Diddy Makes Surprise Statement as Defense Rests in Trafficking Trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs made a rare comment in court, moments after his defense team rested in the music mogul’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

While the jury was out of the room on Tuesday, June 24, Judge Arun Subramanian addressed Combs directly about his decision not to testify, ABC News reported.

“How are you feeling?” the judge asked.

“I’m doing great. How are you, your honor?” Combs replied. “I want to tell you, thank you. You’re doing an excellent job.”

The judge responded, “Thank you.”

The brief exchange came after Combs confirmed he understood his right to testify, but chose not to take the stand.

According to CNN, the Bad Boy Records founder’s legal team rested after presenting evidence for 30 minutes, without calling a single witness.

There had been speculation that Combs would take the stand to refute the allegations against him. Instead, his legal team opted for a minimal defense strategy. His all-star defense team of nine attorneys — five men and four women – filled two tables in the courtroom.

Related: Cassie Testifies About ‘Disgusting’ Acts Diddy Demanded During ‘Freak Offs’

Combs, 55, faces five federal counts: racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro requested an acquittal or made what’s known as a Rule 29 motion on Tuesday –– arguing that the government failed to prove its case against the mogul.

“The evidence does not establish that Mr. Combs conspired with any other person to violate the RICO statute,” Shapiro said. “They failed to show that any other individual actually conspired with him to conduct the affairs of this 20-year purported criminal enterprise.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik countered that there was more than sufficient evidence against the rapper and producer.

The prosecution rested earlier in the day, after bringing forward 34 witnesses over the course of six weeks. Among those witnesses were Combs’ former girlfriends Cassie Ventura-Fine, and a woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe, who both accused the music mogul of physical abuse and sexual coercion.

Regina Ventura, Cassie’s mother, testified that Combs threatened to release explicit tapes of her daughter unless he received a $20,000 payment from her parents. Regina said she and her husband took out a home equity loan and sent the money to Combs via wire transfer.

To their surprise, the money was returned days later. The defense declined to cross-examine Regina, letting her claims stand. “I do not have any questions for you,” lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said.

Deonte Nash, Cassie’s wardrobe stylist, told jurors he dressed the R&B singer for events and saw bruises on her body “quite often,” but he never went to police because he feared retaliation. The stylist said he once jumped on Diddy’s back, but the mogul fought him off. Nash said he helped Cassie hide from Combs many times, in fact, “too many to count.” He testified that the mogul and his bodyguards once came to his home looking for the “Me & U” singer, and even searched the kitchen. “He looked in the oven,” Nash said. The stylist said the mogul pressured Cassie into participating in “freak off” sex parties, including on her birthday.

Dawn Richard, an R&B singer who was a member of the Bad Boy groups Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money, testified about an incident in 2009 when she said the mogul tried to “hit” Cassie over the head with a pan of eggs because his then-girlfriend was taking too long to prepare breakfast.

Richard also told jurors about a star-studded dinner party in 2010, when she alleged Diddy “punched” Cassie in the stomach in front of Usher, Ne-Yo, and Interscope Records CEO Jimmy Iovine.

Richard filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2024, alleging assault, sexual battery, and withholding her earnings. Under cross-examination, Richard admitted she hasn’t had the same level of success since Combs disbanded Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money.

Several of the mogul’s former personal assistants also took the stand after obtaining immunity deals from the government.

Brendan Paul, who was described in a lawsuit as Diddy’s “drug mule,” told jurors his responsibilities as an assistant included obtaining drugs for Combs. Paul said he bought marijuana every two months at a cost of $4,200 for 16 oz.

He also testified that he picked up tusi commonly known as pink cocaine, and other drugs from dealers with the street names One Stop, Guido and Babygirl after getting cash from Diddy’s security guards.

Paul said he stopped working for Combs on March 25, 2024, the day he was arrested for cocaine possession at a Miami airport. The charge was later dropped as part of a plea deal.

He testified that the cocaine belonged to Combs. Under cross-examination, Paul said he only purchased small amounts of drugs that Combs wanted for “personal use.”

George Kaplan told the court he set up hotel rooms for the mogul’s “freak off” sex sessions. Kaplan said before going to a hotel, he would get instructions from Combs or his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to prepare the rooms with “clothes, a speaker, candles, liquor, baby oil and Astroglide.”

