Diddy trial jury starts deliberations as rapper’s future hangs in the balance: Live updates

Jurors in Diddy’s trial will receive instructions Monday morning before deliberations begin.

The panel of 12 jurors heard closing arguments from the prosecution and defense teams last week.

Diddy’s defense lawyer Marc Agnifilio said Cassie Ventura, the rapper’s ex-girlfriend and main accuser, was a ‘sexy woman’ that’s what she deserves to be’ in shocking closing statements heard in court Friday.

Agnifilo was making a point to jurors about how Cassie was not sex trafficked and that she and Diddy were swingers who partook in the lifestyle and regularly enjoyed freak offs.

‘She wants to do it…she likes it…This is their lifestyle. He wouldn’t think in a million years there was anything wrong with that,’ he continued. He claimed Diddy‘s sexual fantasies became her own as his girlfriend.

The judge commended the prosecution and defense teams after the jury was sent out to start deliberations.

‘The case was really exceptionally tried by both sides in this case,’ Subramanian told the lawyers.

He went on to note that he appreciated both sides’ cooperation throughout, and also praised the parties for allowing younger attorneys to deal with issues in the case.

The jury was dismissed from the courtroom at 11.29am Monday to start deliberations in Combs’ case.

The judge told the alternates they can say goodbye to their fellow jurors, but cannot discuss the case.

He also gave the alternates his personal contact information if they need to reach him.

The jury can also chose to stay past 5pm today to continue deliberating, the judge said.

The judge has asked the jury to choose a foreperson – the juror responsible for overseeing jury deliberations.

The panel has been instructed to send a note informing the court who that will be.

They have also been told to send a note to notify the court when a verdict has been reached.

Diddy seen in court sketch Friday

The judge told jurors that their notes must remain for their eyes only.

He also said they can only consider the information presented to them in the courtroom, not from ‘outside reading,’ Matthew Russell Lee with Inner City Press reported.

‘You may not communicate about this case, including on X, Instagram or YouTube – if you see this, tell my Deputy,’ the judge added.

They say that while many ‘horrible’ things have been laid out at trial, Diddy is not guilty of the crimes he is charged with – and that is the only thing to consider.

The judge specified what constitutes drug distribution under the racketeering charge.

He told them the amount of drugs is not relevant and that the jury must find that at least two people agreed to distribute a drug from one to another.

Marc Agnifilo claimed Diddy’s ex-assistant Kristina Khorram, who’s name has come several times throughout the trial, was the ‘single most helpful person’ and not a co-conspirator to Diddy’s alleged crimes.

When Agnifilo claimed ‘everyone should have a Kristina Khorram,’ Diddy nodded in agreement in court.

Multiple people were caught sleeping and even snoring in the court’s overflow room, BBC News reported.

The judge is still walking jurors through the racketeering charge and the types of crimes that fall under it.

Combs remained pretty still as the judge continued on.

Right now, Judge Arun Subramanian is explaining in detail the eight underlying acts the jury can possibly find were committed by Combs or a co-conspirator to align with the racketeering charge against him.

The jury has to find that Combs agreed with at least one other member of his alleged enterprise to commit two qualifying crimes within 10 years of each other.

Here are the eight qualifying crimes that fall under racketeering:

6. Transportation to engage in prostitution

7. Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

The prosecution alleged Combs conspired with others to commit this alleged racketeering activity from at least 2004-2024.

Diddy’s former personal assistant Capricorn Clark told jurors at his trial that she was forced to take lie detector tests for five days and threatened with being thrown in the East River if she failed.

Clark said she was left ‘petrified’ after being brought to an abandoned building in New York and locked in while being questioned about the hip hop mogul’s missing jewelry.

‘This is (supposedly) a kidnapping, she’s not saying she was harassed. She was kidnapped. She went home – every day! She said I kept doing it because I wanted to pass and get back to my job ‘ Diddy’s lawyer exclaimed.

He then turned to face the jury and said:

‘You guys are stuck in here for hours. Anyone feel kidnapped? You’re about as kidnapped as she was kidnapped!’

Diddy was spotted passing notes to his lawyers while jurors received instructions before deliberations.

His family, seated behind him, were also seen handing each other notes.

Diddy seemed a bit fidgety as he was seen taking off his glasses repeatedly.

At times he even glanced at the jury.

In court on Friday, Diddy lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the mogul’s seven week sex trafficking trial was not ‘real’ and that it has been ‘false and exaggerated.’

‘From the mouths of the witness from the evidence, the text messages, what do you see? What is that trial? It’s personal use drugs, that’s what it is,’ he said.

‘The trial of the evidence is a lifestyle. You want to call it swingers. You want to call it threesomes that’s what it is,’ he continued.

