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By Michael Blair, senior news editor in New York City

After seven weeks of gruelling evidence, it raised a few eyebrows that Sean "Diddy" Combs's defence team called none of its own witnesses and will make a closing argument that will last just a few hours.

The prosecution had a line-up of 34 witnesses, including two ex-girlfriends, male escorts, former employees, and artists, including rapper Kid Cudi.

What the court heard was often disturbing, befitting the counts of sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. 

The government painted a picture of a music mogul whose life of celebrity and glamour concealed one of abuse, violence and coercion.

The federal prosecutor summed up their marathon case as one against a man who "used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted".

So why did the Diddy defence team not try to match the prosecution in sheer scale?

Well, its entire argument is that the prosecution has provided a host of unreliable witnesses with their own personal motives. 

Since the trial began in May, they have built an entire defence through cross-examination, discrediting each account, arguing that the sexual encounters depicted were consensual. 

In short, they already have their witnesses.

The court must decide that Diddy is guilty "beyond reasonable doubt". The defence's mission will have been to sow just enough doubt in the minds of the jury members that they can't confidently convict him.

They must reach a unanimous verdict. If not, a retrial would loom, arguably putting the prosecutors

For Diddy and his accusers, the stakes could not be higher.

Court is now over for the day.

Judge Arun Subramanian tells the jury to return on Monday morning at 9am NY time, which is 2pm here in the UK.

He will then give them up to two hours of instructions before they can start discussing evidence.

The 12-person jury will then begin its deliberations later on Monday morning.

Next week is a short one, with the court not in session on July Fourth.

Comey says Diddy has spent the last 20 years believing he is "above the law".

She says he has got away with "crime after crime," listing him kidnapping Capricorn Clark, taking drugs and "giving them out like candy" around the country, forcing Mia to sleep in a room without a lock, beating Cassie in front of others, and bribing hotel security 鈥� all without consequence.

She says he was "untouchable in his mind, a god among men," adding, "and who would ever stand up to a god?"

She says that for 20 years Diddy has "got away with his crimes," adding decisively: "That ends this courtroom, the defendant is not a god, he is a person, and in this courtroom he stands equal before the law.

"Overwhelming evidence proves that it's time to find him guilty, and time to hold him accountable."

With that, the prosecution rebuttal is over after one hour and 17 minutes, and the court is adjourned.

The prosecution say they will end by talking about two specific incidents.

Firstly, the surveillance video that captured Diddy's beating of Cassie at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. Comey says while the defence is trying to say the argument was about a phone, it was all about forcing Cassie to return to perform in a "freak off".

The second incident is a violent physical altercation with Jane in June 2024. She says Diddy "went nuts," and while Jane should not have hit him, he should not have kicked down door, kicked her in the body and face, drag her by the hair and slap her hard.

She says: 鈥淛ane may have started that fight, but he finished it with a vengeance,鈥� literally beating her into submission. She was given ecstasy and forced to perform in a "freak off" shortly after.

As for the defence's argument that the "freak offs" were "beautiful", assistant US attorney Maurene Comey says: "They are not beautiful evenings, they are set up for one man's pleasure, for one man's enjoyment.

"It is the same performance, days upon days covered in oil, high on drugs, having sex over and over again. The videos only tell you part of the story."

Describing Diddy's coercion of the women into taking part in the "freak offs," Comey says: "The defendant took this to an extreme point, by the time he got to the InterContinental [hotel in Los Angeles] he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it."

Mocking the defence's suggestion that Cassie was the winner of a prize, she asks: "What was her prize? A black eye, a gash in her head? UTIs? Getting urinated in your mouth? How could anyone consider that a prize? It's ridiculous."

Citing a "cycle of abuse," she says the women "felt trapped" and were "trauma bonded," staying with Diddy because he "mixed his abuse with affection".

A portion of the defence's arguments centered around the women in Diddy's life being willing participants in the various sex acts the prosecution say was inflicted on them.

Comey says the defence "lied to you," and argues that Jane did not want to have sex with male escorts, Mia did not want her boss to come into her room and sexually assault her and Cassie did not want to be in a dark hotel room, having sex for hours with a rotation of strangers, sometimes with a urinary tract infection (UTI).

She says the defence's argument that all the women "wanted sex" would mean they had come into the courtroom and committed perjury, adding "they have no motive to lie at all".

She also says the defence's implication that Cassie made up her testimony for money holds no water, as she has already received a $20m civil case pay out, and $10 settlement from the InterContinental Hotel.

Comey says Mia is not a "trained actor putting on a performance" but "came here to tell her truth no matter how terrifying it was".

And she says Jane's only financial incentive would be to lie for Diddy, who is paying her rent and also paying for her lawyer. She says, "she has no incentive to help prosecutors at all."

She reiterates, "none of these women have reason to lie."

The prosecution paints a picture of Diddy as "a guy who can't get his own water bottle or plug in his phone charger". Comey says he is "the general" and not "a foot soldier or lieutenant".

She says it was his inner circle who needed to commit crimes on his behalf, which she says is racketeering.

Another element of the racketeering charge is his distribution of drugs, which she says he distributed to Cassie and Jane as an "essential element" of his "hotel nights".

After seeing jokes and a familiar style of delivery from the defence during their closing arguments, the prosecution now gives their rebuttal a little edge too.

Maurene Comey comments: 鈥淎gnifilo said Sean Combs was a hands and fist guy - sure, with his girlfriends.鈥�

She goes on: "When he said he wanted to kill Kid Cudi he鈥檚 bringing a gun鈥� When he鈥檚 beating a woman half his size, he鈥檚 bringing a gun."

Prosecutor Maurene Comey begins the rebuttal by saying the defence has spent "a whole lot of energy" blaming the US government for Diddy's lies and inexcusable behaviour.

She reiterates: "Sean Combs did not take no for an answer, not from employees and certainly not from his girlfriends. He got what he wanted, when he wanted."

Comey says the defence's argument that the male escorts were paid for their time and not for sex, "doesn't pass the laugh test". She says it's simply common sense that "he did not pay them for their scintillating conversation, it was for sex".

Pulling no punches, she adds: "Having sex in front of a masked masturbating celebrity - at the end of the night - they were getting paid for sex." She says Diddy also wanted to make sure none of the escorts were undercover cops.

The defence spoke for just over four hours in their closing argument.

Now the prosecution will have a chance for rebuttal.

Following a brief break, the jury were advised by the judge not to be concerned over who the prosecution has not charged in the case, but to focus on Diddy alone, and whether the prosecution has proven the charges against him beyond reasonable doubt.

It followed Agnifilo's assertion that Diddy had been targeted by the government.