Diddy's Rep Pulls Domestic Violence Twist In Trial Closing Argument

Yahoo

5 hours ago

's legal team employs a shocking tactic for their closing argument.
The embattled music mogul's rep is reportedly embracing the domestic violence claims while insisting there is no proof he ran a sex trafficking or racketeering operation.
Diddy's trial, which has been on for more than seven weeks, has reached the final stages. The rapper has been in jail since September 16, 2024, and has had multiple accusations and lawsuits brought against him.
As the trial wraps up, the defense is trying to steer the focus away from headlines and back to what they claim is a lack of actual federal evidence.
Diddy's attorney took the floor Friday to deliver a bold final argument, telling jurors that while the domestic violence stories shared by Cassie and another accuser may be true, they are not what this case is about.
Marc Agnifilo, one of the star's lead defense attorneys, argued Diddy would have pleaded guilty if domestic violence were actually the charge, but since this is a federal court, he is facing serious claims like racketeering and sex trafficking instead, allegations the defense insists do not fit.
TMZ reports that Agnifilo told the court, "This case is about love," claiming the word "love" had come up more than 800 times during the seven-week trial. He painted Diddy and Cassie's past relationship as one of passion, swinging, and mutual consent, not coercion or crime.
He also took a shot at the civil suit Diddy reportedly quietly settled with Cassie last year, telling the jury she walked away with millions while Diddy now sits in a jail cell.
Diddy's legal team is not backing down in the final stretch of his criminal trial, firing back at prosecutors over claims of drug dealing, kidnapping, and an alleged federal overreach into his personal life.
Agnifilo tackled the drug allegations head-on, admitting Diddy used drugs but firmly denying he ever sold them. The attorney also went after federal agents, saying they were digging through Diddy's private life in a targeted takedown of a successful Black businessman.
He mocked the raids on the TV personality's homes, telling the court the feds came up with nothing more than baby oil and lubricant. Agnifilo did not stop there; he addressed the accusation that Diddy had kidnapped Capricorn Clark, calling it absurd.
He claimed Clark went home every night during the alleged incident and even continued working for Diddy afterward.
Diddy's team and federal prosecutors appear to be playing a similar game, each delivering unexpected moves as the high-profile trial nears its conclusion.
The Blast reports that federal prosecutors made a significant shift in the Diddy criminal case, pulling back on several serious claims just before closing arguments were set to begin in New York.
The government reportedly dropped plans to highlight allegations of kidnapping, attempted arson, and involvement in sex trafficking. The about-face also includes skipping testimony from their most crucial witness.
Prosecutors blamed the change on courtroom guidance from Judge Arun Subramanian, who reportedly urged them to simplify matters for the jury by reducing the complexity of their instructions.
While prosecutors have walked back some parts of their case, the bulk of the sex trafficking charges against Diddy are staying on the table.
They have not said exactly which elements they are removing from the jury instructions, but most of the original trafficking allegations are still part of the federal case.
What is changing is how those charges are being presented. Prosecutors are pulling back on some aspects of aiding and abetting while also requesting new instructions for the jury.
They are emphasizing that prior consent to sex does not mean it cannot be withdrawn later, and that accepting money for sex does not automatically cancel out trafficking claims.
They also want jurors to know that coercion in a trafficking case does not require physical force or clear-cut commercial sex.
The prosecution may be backing off on some aspects of its case against Diddy, but legal experts believe it has already done enough to secure a guilty verdict.
The Blast reports that despite the government's decision to drop certain charges and testimony, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani says the outcome looks grim for the 55-year-old. Even though the prosecution did not call its most important witness, Rahmani believes the evidence still stacks up.
"I think prostitution is in the bag. It's pretty clear that the entertainers were paid, and they were flown across state lines. There's an interstate nexus," Rahmani shared.
He also believes prosecutors successfully proved racketeering, arguing that even without a conviction for sex trafficking, the RICO charge stands on its own.
While Diddy has denied all claims involving sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution-related offenses, Rahmani says the government laid out enough to show a pattern of criminal activity driven by profit, a key piece in any racketeering case.
Which way will the hammer of justice swing for Diddy?