After seven weeks of testimonies and bombshell revelations, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs‘ sex-trafficking trial is coming to a close. Final arguments kicked off on Thursday in Manhattan, as the feds also brought back the infamous, heart-rending hotel footage of the controversial rapper viciously beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway.
Federal prosecutors called out the accused hip hop mogul for disadvantageously making use of his status as a once-gatekeeper of the music industry. They reiterated their arguments against him, doubling down on testimonies and hefty claims that have for long suggested that many were abused and exploited due to his drug-fuelled and sex-crazed ‘Freak-Offs’ over the years.
Diddy used fame, wealth and power to cover up his alleged sex crimes
“He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law — but over the course of this trial, his crimes have been exposed,” charged Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik in closing statements.
While attempting to make their case in front of the jury on why Diddy deserved to be convicted of sex-trafficking and racketeering charges, Slavik went back to how the mogul allegedly gave a security guard $100,000 bribe in a brown paper bag. The purported incident has been touted as a failed attempt on Combs’ part to bury the Los Angeles hotel footage that especially pushed the public verdict against his favour last year.
Slavik also recounted not only Cassie’s testimony, but also those of another ex-lover – who testified under the name “Jane – and rapper Kid Cudi, among others. As a result, crucial alleged crimes Diddy is being hounded for include the sex trafficking of Ventura and “Jane,” perceived attempt to cover up his brutal attack by bribing the security guard, and Cudi’s car arson case.
“The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” said the fed prosecutor. “Dozens of witnesses agreed — he doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Diddy’s ‘kingdom’: Others who aided his acts, sex tapes held over victims’ heads
Noting how “it’s his kingdom” and “everyone is there to serve him,” Slavik even name-dropped Diddy’s “loyal lieutenant” chief of staff Khristina Khorram, who allegedly “aided and abetted” the jailed artist’s plots. Security guards of Combs’ “kingdom” were also dragged back into the conversation, as the prosecutor contended they were always “armed and ready” to stand by some of the rapper’s “most violent acts.”
Sean Combs has repeatedly denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the sexual encounters, dubbed ‘Freak-Offs,’ were consensual. However, Slavik asserted that the Bad Boy Records founders threatened to expose tapes of these disturbing engagements if Ventura and Jane went against his demands.
“He held these sex tapes over her head as collateral,” Slavik said of Ventura’ case. “The freak-offs themselves became a way to coerce her into doing freak-offs.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ legal team will deliver their closing remarks on Friday.
