Prosecutor casts Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as a criminal who abused others through power, violence and fear
Jun 26, 2025, 7:39 AM | Updated: 10:00 am
FILE - Sean Combs arrives at the Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 25, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)
Credit: Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP
(Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Two days of closing arguments in Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥� Combs 鈥� sex trafficking trial began on Thursday with a prosecutor telling the jury the hip-hop mogul used 鈥減ower, violence and fear鈥� to rule a criminal enterprise that facilitated kidnapping, arson and brutal sex crimes that she said were at the heart of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik provided the jury with a road map for a closing argument expected to last several hours.
She described Combs as someone 鈥渨ho doesn’t take no for an answer,鈥� while he committed crimes of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy for two decades.
Combs 鈥渃ounted on silence and shame鈥� to enable and prolong his abuse, Slavik said. He used a 鈥渟mall army鈥� of employees 鈥� an inner circle that included personal assistants and bodyguards 鈥� to harm women and cover it up, she said.
The theory of racketeering law is that 鈥渨hen someone commits crime as part of a group, they鈥檙e more powerful and dangerous,鈥� Slavik said. 鈥淭he defendant was a powerful man, but he became more powerful and dangerous because of his inner circle, his businesses 鈥� the enterprise.鈥�
Prosecutors say Combs coerced and abused women for years as he used his 鈥減ower and prestige鈥� as a music star to enlist a network of associates and employees to help him while he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.
They say the Bad Boy Records founder induced female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed 鈥淔reak Offs.鈥�
Defense lawyers have argued that Combs was involved in domestic violence but committed no federal crimes.
They built their case for acquittal through lengthy cross-examinations of most of the government’s 34 witnesses. Some witnesses testified only in response to subpoenas and made it clear to the jury that they didn’t want to be there.
Before Slavik began her closing, Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury they would hear a closing argument from a defense lawyer on Friday and a rebuttal by a prosecutor before he instructs them on the law and allows them to begin deliberating as early as late afternoon.
