Inside Diddy trial: Defense took just 30 minutes to present its case while prosecution took six weeks

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, both the prosecution and defense in Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing sex trafficking trial made their closing arguments in the courtroom. The closing arguments come after Diddy's legal team rested their case within roughly 30 minutes on Tuesday, June 24, as per CNN reports.

Combs' nine-person defence team made the decision not to call any witnesses on the stand, including the Victory rapper himself. Instead, their focus was on the evidence.

Per CNN, defense attorney Anna Estevao took the lead on Tuesday, submitting multiple exhibits as evidence. Estevao also read out statements from the prosecution's witnesses, in addition to text messages exchanged between Cassie and Combs. The defense's case, which began after the prosecution rested its case on Tuesday, ended the same day.

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Meanwhile, the prosecution's case took six weeks to conclude, with 28 days of testimony, during which they called 34 witnesses to stand.

Sarah Krissoff, a former US prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, claimed that the defense's decision not to call any witnesses wasn't surprising, adding:

"Most of the work of the defense is really done in a cross-examination, in the advocacy to the court (and) in the sort of disputes they engage (in) with the government. And it really is the government’s burden here. They have to prove these elements beyond a reasonable doubt."

Diddy, who has been accused of sex trafficking and racketeering by the government, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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The prosecution labels Diddy as "the leader of a criminal enterprise" in their closing arguments

On Thursday, Judge Arun Subramanian laid out the schedule for the rest of the trial, announcing that prosecutor Christy Slavik would present the government's closing argument.

U.S. Attorney Slavik started her closing arguments by saying:

"Over the last several weeks, you’ve learned a lot about Sean (“Diddy”) Combs. He’s the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn’t take no for an answer and now you know about many crimes the defendant committed with members of his enterprise."

According to CNN, Slavik then went on to list Diddy's alleged crimes, including arson, bribery, forced labor, and kidnapping, later adding sex trafficking as "the brutal crime at the heart of this case."

Comparing the testimonies of Combs' two ex-girlfriends—Cassie Ventura and "Jane"—Slavik mentioned that their experiences with the Bad Boy Records owner were "shockingly similar," despite having taken place eight years apart.

Slavik continued to say that Combs methodically used the "silence and shame" of his alleged victims in order to keep his crimes hidden. She also accused the rapper's enterprise of having a "pattern of violence, coercion and manipulation" to fulfil his desires.

Per Slavik, the primary purpose of Combs' alleged criminal enterprise was to "serve and protect the defendant." She added that it was the support of Diddy's enterprise—his inner circle—that made him more powerful.

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After the prosecution's closing arguments end today, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo is expected to make the defense's closing arguments tomorrow (on Friday, June 27, 2025).

Edited by Meghna