Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

We got off to a late start in court this brisk and grey summer morning, as one of the jurors had transit issues.

Like yesterday, the courtrooms are packed again.

Combs is wearing the same off-white sweater and trousers as yesterday, leaning back in his chair as per usual.

Many of his family members are in court: his 85-year-old mother, seated next to his twin daughters, once again wearing matching blazers, and his son Christian.

Marc Agnifilo is giving closing arguments for the defence, and he paces back and forth near the podium as he waits for jurors to arrive.

Judge Arun Subramanian has arrived in the courtroom and taken his seat on the bench.

Combs' defence team is expected to start giving their closing arguments within the next few minutes.

Our reporters in Manhattan are describing long lines to enter the court today - overflow rooms have been opened for people watching the trial.

We'll be bringing you all the latest information from the Manhattan courtroom as soon as we can.

Image source, Reuters

As the defence prepares to make closing arguments this morning, let's take a quick look back at the charges facing Combs.

The hip-hop star is facing charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

If Combs is convicted, he could face life in prison.

Some of the most severe allegations fall under the racketeering charge, which includes accusations of drugging and coercing women into sex, and threatening them with firearms or violence.

He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Image source, Reuters

Sean Combs' legal team is led by Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer who has experience with high-profile cases. Agnifilo is also part of the legal team representing Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive Brian Thompson.

Also on Combs' legal team is Teny Geragos, the daughter of celebrity attorney Mark Geragos.

Image source, Getty Images

Anna Estevao, a law partner at the Manhattan-based Harris Trzaskoma firm, led the cross-examination of Cassie Ventura. She is a former federal public defender.

Others include Brian Steel, who recently represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia and Xavier Donaldson.

Image source, Reuters

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

I’m reporting from the Manhattan court where in just a few minutes lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs will present their closing arguments.

After a seven-week-long trial and 34 witnesses, closing arguments are drawing bigger crowds to the building than we’ve seen since week one.

Yesterday, during prosecutors closing statements, court staff had to open four overflow rooms in addition to the main courtroom. Prosecutors in their five-hour-long arguments painted a picture of Combs as the boss of a sprawling criminal enterprise.

They took the jury through each count in detail, explaining why they should convict.

Today the defence will seek to undo some of that narrative. They’ll likely hammer home on the point they’ve been making throughout the trial - Combs had tumultuous relationships with consenting adult women, and domestic abuse does not amount to racketeering and sex trafficking.

Their arguments are set to be about three hours long, followed by an hour of rebuttal from prosecutors.

The jury will then have the charges explained to them by Judge Arun Subramanian, and will go to deliberate.

Stick with us for live updates from the courtroom.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

Warning: This page will contain details some readers may find distressing

Welcome to our live coverage of the Sean "Diddy" Combs criminal trial in New York. The defence is set to give its closing arguments today, before the judge sends the jury out for deliberations.

Yesterday, the government laid out its arguments against the hip-hop mogul.

Here's a quick recap of what we've heard - and what to expect when the high-profile trial resumes today:

• The prosecution told a 12-member jury Combs was the "leader of a criminal enterprise" who used violence and fear in "brutal crimes"
• Combs is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution
• The jury has heard from 34 witnesses, including ex-girlfriends, former employees of Combs, male escorts and federal agents
• Combs denies all charges. If found guilty, he faces life in prison
• Today, the defence will present its closing arguments - Comb's team is expected speak for about three hours, followed by an hour of rebuttal
• After that, the judge will review the law with the jury and send them out to begin deliberations

Stay with us, as we'll be bringing you all the latest developments from the courtroom, plus reaction and analysis from our correspondents throughout the day.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Court here in New York has adjourned for the day.

It will pick up tomorrow morning (local time) with closing arguments for the defence.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' defence team is expected speak for about three hours, followed by an hour of rebuttal.

After that, it will go to the 12-member jury to decide the fate of the hip-hop mogul.

That will involve the judge reviewing the law and charges with the jury, and then deliberation will begin.

We’re finishing our live coverage for the day, but will be back again tomorrow.

Read a full recap of the day here.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

As her closing argument wrapped up, the prosecution's Christy Slavik talked about the final alleged crime under the racketeering count - witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

She detailed how Combs contacted his ex-girlfriend Jane (a witness who testified under a pseudonym) following Cassie Ventura's 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs. This was before criminal charges were filed by the government.

The court is shown recordings of phone calls where Combs says "I need your friendship" and "you ain’t gotta worry about nothing".

Slavik said that Combs directed his staff, like security guard D Rock, to contact Mia (who also testified under a pseudonym). Slavik said that was done to persuade her of Combs’ narrative, and offer her money.

Lastly, Slavik said that bribing the security staff at the InterContinental Hotel for video of his assault on Ventura was clear obstruction.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

The prosecution has finished its closing arguments in the criminal trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.

As a parting statement, Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said to jurors that it was time to hold Combs accountable and for him to face justice.

"All of this evidence paints a clear picture of how the defendant committed crime after crime for decades,” she told the jury.

Until now, he got away with it because of money and power, she said, adding: "That stops today".

Stick with us, we will bring you more soon on the final moments from court today.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

Slavik details how Combs’s former employees couldn’t tell him no.

His personal assistant Mia was on the stand for numerous days and even alleged he sexually assaulted her.

Slavik reminds jurors that Mia said Human Resources at the company was used to paper over his mistreatment of staff, rather than protect them.

