USA Prosecution: Combs "used power, violence and fear"
After the prosecution's closing argument in the trial against former rap superstar Sean "Diddy" Combs, the defense will address its final words to the jury on Friday. For around six weeks, more than 30 witnesses testified in the trial about disturbing sex details and cruel violence - all in the glaring spotlight of the world press.
27.06.2025, 04:14
SDA
Prosecution: Combs "leader of a criminal enterprise"
On Thursday, the public prosecutor's office accused Combs of leading a "criminal enterprise". "You've learned a lot about Sean "Diddy" Combs in the past few weeks," Assistant District Attorney Christy Slavik told the jury in court in New York, according to US media reports.
"He is the leader of a criminal enterprise. He accepts no contradiction, and now you know the many crimes the defendant has committed with members of his enterprise," Slavik continued. Combs "used power, force and fear to get what he wanted."
After the closing arguments are completed - possibly on Monday - the twelve jurors will retire to deliberate on the verdict. They have as much time as they need to do this - so it could take a few hours or many days before a verdict is reached.
What has happened so far
The prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses in the trial, including former partners and employees of the rapper. Ex-girlfriend and key witness Cassie Ventura, for example, described how Combs had forced her to have sex with strange men. She also reported drugs and physical violence.
Other women also accused the rapper of years of sexual abuse and violence. Numerous other witnesses described in detail how they helped Combs organize sex events in hotels. The defense, on the other hand, did not present a single witness. Combs himself, who denies all allegations and pleaded not guilty, did not testify.
What a verdict could look like
Combs is charged with sex trafficking and organized crime, among other things. The New York public prosecutor's office accuses the rapper of abusing, threatening and coercing women to fulfill his sexual desires over a period of years. He allegedly ran a "criminal enterprise" with helpers. If convicted, Combs - who has used the pseudonyms "Puff Daddy", "P. Diddy" and "Diddy" in the past - faces a life sentence.
The jury will have to decide on the details of the sentence - it is also possible that Combs will only be found partially guilty.
Prosecution and defense - two narratives
The defense did not call any witnesses of their own because they argued that their narrative had clearly emerged in the testimonies already given: Combs treated many people, especially his ex-girlfriends, sometimes terribly and had toxic relationships - but these were consensual. One ex-girlfriend, for example, reported that she had always had affection for Combs despite everything.
The prosecution, on the other hand, argues that Combs' behavior crossed the threshold of a criminal offense. It even accuses him of organized crime, a charge that was originally created for gang crimes such as those committed by the Mafia. This accusation was already successfully used in the trial against singer R. Kelly to expose a systematic structure of sexual abuse.