‘That is not what the prosecutors are saying to you.The prosecutors have charged one of the most serious complicated comprehensive statutes on the books.That is the false trial, that is the exaggerated trial, that is not the real trial.’

Agnifilio arriving at court Monday morning

He’s in the fight of his life in a Manhattan courtroom – and Combs is pulling out all the stops to win back his freedom.

The music mogul, on trial for racketeering and sexual trafficking, remains hopeful he will be acquitted at the end of the long drawn out criminal blockbuster.

His defense strategy has impressed legal analysts – his lawyers have argued that while he may be a monster, sex addict and drug addled fiend, he’s not guilty of the crimes the jury has been asked to consider.

But their arguments aren’t the only way Diddy is subtly trying to curry favor.

From his wardrobe to his courtroom props and even interactions with witnesses and jurors, the 55-year-old is leaving nothing off the table when it comes to fighting for his freedom.

Diddy cut off the judge presiding over his sex trafficking trial to tell him that he would not be testifying on Tuesday afternoon.

Combs, 55, stood up in front of Judge Arun Subramanian and confirmed his answer, and even spoke over him to make it clear he won’t be taking the stand.

The judge asked Diddy: ‘Have you discussed whether you should or should not?’

‘Yes, thoroughly. Yes, have discussed it,’ the rapper replied, in his first words to the Manhattan court since his federal sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial started over seven weeks ago.

Judge Subramanian began to speak before Diddy cut him off and added: ‘That is solely my decision. It’s my decision with my lawyers.’

Diddy and his son Justin Combs, whom he shares with Misa Hylton, were accused of brutal gang rape by a Louisana woman in a shocking new lawsuit.

The documents, obtained by Page Six, allege that Justin lured the woman, whom he met on Snapchat in 2017, out to California under the promise of helping her career in the entertainment industry.

When she arrived, she claimed she was plied with drugs and alcohol by Justin before three ‘masked men’ arrived to the home to brutally gang rape her for several hours. She claimed one of the men was Diddy, 55.

In the documents, she said she was able to identify the music mogul by his ‘mannerisms,’ and alleged that Justin called him ‘Pops.’

Diddy’s attorney denies any wrongdoing.

‘No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,’ a lawyer for the rapper said.

‘We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.’

Justin Combs with his Diddy (middle) and his brothers King (left) and Quincy (right)

Diddy’s children, including Justin, Quincy and King were seen making their way to court Monday morning.

Sarah Chapman, the mother of Diddy’s daughter Chance Combs, was also seen walking in.

Diddy is wearing a cream colored sweater and was spotted with his head down at times while the judge read instructions to the jury.

His family, including his son’s Quincy and Christian and his mother Janice, are sitting behind him.

His daughters, Chance, Jessie and D’Lila were also seen walking into the federal courthouse dressed in all black.

Jessie (L), Chance (C) and D’Lila Combs (R)

Diddy was overheard telling his lawyer Marc Agnifilo ‘thank you so much’ during rebuttal arguments from the prosecution on Friday.

Shortly afterward, Judge Subramanian instructed the jury:

‘There was discussion about targeting of defendant. The decision to indict an individual is none of your concern.’

Diddy has been charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy

If convicted for sex trafficking: Diddy could face a minimum of 15 years to a maximum of life in prison.

If convicted for engaging in prostitution: He could face up to 10 years in prison.

If convicted of racketeering conspiracy: The embattled rapper could face up to life in prison.

With Diddy’s blockbuster trial in its eighth week and the verdict closing in, here is a review of the charges against him:

The disgraced rap mogul, 55, has been charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering.

According to prosecutors, the rapper used his ‘multi-faceted business empire’ to carry out a ‘criminal enterprise’ for years, allegedly coercing victims into sexual ‘freak off’ marathons and threatening them into silence.

The jury has heard from his former employees and ex-girlfriends who testified that Diddy was allegedly abusive toward them.

His former staffers specifically said he forced them to work long and tireless hours, procure drugs for him and clean up after his long ‘hotel nights.’

Meanwhile, his two ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura and a woman by the pseudonym ‘Jane’ said Diddy made them both participate in drug and sex-fueld freak offs with escorts.

His defense team argues that Diddy’s actions pointed toward his personal life and that prosecutors have failed to prove the criminal charges against him.

Diddy and Cassie in March 2016

Judge Subramanian is currently reading instructions to the panel of 12 jurors.

He told the jurors they are the ‘sole and exclusive judges of the facts’ in the case.

District Judge Arun Subramanian is on the bench as court proceedings are set to start momentarily.

Jurors will soon receive instructions before deliberations start.