Diddy lawyer Marc Agnifilo compares 'freak offs' to couples drinking lemonade
The Bad Boy Records founder's lead attorney made the eyebrow-raising comments during closing arguments in Combs' federal sex-crimes trial on Friday, June 27.
In court, Agnifilo said that instances when Combs and his ex-girlfriend Casandara "Cassie" Ventura Fine argued about partaking in "freak offs" were the same as some couples disagreeing over going to the beach or drinking strawberry lemonade, adding that "your likes become one" as a couple.
The trial's star witness, Ventura Fine testified through tears – sobbing at times – about the "agency" and "autonomy" she lost from "freak offs" over four days in May. Combs dated Ventura Fine in the mid-2000s, and their relationship spanned a decade. The two became involved professionally and sexually when Ventura Fine was 19 and Combs was 36.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' eerie favorite TV show revealed at trial
Prosecutors have argued that Combs' "freak offs," which lasted days at times, were sexual orchestrations arranged by the businessman that involved illicit substances and commercial sex workers.
The Combs defense team has long argued, instead, that the three women – Ventura Fine, another ex-girlfriend "Jane" and an ex-assistant "Mia" – at the center of the government's case against their client were willing participants in consensual sex acts with the "I'll Be Missing You" hitmaker.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. The arrest followed a November 2023 lawsuit filed by Ventura Fine alleging that Combs trafficked, raped and viciously beat her over the course of their coupling.
Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' lawyer slams 'fake' case
In court, Combs' lawyers have tried to suggest that the Sean John clothing brand creator and Ventura Fine were "swingers," partners in a committed relationship that engaged in consensual, but nonmonogamous intimate acts.
During a court hearing April 25, less than two weeks before Combs' trial began May 5, Agnifilo laid the groundwork for his client's legal defense, suggesting that the alleged illegal behavior was simply the result of sexual "swinging."
At the time, Agnifilo said in court that Combs had a sexual swinging "lifestyle." In court, U.S. attorney Maurene Comey pushed back on Agnifilo's beach and lemonade reference.
'Call it swingers:' Sean 'Diddy' Combs' defense as lawyer describes 'lifestyle'
The federal prosecutor Comey argued that Agniflo was suggesting "that Cassie and Jane and Mia are liars because, of course, they wanted it."
Comey contested Agnifilo's "swinging" argument saying this was different from preferences for beach visits or a beverage: These women were awake for days, covered in oil, wearing 8-inch heels, often with a urinary tract infection (UTI) and having unprotected sex with strangers. She said it's different from someone going "along like lemonade."
"What the defense is suggesting is that these women lied to you repeatedly," Comey said. "But these women have no reason to lie. They have no motive to lie at all."
And amid Friday's court proceedings, both Combs and his son Justin Combs were hit with a gang-rape lawsuit, filed by Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee. The jury will return Monday, June 30, for instructions from Judge Arun Subramanian before gathering for deliberations.
Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Patrick Ryan, KiMi Robinson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy's lawyer: 'Freak offs' like couples drinking lemonade
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
'Making the Band' singer Sara Rivers dealt legal blow in Sean 'Diddy' Combs lawsuit
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal battle with "Making the Band" alum Sara Rivers is nearing a close, after a New York judge ordered that all charges against the embattled music mogul be dismissed. Rivers, who appeared on Combs' early 2000s reality show "Making the Band 2" and became a member of hip-hop group Da Band, sued Combs in February on allegations of "unwanted touching," creating a hostile work environment, and fraud while filming the MTV show. The singer also sued several of Combs' companies and business associates for their alleged involvement, including Combs' mother, Janice Combs. In an Aug. 14 ruling in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Jed S. Rakoff ordered that 21 of the 22 charges listed in Rivers' lawsuit, which span racketeering, assault and battery, forced labor, and false imprisonment, should be dismissed with prejudice, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. As a result, Rivers will not be able to refile the dismissed charges in a new case. The remaining charge in Rivers' complaint, which alleges Combs violated the New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act through his alleged sexual abuse of Rivers, has not been determined with or without prejudice, leaving the possibility that Rivers could renew her claim in a new lawsuit. Judge Rakoff said he is holding off on a definitive ruling on the gender-motivated violence charge pending a decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on the parameters of the New York law. USA TODAY has reached out to Rivers' attorneys for comment. Combs' attorney, Erica Wolff, celebrated the ruling in a statement to USA TODAY. "From the outset, we have said these claims were meritless, time-barred and legally deficient," Wolff said. "The court agreed, finding no legal basis to allow them to proceed. We are pleased the court carefully analyzed and swiftly dismissed these baseless claims." Combs, who was arrested in September 2024, remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his trial earlier this summer on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. In July, the rapper was found guilty on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of the remaining offenses. Diddy's legal troubles: Every lawsuit and sex abuse allegation against the music mogul Sara Rivers alleged Diddy sexually assaulted her at music studio In her February lawsuit against Combs, Rivers alleged that Combs sexually assaulted her during her time on "Making the Band 2," a music competition series that centered on the creation of Combs' hip-hop group, Da Band. The singer said she had a confrontation with Combs during a trip to Washington, D.C., after Combs demanded Rivers drink a cocktail he provided that she refused. Around this time, Combs also reportedly claimed that Rivers and her bandmates "lacked drive and initiative" because they didn't visit Combs' studio, Daddy's House, to record music. Heeding Combs' criticism, Rivers said she later went to the studio on her own to record. The "Making the Band" alum claimed that shortly after entering the music facility, Combs abruptly approached her, backed her into a corner, and "ran his left hand across her breasts." After Combs let her leave, Rivers reportedly left the studio "in shock and disbelief" that the rapper assaulted her. As a result of Combs' alleged sexual abuse, Rivers "has sustained and will continue to sustain, monetary damages, physical injury, pain and suffering, and serious psychological and emotional distress," the lawsuit stated. 