Diddy trial latest: Rapper's defence lasts for less than hour after rapper confirms he won't give evidence

Sky News

6 hours ago

The prosecution and the defence in the case against Sean "Diddy" Combs have concluded their cases, with the hip-hop mogul's team calling no witnesses. Catch up on what happened in court in New York on Tuesday below.
20:52:01
Scroll down to catch up - and see you back here on Thursday
Judge Arun Subramanian has told the jury that court won't be in session tomorrow, so they have the day off.
They should return on Thursday for 9am (2pm UK time) to hear the start of the closing arguments, he said.
Court will sit for full days on Thursday and Friday.
Scroll down to catch up on proceedings as they happened today - and we'll be back soon with a full story of the day.
20:45:19
Defence for Diddy presents and rests its case
Presenting their case, defence lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs entered into evidence a series of text messages they argue show how the hip-hop mogul and his girlfriends were in loving, consensual relationships.
Some of the electronic messages appeared sweet and tender, while others were graphic and explicit, describing sexual acts.
In one message sent in 2017, Cassie Ventura told Combs he was her "best friend" and said there was no one she loved more than him.
The prosecution stipulated to the authenticity of these messages.
As expected, the defence's presentation is short - and lawyers rest their case about two hours after the prosecution ends its case.
Prosecutors said there would be no rebuttal case.
20:13:00
Jurors back in the courtroom for defence
Court is back in session with the jury in place.
Judge Arun Subramanian tells defence lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs they can begin their case.
Previously, the team suggested they would not be calling witnesses but rather submitting evidence and reading some stipulations.
19:58:39
Diddy confirms he will not testify
After the defence's acquittal motion, prosecutors tell Judge Arun Subramanian they feel they have more than established their case and ask him to decline the motion.
He says he will reserve his decision.
The judge then addresses Sean Combs directly, first asking how he is feeling.
"I am doing great, thank you Your Honour. I wanted to tell you thank you, you are doing an excellent job," Combs says.
The judge tells Combs he has the right to testify or not testify and the rapper acknowledges this is his decision to make. He says he has discussed this "thoroughly" with his team.
Asked if it is his decision not to testify, he replies: "That is totally my decision. My decision, I am making it."
19:49:28
Motion for charges to be thrown out continues
Defence attorney Alexandra Shapiro's motion for acquittal continues.
The trial so far has failed to show evidence Sean "Diddy" Combs tried to bribe anyone surrounding the March 2016 hotel incident with Cassie Ventura, she says.
This was captured on CCTV which was shown in court, with Combs seen hitting and dragging Cassie in the hallway of the hotel.
Shapiro puts it to Judge Arun Subramanian that there was no police involvement and no charges were pressed.
She also argues that Combs did not threaten "Mia", an ex-employee and alleged victim who testified under a pseudonym, telling the court her former boss sexually assaulted her several times.
While some former workers for Combs described him as abusive and told the court they worked long hours under gruelling conditions with little sleep, they all could have left, Shapiro says.
19:02:42
Defence calls for acquittal and says charges have not been proven
Defence lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs are now making an acquittal motion while the jurors are out for lunch, which is fairly common after the government rests in a federal case.
Attorney Alexandra Shapiro is presenting their argument to Judge Arun Subramanian, and says the charges should be thrown out.
The prosecution has not proved charges of racketeering (RICO), Shapiro says, telling the judge "there is insufficient proof to establish a single RICO charge in the indictment" and no evidence of a criminal "enterprise" has been shown.
"They say bodyguards and high-ranking employees but they fail to prove any individual actually conspired with him," the defence lawyer says. Staff carried out errands and made travel arrangements but were not involved in anything that went on with Combs and girlfriends in hotel rooms, she adds.
Jurors were told to return for 7pm UK time, but it seems likely this motion will continue for a while.
18:45:50
Court breaks for lunch
Jurors are now taking their lunch break but lawyers for both the defence and the prosecution are still in the courtroom for legal discussions with Judge Arub Subramanian.
The judge has told jurors to be back by 7pm UK time.
18:42:50
Prosecution rests its case against Diddy
After hearing a few final message exchanges and details of bills, special agent Joseph Cerciello left the stand - and the prosecution rested its case against Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The jury has heard from 34 witnesses, including Combs's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who accused him of years of physical abuse and coercive control, as well as violence and rape.
She told the court that during their on-off relationship between 2007 and 2018, he subjected her to drug-fuelled "freak off" sexual encounters with male escorts.
The 38-year-old spent four days on the witness stand, giving evidence while she was eight months pregnant with her third child.
"Freak offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again," she said. Each time, she added, she had to recuperate from lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs "and other substances", and "having sex with a stranger for days".
Other key witnesses included a former personal assistant to Combs, who went by the pseudonym "Mia". She accused him of sexually assaulting her several times during her employment.
And the court also heard from "Jane", a former girlfriend who also used a pseudonym. She described sexual encounters with male escorts in testimony that was similar to Cassie's, and said his constant need for sex for entertainment left her "sore, tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed".
18:25:38
Sketches from court today
As this is a federal trial, there are no cameras in the courtroom - but as always, the court artists are there to bring proceedings to life.
Artist Jane Rosenberg has captured these images of Sean "Diddy" Combs and his lawyer Marc Agnifilo (top) and Judge Arun Subramanian (below) in the courtroom today.
Jurors shown about six minutes of freak-off footage
Jurors have been shown more footage, this time of Jane* and a sex worker from 31 July to 1 August 2024.
They watched two clips for about six minutes.
Combs was initially following along and wearing headphones before the screens at the attorney table were switched off.
Graphic footage has only been shown to those who need to see it in court, so not to media or members of the public. Jurors also watched several clips yesterday.
Jane, not her real name, and Combs dated from early 2021 to his arrest in September 2024.
This footage would have been filmed just a few weeks before that.