One of many most sensational celebrity trials in a long time is anticipated early this week to go to jurors, who should determine whether or not music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is accountable for a stunning sequence of alleged intercourse crimes and conspiracies relationship again years.

The trial in New York has been marked by graphic testimony from inside Combs’ music empire, alleging a sample of violence, threats and cover-ups that prosecutors have likened to a mob-like legal enterprise.

A key query posed within the case is whether or not Combs — who was as soon as value greater than $1 billion — used his energy and cash to hide alleged crimes, typically with the assistance of his sprawling group.

Prosecutors hammered residence this alleged conspiracy in closing arguments. Assistant U.S. Atty. Christy Slavik informed jurors Combs “counted on silence and disgrace” to allow and delay his abuse and used a “small military” of staff to hurt ladies and canopy it up, based on the Related Press.

Combs “doesn’t take no for a solution,” she added.

However authorized specialists have stated the case might not be fairly the slam-dunk that the tabloid headlines counsel.

Combs’ protection has freely acknowledged that the mogul behaved badly. They declare, nonetheless, that the fees towards him are overblown and identified that some key witnesses didn’t report Combs’ misdeeds on the time.

“The speculation of the protection appears to be that Diddy did actually horrible issues, however they don’t meet the weather of the crimes charged,” stated authorized professional Jeff Chemerinsky, a former federal prosecutor.

On Friday, Combs’ legal professional labeled the prosecution’s case “exaggerated” and hammered a few of his accusers. Marc Agnifilo claimed Combs loved a “swinger” life-style and was addled by medication. He admitted Combs dedicated home violence, however that the racketeering and intercourse trafficking costs had been trumped up.

Witness Daybreak Richard testifies in Manhattan federal court docket.

(Elizabeth Williams / Related Press)

“He isn’t a racketeer,” he stated. “He’s harmless. He sits there harmless.”

There is no such thing as a query the trial painted a damning portrait of Combs, the hip-hop star who constructed a large music, vogue and life-style empire and mingled with the elites of American society and energy. However Dmitry Gorin, a former L.A. County intercourse crimes prosecutor, stated jurors must decide whether or not the sheer quantity and seriousness of federal costs match the proof. Gorin questioned whether or not federal prosecutors overcharged within the high-profile case.

The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured feminine victims, typically underneath the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs then allegedly used power, threats of power, coercion and managed substances to get ladies to have interaction in intercourse acts with male prostitutes whereas he often watched in gatherings that Combs known as “freak-offs.” Combs gave the ladies ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to “hold them obedient and compliant” throughout the performances, prosecutors say.

Combs’ alleged “legal enterprise” threatened and abused ladies and used members of his enterprise to have interaction in intercourse trafficking, compelled labor, interstate transportation for functions of prostitution, coercion and enticement to have interaction in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, prosecutors stated. In bringing so-called RICO costs, prosecutors in opening statements stated Combs was helped by a cadre of firm staff, safety workers and aides. They allegedly helped arrange the freak-offs after which coated up the incidents.

Combs is charged with one rely of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a most sentence of life in jail; two counts of intercourse trafficking by power, fraud or coercion, which carries a most sentence of life in jail and a compulsory minimal sentence of 15 years in jail; and two counts of transportation to have interaction in prostitution, which carries a most sentence of 10 years in jail.

Jurors heard from 34 witnesses, who supplied six weeks of brutal and graphic testimony.

On the coronary heart of the case are three ladies who described graphic sexual assaults, together with Combs’ onetime lover Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who the protection acknowledged was a key witness for prosecutors.

Cassie Ventura in court docket.

(Elizabeth Williams / Related Press)

It was Ventura’s lawsuit in 2023 that set off the unraveling of Combs’ enterprise with its particulars of intercourse, violence and freak-offs. Witnesses testified that Combs gave the ladies ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to hold them compliant throughout the performances.

