. She argued that to convict Combs of sex trafficking, the jury only needed to believe each victim was pressured into just one such encounter through “force, threats of force, fraud or coercion.”
A Pattern of Control and Alleged Abuse
Evidence presented throughout the trial painted a picture of Combs leveraging his significant power and prestige – cultivated over decades as a highly successful and influential figure in the music industry – to allegedly shield himself from accountability and perpetuate abuse. Testimony described an environment marked by fear, manipulation, and a sense of lost autonomy, consistent with patterns experts describe as “coercive control.” While this specific term wasn’t the legal focus of the charges themselves, which center on individual acts of coercion, the alleged pattern of control helps contextualize the behavior described.
Witness accounts detailed numerous incidents consistent with a pattern of control, including:
Frequent physical assaults and threats.
Threats to leak filmed sex footage.
Alleged control over victims’ movement and privacy, including requiring some staff to live on his properties without permission to leave or lock bedroom doors.
Demands for polygraph tests for employees, allegedly fostering suspicion and reducing agency.
- An overarching environment of fear, paranoia, and unpredictable outbursts of temper.
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These alleged incidents, taken together, were presented by the prosecution as creating a system where individuals felt they lacked autonomy over their own lives.
Specific Victim Accounts Highlighted
During closing arguments, Slavik highlighted specific incidents as proof of trafficking.
For Cassie Ventura, who dated Combs for a decade starting in 2007, testimony detailed not only alleged emotional and financial control but also physical abuse. The prosecution focused on a key 2016 incident at a Los Angeles hotel, where security camera footage, shown repeatedly to the jury, captured Combs hitting, kicking, and dragging Ventura near elevators after she attempted to flee. While Combs’ defense conceded this video showed domestic violence, the prosecution argued it was inextricably linked to his sexual demands, designed to ensure compliance with the ongoing “freak-off” happening in the hotel room.
The second alleged victim, identified as “Jane,” testified about her relationship with Combs, which lasted until his arrest. The prosecution described Combs initially using “love-bombing” tactics as a form of grooming before allegedly pressuring her into similar “hotel nights” that came to dominate their time. Slavik highlighted incidents like a “sobriety party” where Jane, after becoming ill, was allegedly pressured to continue with sexual acts. Text messages, notes, and recorded calls were presented showing Jane’s reluctance, while Combs allegedly used paying her rent as leverage, telling her to “get on [her] job.”
The Alleged “Criminal Enterprise”
Beyond the individual acts of alleged sex trafficking, the prosecution argued Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” involving key employees and associates. This group allegedly facilitated Combs’s desires, arranging drugs, booking rooms and travel for victims and escorts, monitoring victims, and covering up his actions. To convict on the racketeering conspiracy charge, the jury needs to believe Combs and his employees agreed to commit at least two criminal acts as part of this alleged enterprise.
The prosecution listed numerous alleged criminal acts committed by the enterprise over two decades, including drug distribution, kidnapping (citing testimony about kidnapping an assistant), arson (mentioning the incident involving musician Kid Cudi’s car after he dated Ventura), bribery (allegedly paying a hotel employee for footage), forced labor, witness tampering or obstruction, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. Slavik argued Combs directed these actions through his staff, using his influence and resources to protect “his kingdom” and ensure “Everyone was there to serve him.”
Defense Counters Allegations
Combs’ defense team built their case for acquittal primarily through extensive cross-examination of the government’s 34 witnesses, some of whom reportedly testified reluctantly. The defense strategy has centered on the argument that the relationships were consensual and that while the hotel video showed domestic violence, it did not constitute the federal crime of sex trafficking. The defense notably presented a very brief case, resting in under 30 minutes without calling their own witnesses.
In concluding arguments that spanned over four hours, Prosecutor Slavik urged the jury to hold Combs accountable, stating he had used his power and influence to evade justice for twenty years. “That stops now,” she told the court, calling for justice for the alleged victims.
