Diddy trial latest: Cassie relationship was 'great modern love story', defence says in final argument

Sky News

5 hours ago

The defence is making its final arguments for Sean "Diddy" Combs. In a bid to disarm the prosecution's case, they've described his relationship with Cassie - a key feature of the trial - as a "great modern love story". Follow the latest below.
17:16:45
Mia 'loved working' with Diddy, defence says
The defence now paints a picture of Diddy's working relationship with his former employee, Mia, saying it's where "love and money come together".
During her evidence earlier in the case, Mia - which is a pseudonym to protect her identity - said Diddy sexually assaulted her.
Agnifilo says Mia was "happy" and "loved working with Sean Combs", and the prosecution has "created a false persona of her".
They say there was no "unwanted sexual contact", but it was in fact "platonic love and admiration".
The court is shown a social media post of Mia wishing Diddy a happy 45th birthday, curating old articles about his success.
Agnifilo says: "She loves him, she loves him."
He also shows the court a big group photo from the same birthday party with staff, including Diddy's ex-chief of staff Kristina Khorram and his security guard D-Roc, saying it does not show a "racketeering enterprise" - but instead "joy, family, a home".
Agnifilo also reads out a text exchange between Khorram and Mia, in which Mia says she is going to take her own life.
During the exchange, Agnifilo refers to Khorram as "racketeering co-conspirator KK".
16:54:08
'I'm allowed to be sarcastic', Diddy's lead defence says
During a brief court break, the prosecution complained to the judge about "improper arguments" made by the defence.
They appear to be referring to what they see as highly charged comments, often wrapped around rhetorical questions, about the charges against Combs.
This live blog characterised his comments as "sassy".
Asked by the judge if he agrees such an approach isn't appropriate, Marc Agnifilo replies: "I don't know I agree judge… respectfully… I think I'm allowed to be sarcastic… I think if a charge is beyond the pale, I can make that point and that's what I was doing."
The judge also reprimanded Agnifilo over "grossly improper" questions to the jury over the prosecutors' charging decisions, advising the jury they should not consider them in their deliberations.
Reminding everyone of the pecking order, Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury: "What I instruct you are the proper instructions for you to consider."
16:40:48
Diddy didn't kidnap Cassie, defence says
The defence says Diddy did not kidnap Cassie in January 2009, after an event in LA in which she says he "stomped on her face".
They say he put her up in a hotel "for her own good", despite Cassie wanting to go back to his house to recover.
Diddy's lawyer argues it can't be kidnapping "when you want to go to the house of the guy you're charging with kidnapping".
The defence also argues that Diddy offering an InterContinental security guard a stack of cash following his 2016 beating of Cassie wasn't bribery, but just about avoiding "bad publicity".
He also says Diddy is not guilty of tampering with a witness - his former assistant Mia - and his security guard, D-Roc, was simply offering Mia help if she needed it, as she had previously told him she was "out of money".
16:21:30
Defence deny 'nonsense' with Kid Cudi's Porsche anything to do with Diddy
The defence's closing argument spends a fair chunk of its time talking about Capricorn Clark, Diddy's former assistant and the 17th prosecution witness in the trial.
Agnifilo says she was never kidnapped by Diddy, and did not witness a gun in the car when she went with him to rapper Kid Cudi's house in January 2012.
He says when she talks about wanting to "get her life back" she is really saying she wants to get back to the world he says Diddy created.
Agnifilio also says Diddy neither set fire to Kid Cudi's car, nor broke into his house.
Calling it "this nonsense with the Porsche", he says: "He did nothing to that man's car - that's not his style… he's a fighter… 'you're messing with my girl; I'm coming to your house to fight'… no weapons… good old-fashioned John Wayne".
He calls the police's action over the arson "a terrible investigation".
16:01:02
How's Diddy reacting in court?
Today, Diddy is sitting up close to the defence table, next to his lawyers Brian Steele and Alexandra Shapiro.
He's listening intently to Marc Agnifilo's testimony and looks much more engaged than yesterday.
There is not much defeat on his face today.
The prosecution's Maurene Comey is also watching on, taking sips from her water bottle, and at other times resting her face in her hand.
15:51:04