Kaplan testified that he also bought MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or molly for Combs. Kaplan said he quit his job as a personal assistant after witnessing the mogul allegedly get violent with Cassie and another girlfriend named Gina.

“Mia,” a former assistant using a pseudonym told the court Combs hurled a laptop at her head and once forced her to work five days straight without sleep. She said she relied on the prescription ADHD drug Adderall to stay awake.

She also alleged Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times. In cross-examination, Mia admitted she never reported any of the alleged abuse to police or to her human resources department. “They wouldn’t have believed me and I would’ve been fired,” she told defense attorney Brian Steel, adding that if she had spoken up, she would’ve been called “crazy.”

Capricorn Clark, a former assistant who rose through the ranks but eventually left the company with a settlement, testified that Combs threatened to take her life multiple times, showed up at her home with a gun, and held her against her will.

“December 22, 2011, between 5:30 and 6 am. There was banging at my door,” she told jurors. Clark said Combs was furious after finding out his on-off girlfriend Cassie was dating rapper Kid Cudi, born Scott Mescudi. “He was holding a gun. He came into my apartment and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me? Who is Scott?’ I said, ‘I don’t know any Scott,’”

Clark said she had gotten Cassie a burner phone to contact the rapper and Combs found out. The mogul forced her into an SUV, demanded Kid Cudi’s address, and drove to his house in the Hollywood Hills looking for the rapper, but ultimately he wasn’t at home.

Kid Cudi took the stand and compared Diddy to a “Marvel supervillain.” The rapper told the court Combs allegedly broke into his Los Angeles home in late 2011 after the mogul found out he was dating Cassie.

Cudi raced home after he and Cassie got a call from a distraught Capricorn Clark. He said he noticed his surveillance cameras “had been moved.”

He said someone had opened Christmas presents he bought for his family. “And my dog was locked up in the bathroom.” After the break-in, he said the dog was “jittery, on edge all the time,” as if it had been abused. A few weeks later, the rapper said his Porsche erupted in flames while it was parked in the driveway of his home.

Andre LaMon, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), took the stand and detailed items found in Diddy’s Los Angeles mansion during the government’s March 2024 raid. LaMon said agents found 900 bottles of Astroglide personal lubricant and 200 bottles of baby oil.

They also seized cell phones, Diddy’s passport, drugs, rifles, a pistol and a shotgun. He said the serial number on one of the rifles appeared to have been sanded off, and there were 59 rounds of ammunition designed to penetrate body armor.

Yasin Binda, a special agent with  Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) involved in Diddy’s arrest in New York, testified the mogul continued to host orgies up until he was taken into custody.

Binda said she coordinated logistics for the arrest at The Park Hyatt hotel in New York City on Sept. 16, 2024. The special agent said there were Ziploc bags filled with Johnson’s baby oil and bottles of Astroglide personal lubricant around his room.

Binda provided a photo of a device that could be used for “mood lighting.” She told the court the items appeared to be supplies for “freak offs.” Binda said agents found a hard drive, and a Louis Vuitton bag with the anxiety drug clonazepam under the name “Frank Black,” an alias Combs used. There were also bags containing pink powder that tested positive for ketamine and MDMA.

Israel Florez, a former security staffer at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, told jurors he responded to Diddy’s room the day the mogul was recorded beating Cassie on surveillance video in 2016.

Florez, now an LAPD officer, told the court the mogul tried to bribe him. “He had a sack of money and he threw it at me and said, ‘Don’t tell anyone,’” Florez said. Under cross-examination, he admitted he never reported the incident to police. Instead, he secretly recorded a copy of the footage with his phone to show his wife because he didn’t think she would believe what happened. CNN obtained the footage and published it on May 17, 2024. Two days later, Diddy issued a public apology.

Eddy Garcia, another former security guard at the InterContinental Hotel testified that the mogul handed him a paper bag containing $100,000 cash to make the footage go away. Garcia said his supervisor and Diddy’s chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, helped arrange the cash exchange.

After receiving the money at a high-rise building, Garcia said he gave his boss $50,000. He kept $30,000 for himself, and he gave another security guard $20,000. Garcia confirmed Florez would have declined the money because he was “a very by-the-book guy.”

Combs has been jailed since he was arrested in September 2024, and three separate judges denied his requests for bail. If convicted, the mogul could face up to life in prison.

The jury was dismissed until Thursday, when closing arguments are expected to begin.

Anita Bennett contributed to this report.