Judge Admonishes Diddy Defense During Shocking Closing Arguments

The judge presiding over the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial admonished a defense attorney following a claim that the government targeted the hip-hop mogul.

During closing arguments on Friday, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo questioned why prosecutors charged Combs with some crimes and not others.

District Judge Arun Subramanian called Agnifilo’s comments “improper” and instructed jurors to only consider whether the charged offenses were met.

Why It Matters

Combs, 55, faces federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Sean "Diddy" Combs — Sean “Diddy” Combs, far left, and attorney Marc Agnifilo, right, sit at the defense table during witness testimony in Manhattan federal court on May 13 in New York City.

Elizabeth Williams via AP

The prosecution delivered its closing statement on Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said that Combs is a leader of a criminal enterprise and used “power, violence and greed” to control his victims.

What To Know

The defense’s closing argument, which lasted just over four hours, featured several shocking allegations.

Agnifilo made references to the man who fathered a child with “Jane,” an ex-girlfriend of Combs who testified under a pseudonym. He said Jane wanted the “trappings” of a rich life. “You guys know who her baby father is,” Agnifilo said.

While he did not identify the child’s father, the detail reveals more information about Jane, whose identity has not been disclosed to the jurors or the public.

Agnifilo also said the father “dropped the ball” with Jane’s child, while characterizing Combs and former girlfriend Cassie Ventura as “swingers”—adding that the prosecution is trying to portray “threesomes as racketeering” and that Ventura was “always free to leave.”

“She’s a woman who actually likes sex,” Agnifilo said. “Good for her. She should. She’s beautiful. She’s unafraid.” He also said Combs and Ventura had a “great modern love story,” despite complications. “They loved out loud.”

Agnifilo also commented on a relationship Ventura had with rapper Scott Mescudi, who uses the stage name Kid Cudi. He said she was “keeping it gangsta” and used a burner phone, since she was also dating Combs at the time. The defense attorney also referred to her relationship with Michael B. Jordan, whom he called the “most handsome man” in the world.

The lawyer for Combs claimed that the case was about money, citing a $30 million lawsuit Ventura filed against his client in 2023. “Cassie is nobody’s fool. She is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million,” Agnifilo said.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the defense’s arguments “do not hold up” during a rebuttal.

What People Are Saying

Agnifilo, in the defense’s closing statement: “I am asking you to acquit Sean Combs of all the counts. He is not a racketeer. He sits there innocent, so return him to his family who has been waiting for him.”

Comey, in a rebuttal: “The defendant got what he wanted when he wanted it.”