Defence hails Cassie and Diddy relationship as 'great modern love story'
Painting a picture of Diddy and Cassie's relationship, defence lead Marc Agnifilo calls it "a great modern love story".
He says while the prosecution "is trying to get you to believe it's one-sided", it is in fact "a real relationship and they are in love".
Portraying the relationship, he goes on: "It isn't hard to pick a winner - Cassie flat won. It's not a secret, he's in jail. Marshall's service doing a good job keeping him safe but in jail."
'Cassie won'
"Cassie won… It's like a slaughter, it's not even close, anyone telling you Cassie is the victim, she didn't see what was coming… She matched him, she was like him, she was at a certain level, she was in love, it was a great modern love story…
"It's complicated, but they are truly in love with each other and that is what defines their relationship, it is based on love, she said she was young… they loved out loud."
They were 'best selves' during sex
He elaborately paints some of the text messages sent around their breakup as "the most beautiful words", telling the jury, "you will cry".
Agnifilo says Cassie made "the adult choice" when she chose to leave Diddy, adding: "If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship."
He says they were their "best selves" when it came to sex.
Cassie the 'gangster'
He then characterises Cassie in a much darker light, calling her "a gangster", and saying she "played [Diddy] good," by having a relationship with Kid Cudi under his nose, using a "burner phone" to try to avoid him finding out.
15:31:50
'We own the domestic violence,' the defence say
Marc Agnifilo says at no point have the defence challenged a single word Cassie told the court about the domestic violence she experienced at Diddy's hands.
He says there was no need to question her on being "hit or dragged" as it could all be seen in the video evidence, captured in the InterContinental Hotel in 2016.
He goes on: "In terms of owning a matter of personal responsibility - owning the DV [domestic violence], we own it. It happened."
He points out that Diddy is not charged with domestic violence, but is charged with both racketeering and sex trafficking. He says Diddy "is going to fight to the death to defend himself against what he didn't do".
15:19:11
The defence gets sassy: 'I hope Jane's having a good day - in the house Diddy pays for'
Referring to the "beautiful house" Diddy rents for his ex-girlfriend Jane, he said it was an example of a man who "takes care of people".
Pushing home the point that Diddy is still paying the rent on the apartment Jane lives in with her child, Agnifilo says: "Jane came up here and testified against him… I hope she's having a good day, but you know where she's having a good day - in her house that he pays for."
Seemingly mocking the work of the special response teams who searched Diddy's homes in September last year, he said America's streets were "safe from Astroglide" [a commercial brand of lubricant].
He said they also found baby oil, and "a purse full of drugs," adding: "It's all worth it, thank goodness for the special response team, way to go fellas, you guys just do you."
Agnifilo says there is nothing about the businesses to make it a criminal case, meaning the officers have had to "take yellow crime scene tape and wrap it around his bedroom, hotel rooms, [places] you go with your girlfriends".
Riffing off the recent birthday of the world's most famous shark, he adds: "It's the 50th anniversary of Jaws - we need a bigger boat… We need a bigger roll of crime scene tape."
15:03:48
'Are you kidding me?' Defence lead Marc Agnifilo asks the court
Describing Diddy as "a self-made successful black entrepreneur", Agnifilo says the rapper built "wonderful, sophisticated, real businesses", adding they have "stood the test of time" and "employ people, giving them livelihoods and making them part of a family".
Agnifilo reminds the jury of all the government witnesses who spoke admiringly of Diddy, with one saying that working with him was the "greatest moment of my life".
He asks the jury: "Did they always like him? No way… but they loved him, even the ones who are suing him."
Agnifilo goes on: "Was it always easy? No. Sometimes real things in life are hard, the lessons in life show that you can do something hard, you remember hard things".
He says such things "build character," claiming Diddy's companies practised "diversity, equity and inclusion" way before they became an accepted business practice.
But instead of recognising any of this, Agnifilo says the government has labelled his business a "racketeering enterprise," emphatically asking the court, "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?".
He says this is an example of the "fake trial" he says is taking place.