His final former girlfriend, referred to solely as Jane in court docket, described how the freak-offs and coerced intercourse continued even after the lawsuit and a raid by Homeland Safety Investigations in 2023 till his arrest final yr. A former worker, testifying underneath the pseudonym Mia, additionally testified that she was sexually assaulted.

The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured two of the ladies underneath the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs then allegedly used power, threats of power, coercion and managed substances to get ladies to have interaction in intercourse acts with male prostitutes.

R&B singer Ventura, who had an extended relationship with Combs, testified early within the trial.

Ventura informed jurors she felt “trapped” in a cycle of bodily and sexual abuse, and that the connection concerned 11 years of beatings, sexual blackmail and a rape.

She stated Combs threatened to leak movies of her sexual encounters with quite a few male intercourse staff whereas drug-intoxicated and coated in child oil as he watched and orchestrated the freak-offs.

A type of alleged freak-offs led to an notorious lodge beating, Ventura testified. Video from that March 2016 evening reveals Combs punching and kicking Ventura as she cowers and tries to guard herself in entrance of an L.A. lodge elevator financial institution. He then drags her down the corridor by her hooded sweatshirt towards their lodge room.

A second angle from one other digital camera captures Combs throwing a vase towards her. She suffered bruising to her eye, a fats lip and a bruise that prosecutors confirmed was nonetheless seen throughout a film premiere two days later, the place she donned sun shades and heavy make-up on the crimson carpet.

A canopy-up then ensued, based on prosecutors. Ventura acknowledged that the police visited her residence. She answered a couple of of their questions, however informed the jury she nonetheless needed to guard Combs on the time.

“I might not say who I used to be speaking about,” she informed the jury. “In that second, I didn’t wish to harm him in that approach. There was an excessive amount of occurring. It was rather a lot.”

Eddie Garcia, the InterContinental Lodge safety guard, testified that Combs gave him a brown paper bag containing $100,000 in money for the video.

Sean Diddy Combs in court docket.

(Elizabeth Williams / Related Press)

Garcia stated that after his supervisor agreed to promote the video recording, he met with Combs, Combs’ chief of workers, Kristina Khorram, and a bodyguard. After Garcia raised considerations in regards to the police, he stated Combs known as Ventura on FaceTime, handed him the telephone and informed Ventura to inform Garcia that she additionally needed the video “to go away.” After that, Garcia stated he took the cash and break up it with co-workers, according to reporting from contained in the courtroom.

Prosecutors allege this reveals the conspiracy.

In her closing argument, Slavik stated racketeering legislation applies when somebody commits crimes as a part of a gaggle, and in Combs’ case, “the defendant was a robust man, however he turned extra highly effective and harmful due to his interior circle, his companies — the enterprise,” she informed jurors, based on AP.

Below the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, referred to as RICO, there are 35 particular offenses, together with homicide, bribery and extortion, and federal prosecutors want to point out a sample involving at the very least two overt acts as a part of a legal enterprise.

Individuals sometimes consider the mob, avenue gangs or drug cartels. However any free affiliation of two or extra folks is sufficient, like Combs’ entourage, stated Neama Rahami, a former federal prosecutor and protection legal professional.

Whereas the testimony towards Combs was graphic and detailed, Rahami stated the protection hopes jurors will query why these on the stand didn’t report the conduct to authorities on the time and in some instances stayed in Combs’ orbit.

Rahami stated she discovered components of the prosecution’s case underwhelming, particularly given the complicated and critical costs they filed.

“I nonetheless assume Combs is responsible, however the protection has a great likelihood of securing not responsible verdicts, particularly on the intercourse trafficking counts,” she stated.

The protection was aggressive in cross-examination, hammering witnesses about why they didn’t report Combs on the time or just depart him. In addition they offered textual content messages of help and love after the alleged assaults. The protection additionally centered on the cash and different issues they received from Combs.

“This isn’t a couple of crime. That is about cash. It’s about cash,” Agnifilo stated, based on the AP.