Similarly, Capricorn Clark wasn’t paid overtime and faced numerous threats.

Remember, she was allegedly forced at gun point by Combs to go to Kid Cudi’s house when he found out the rapper was dating Cassie Ventura.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

Warning: This page contains details some readers may find distressing

The prosecution's Christy Slavik has moved on to discuss the alleged crime of forced labour under the racketeering count.

She argues it applies to Cassie Ventura, Jane, and Diddy's former employees Mia and Capricorn Clarke.

Slavik recalls how Cassie and Jane described so-called "freak-offs" as gruelling and lasting as long as 3-4 days in some cases.

Connecting the dots of the evidence, Slavik says hotel bookings and bills of up to thousands of dollars' worth of damage confirm this.

The women both testified that the "freak offs" were not for pleasure, but felt like work, and left them seriously ill.

They also expressed to Combs that they didn’t want to do them, Slavik tells the jury.

Despite that, Slavik says, Combs would tell them to "keep going," "finish strong," and "you’re not getting tired on me, are you?"

Again, Combs' chief of state Kristina Khorram is said to have enabled and aided Combs, despite knowing that the women were threatened and drugged.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The prosecution has been making its closing arguments in the sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs after more than six weeks of witness testimony.

Prosecutors have been making their arguments to the 12 member jury that will decide this case.

Here is what has happened so far:

• Christy Slavik opened by alleging Combs is "the leader of a criminal enterprise" who didn't "take no for an answer"
• He relied on an army of "loyal employees", prosecutors say, to commit "brutal crimes" that involved two of his former girlfriends
• Prosecutors claim Combs committed "hundreds" of racketeering offences across eight crime categories, including sex trafficking

• Using a PowerPoint presentation, Slavik has gone over aspects of witness testimony - particularly evidence from Cassie Ventura and a former partner of Diddy who is known only as Jane
• Jurors have been shown video of Combs beating, kicking, and dragging his former girlfriend Ventura, which prosecutors claim was during a so-called "freak-off"
• Tomorrow, it will be the defence's turn to make their case for the hip-hop mogul

The jury has returned to the courtroom and proceedings have resumed.

Christy Slavik will spend the next hour presenting the final details of the prosecution's argument.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

It's been a strong day for prosecutors closing out their case against Sean Combs today, a legal expert tells me.

Mitchell Epner, a New York-based lawyer and former prosecutor, says the prosecution has done well to tie particular incidents - including the video of Combs beating up Ventura in a hotel hallway - to the sex trafficking charges.

Epner says the jury have been reminded repeatedly that they only need to find Combs sex trafficked on at least one occasion.

"The point of closing arguments is to turn it from being theoretical to being concrete," Epner says.

"The government is doing a very good job, saying that these particular incidents on these particular days constituted sex trafficking."

He says prosecutors have also worked to rebut the defence's main argument - that Combs committed domestic violence, but domestic violence is not sex trafficking.

It's an "unpalatable" argument that Combs' lawyers have to make, Epner says.

To respond, the government made the argument that Combs was violent "with a purpose, and the purpose was to get [Ventura] to continue to participate in the freak-offs," Epner says.

Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Podcast host, Diddy on Trial

The BBC's Diddy on Trial podcast has followed every twist and turn in Diddy’s case since November 2024.

From bombshell allegations of so-called "freak-offs", to testimony from Grammy-winning rapper Kid Cudi, there have been headline-making moments every week.

We're bringing you all the updates straight from court in New York.

You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds or watch on our YouTube channel, external.

The jury has left the courtroom for a short break. Stick with us.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Slavik asks the jury to put themselves in Cassie Ventura’s shoes whenever they hear the defence say she could have simply left or said no.

Imagine the person you love most is violent with you, Slavik says.

"Imagine that person is much bigger and stronger than you, twice your age, and your boss."

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Warning: This page contains details some readers may find distressing

The video of Combs attacking and dragging Ventura, allegedly trying to force her back to a so-called "freak off" in a Los Angeles hotel room, is clear evidence of sex trafficking, Slavik tells the jury.

The lawyer for the prosecution says so are the other instances when Combs allegedly used violence and coercion to get Ventura to perform for him.

She reminds the court of escort Daniel Phillip, who testified that he heard slapping sounds and screaming come from Combs’ bedroom. After that, the hip-hop mogul asked Phillips to have sex with Ventura.

Slavik also mentions a flight from Cannes to New York, where Combs allegedly showed Ventura videos of previous "freak offs" and threatened to release them.

Upon landing in New York, the two had another "freak off", the jury is told.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Warning: This page contains details some readers may find distressing

The prosecution says there was a climate of fear, which they claim dominated Cassie Ventura’s life and prevented her from ever saying no to the so-called "freak offs".

"There was no safe space for Cassie," Slavik tells the court.

She reminds the jury of Ventura's testimony that Combs raped her in 2018.

The jury is also told about the graphic sex acts that Ventura testified she was expected to perform at the "freak offs", and the drugs she said Combs plied her with.

To a silent courtroom, Slavik once again shows the video of Combs attacking Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

Combs keeps his head down while it is played, his daughters appeared to be shifting in their seats.

"This is what happened when Cassie said no. This video," Slavik says.

If convicted on the racketeering charge, Combs faces up to life in prison.

He faces another statutory minimum sentence of 15 years if he is found guilty of sex trafficking.

Transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Combs has denied all charges against him.