Unless you have been under a proverbial rock, Sean “Diddy” Combs is fighting serious federal charges, but his legal team wants jurors to see him as a flawed celebrity living an unconventional lifestyle, not a criminal mastermind. On Friday, the defense wrapped its closing argument by claiming Combs is guilty only of indulging in vices, not of running a dangerous sex trafficking ring.
“He did not do the things he’s charged with,” said Marc Agnifilo, Combs’s lead attorney. “He did what he did. But he’s going to fight to the death to defend himself from what he didn’t do.”
In case you missed it, Prosecutors allege Combs coerced women into extreme drug-fueled sex parties involving male escorts, referred to in court as “freak offs.” But Agnifilo dismissed the claims as exaggerated, arguing the events were part of a consensual alternative lifestyle. “They are swingers,” he told jurors. “This is their lifestyle.”
The high priced defense team pushed back on the idea that Combs used fear, violence and manipulation to cover up any wrongdoing, refuting claims that he orchestrated kidnappings or arson. Agnifilo took direct aim at the credibility of Cassie Ventura, Combs’s former partner, who told the court she was repeatedly abused and forced into disturbing sexual situations. Agnifilo called their relationship “complicated,” but described it as “a great modern love story.”
Combs is facing five serious federal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, multiple counts of sex trafficking, and allegations tied to interstate prostitution. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
As Agnifilo brought his argument to a close, he urged jurors to think critically. “It takes a lot of courage to acquit,” he said. “You should feel bold, you should feel the courage that you will need to call this as you see it, and I am asking you to summon that courage and to do what needs to be done and to do the right thing.” He ended with a direct plea: “He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him.”
Judge Arun Subramanian paused the trial briefly after those remarks, stating that it was “improper” for the defense to claim Combs had been “targeted” by the government. The judge reminded the court that the jury must base its decision only on whether each charge was supported by real evidence.
The defense also addressed one of the prosecution’s central claims: that Combs paid for sex. Agnifilo insisted that the money exchanged had nothing to do with prostitution. “There’s no evidence that there was negotiation of sex for money,” he said.
Two men who testified admitted to receiving payment after sexual encounters with Ventura while Combs watched. One, Daniel Phillip, stated he received $6,000 but also said, “I didn’t care if I was paid one way or another. I didn’t ask to get paid, they gave that to me.”
The jury is set to receive instructions from Judge Subramanian on Monday before deliberations officially begin.