'You make me so mad, I want to eat your flesh' In January, Rivers appeared in Peacock's "Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy," a documentary that examined Combs' rise to fame and the damning criminal allegations that derailed his media empire. The former TV personality described Combs as a volatile boss who would routinely berate her and her bandmates. "When he got angry with one of my band members, he said, 'You make me so mad, I want to eat your flesh,'" Rivers recalled. Sara Rivers speaks out against Diddy: 'Making the Band' alum alleges 'inappropriate' touching in documentary The singer also accused Combs of sexual misconduct in the special, claiming that he "touched me in a place that he shouldn't have" during a one-on-one incident. "That was inappropriate, and I felt intimidated," Rivers said, later getting choked up. "I'm definitely nervous. ... I haven't said anything for so long, and it's built up." Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Kid Cudi 'hated' testifying in Sean Combs trial but wanted to support Cassie: 'She was living a nightmare'
The rapper said he later realized he had to "look out for" the R&B singer. Kid Cudi "hated every minute" of testifying in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial earlier this year, but he wanted to support his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Speaking with Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy, Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, recalled getting subpoenaed to speak as a witness in the federal trial. He said that he was reluctant to speak, but on the stand he realized he had to "look out for" Ventura. "I've always just wanted to see her, you know, thrive and do well and be happy," the artist said. "I know she was living a nightmare." In July, Combs was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering. He was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors had alleged Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct," according to an who was in an on-and-off relationship with Combs for a decade, testified that the music mogul had forced her into participating in multi-day "freak-offs" involving sex workers. The R&B singer had previously alleged that Combs had physically abused and raped her in a 2023 lawsuit that was quickly settled. At the federal trial, Mescudi testified that Combs broke into his home and destroyed his Porsche after finding out he was dating Ventura in late 2011. A former employee also claimed that Combs threatened to kill the "Pursuit of Happiness" rapper. Mescudi said on Call Her Daddy that he was going through his own personal issues at the time, including coping with cocaine addiction. When the incident with Combs began, the "Day 'n' Nite" rapper said he was "willing to walk into the fire" for Ventura. "In the moment, it was just crazy," Mescudi said. "I had a hard time understanding if it was reality. I was like, 'Am I in a movie? What the f--- is going on?'" Listen to the full episode of Call Her Daddy with guest Kid Cudi below. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
Kid Cudi 'hated every minute' of testifying in Diddy federal sex trafficking trial
Kid Cudi "hated every minute" of testifying against Sean "Diddy" Combs during the rapper's seven-week sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Kid Cudi, known legally as Scott Mescudi, testified in support of his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The rapper took the stand on May 22 to tell the jury about allegations that Diddy had broken into his home and set his car on fire with a Molotov cocktail. At the time of the alleged behavior, Cudi was dating Ventura, who was also romantically involved with Combs. The Grammy award-winning rapper recalled feeling "calm" on the stand and revealed he was only there "because [he] had to be" in an interview on the podcast "Call Her Daddy." "First they asked, I said, 'No,' then again, I said, 'No.' Then I got subpoena, and I was like, 'F---, s---. No,'" he told host Alexandra Cooper. "Then I'm thinking about like, 'What am I wearing, man? Do I have to be like, suit or something?' I was like, 'Man, f--- this s---. This is what I'm wearing today. I'm going to this f------ s--- in this. I'm not dressing up for this s---.' Like, wear some hard bottoms. I'm wearing some Solomon's, and I'm coming in with my Levi's and my leather jacket and that's it, you know?" "But I hated every minute of it," Cudi said. "Like I did not want to do it." The "Pursuit of Happiness" singer revealed he came to peace with testifying because he wanted to support Ventura. "I thought about, when I was up there. I'm here to support Cassie, and Cassie is my friend, you know, and I love her, and I wanna see her do well," he said. "And when I saw her get married, I was so happy for her, you know, that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, 'Oh, this is so awesome.' You know what I mean? Like, I've always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy because I know she was living a nightmare, and I just was there to support her." "That's what kind of gave me peace with it when I sat down in that chair. It was just about, 'Oh man, I gotta like, hold homegirl down' and like look out for her," he added. During the trial, Cudi revealed he met up with Diddy after the rapper allegedly broke into his home and set his car on fire. "I reached out to Sean Combs after my car had caught fire and… finally told him that we needed to meet up to talk," Cudi testified. "He had been wanting to talk to me. So, after the fire, I was like, 'This is getting out of hand, I need to talk to him.'" "Why was it Mr. Combs you reached out to after the fire?" Cudi was asked in court. "Because I knew he had something to do with it," Cudi claimed before Judge Arun Subramanian sustained an objection from Diddy's defense. The jury was then instructed to disregard the musician's last answer. Diddy was never charged in the investigation into the alleged break-in or car fire. The "I'll Be Missing You" singer was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Diddy will be sentenced in October after his conviction on transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