However the degree of graphic testimony could be arduous for jurors to disregard.

Bryana Bongolan, a good friend of Ventura, testified that Combs dangled her over a 17-story balcony and tossed her onto balcony furnishings in September 2016.

Capricorn Clark, a former assistant to Combs, informed jurors Combs compelled her from her residence at gunpoint to go together with him to musician Child Cudi’s residence in December 2011. As soon as there, Combs and Clark entered the empty home, after which Cudi, whose actual title is Scott Mescudi, confirmed up.

To keep away from getting legislation enforcement concerned, Clark testified, Combs ordered her to name Ventura, who was at the moment Combs’ ex-girlfriend, and stated they wanted to persuade Cudi to not snitch to the cops. “For those who guys don’t persuade him of that, I’ll kill all you m—,” Clark quoted Combs saying.

Cudi testified that his Porsche was later firebombed in his driveway with a Molotov cocktail.

Prosecutors received the final phrase Friday earlier than the jury went residence for the weekend, reminding them of the Cudi automotive explosion.

“He delegated and his interior circle dealt with the soiled work for him,” prosecutor Maurene Comey stated, in accordance to CNN. “He stated he was going to explode the automotive, and lo and behold, it blew up.

“For 20 years, the defendant received away along with his crimes. That ends on this courtroom,” Comey added. “The defendant just isn’t a god. He’s an individual.”

Related Press contributed to this report.

An space of low strain being monitored within the western Gulf developed right into a tropical despair, which forecasters have now stated to have strengthened into Tropical Storm Barry.

The Nationwide Hurricane Middle upgraded the tropical system, first forming as Tropical Melancholy 2, right into a tropical storm at 11 a.m. Sunday Japanese Time.  After reaching tropical storm standing, it grew to become the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Andrea.

The NHC began issuing advisories on Tropical Melancholy 2 at 5 p.m. ET Saturday. As Air Power Reserve Reconnaissance plane proceed to research the storm, they discover tropical storm-force winds regardless of the storm nearing the shoreline.

As of the NHC’s 4 p.m. replace, Barry was positioned about 35 miles east-northeast of Tuxpan, Mexico, and about 95 miles southeast of Tampico, Mexico, with most sustained winds of 45 mph and was transferring northwest at 9 mph.  

Satellite tv for pc pictures present that the storm ought to weaken because it nears the coast someday in a single day Sunday or early Monday. Despite the fact that the storm will weaken because it approaches land, it’ll nonetheless carry tropical storm circumstances close to the coast all through Monday.

Barry is predicted to strengthen barely earlier than it reaches the coast of southeastern Mexico, earlier than quickly weakening because it strikes inland. 

Despite the fact that the storm will weaken because it approaches land, it’ll nonetheless carry tropical storm circumstances close to the coast all through Monday. Forecasters, who issued a tropical storm warning, stated the storm may dump three to 6 inches of rain with an remoted most whole of 10 inches throughout Veracruz, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas via Monday.

As soon as the storm makes landfall, it’ll carry heavy rain and the specter of flooding and mudslides inland of the place the storm makes landfall. The ultimate place estimate of Barry is Monday afternoon, with the storm is forecast to dissipate over Mexico nicely south of Brownsville, Texas. Despite the fact that the storm can have dissipated, it’ll proceed to carry heavy rain to the realm, resulting in extra flooding. 

Extra regionally, the NHC can also be monitoring the potential for a low-pressure system to develop within the Gulf off the coast of Central and North Florida subsequent weekend.

In the meantime, on Mexico’s southwestern coast, Tropical Storm Flossie fashioned on Sunday, positioned about 225 miles south of Acapulco and transferring west at 9 mph with most sustained winds of 40 mph. In accordance with forecasters, Flossie is predicted to strengthen right into a hurricane on Monday or Tuesday however stay within the open waters simply west of Mexico.