Diddy praises judge and chooses not to testify as trial draws to a close

Prosecutors and defence lawyers person rested their cases successful the sex-trafficking proceedings of Sean "Diddy" Combs, bringing much than six weeks of grounds against the hip-hop mogul to a close.

The high-profile proceedings has heard from much than 30 witnesses, including the rapper's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile employees of his institution Bad Boy Entertainment, antheral escorts, instrumentality enforcement officers and edifice staff.

But 1 idiosyncratic jurors won't perceive from is Combs himself.

Confirming this to Judge Arun Subramanian, the rapper said helium had discussed the contented of testifying "thoroughly" with his squad and made the determination not to springiness evidence. He besides thanked the justice and told him helium was doing an "excellent job".

Diddy trial: As it happened

After the prosecution rested, the defence squad moved for the justice to acquit the 55-year-old - a reasonably modular determination - saying attorneys for the authorities had not provided grounds to beryllium immoderate of the charges filed.

They past presented a little lawsuit themselves, submitting much substance messages arsenic grounds to amusement Combs and his girlfriends were successful loving, consensual relationships, and making a fewer stipulations astir testimony, but calling nary witnesses. This lasted for little than an hour.

They person antecedently conceded Combs has been convulsive successful the past, thing helium is "not proud" of, but said this did not marque him a enactment trafficker.

Combs has remained successful jailhouse without bail since helium was arrested successful New York successful September past year.

Throughout the trial, defence lawyers person made their lawsuit for exoneration done their questioning of witnesses called by the prosecution, including respective who gave grounds reluctantly oregon aft they were granted immunity to testify.

Prosecutors reason Combs coerced and forced Cassie and different erstwhile girlfriend, who testified nether the pseudonym Jane, into "freak off" enactment sessions with antheral escorts, and utilized his concern empire to facilitate these, arsenic good arsenic cause use, and screen up atrocious behaviour.

During the archetypal week of the trial, Cassie, 38, spent 4 days giving evidence. Heavily large astatine the time, she told jurors she felt pressured to instrumentality portion successful hundreds of "freak offs" with antheral enactment workers arsenic Combs watched.

She told the tribunal they became truthful predominant during their relationship, which began successful 2007 and ended successful 2018, that they were "like a job", and she had hardly immoderate clip for her ain career.

The vocalist and instrumentalist gave commencement 2 weeks aft her testimony, her person and erstwhile stylist confirmed arsenic helium gave grounds himself successful court.

Jane testified for six days astir akin intersexual performances, which Combs referred to arsenic "hotel nights", "wild king nights" oregon "debauchery" with her, the tribunal heard. Like Cassie, she said she felt coerced into engaging successful them due to the fact that she loved the euphony prima and wanted to delight him.

Jane dated Combs connected and disconnected from aboriginal 2021 to his apprehension successful 2024.

Jurors person been shown respective recordings of these enactment sessions, lasting much than 40 minutes successful total. The footage was shown connected monitors and jurors utilized headphones, keeping it backstage from the media and members of the nationalist successful court.

In her opening statement, defence lawyer Teny Geragos called the videos "powerful grounds that the intersexual behaviour successful this lawsuit was consensual and not based connected coercion".

Read more:
Everything you request to cognize astir the trial
The emergence and autumn of Sean 'Diddy' Combs
What we learned from Cassie's testimony

The proceedings besides heard from Mia, different alleged unfortunate who testified nether a pseudonym. Mia was a erstwhile worker of Combs, who told the tribunal helium sexually assaulted her connected respective occasions successful the years she worked for him.

She had ne'er told anyone astir the alleged maltreatment until the probe into Combs, she said, telling the tribunal she was ashamed. "I was going to dice with this," she said, becoming tearful connected the stand. "I didn't privation anyone to cognize ever."

The proceedings has been eventful, with 1 juror dismissed and replaced by an alternate aft it emerged helium had fixed conflicting grounds astir wherever helium lives. The justice said helium had "serious concerns" that not being truthful astir this could perchance mean helium wanted to beryllium connected the assemblage for a peculiar reason.

And astatine 1 point, Combs was warned by the justice for nodding enthusiastically toward jurors during a conception of cross-examination by his lawyers. The justice said helium could beryllium excluded from the proceedings if it happened again.

Court is not successful league connected Wednesday. The proceedings continues connected Thursday, erstwhile closing statements from the ineligible teams volition begin.