Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

The prosecution is going over Combs' drug use.

They allege Combs used them to keep his former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and "Jane" (a pseudonym for a woman who testified anonymously) "awake and compliant" during the so-called "freak-offs".

Prosecutor Christy Slavik reminds the jury of the evidence they have seen of substances like cocaine, meth, xanax, MDMA and mushrooms found at Combs' properties.

The jurors have heard the names of each alleged drug dealer - Guido, One Stop, Baby Girl - as well as testimony from Combs' former assistants who say picking up drugs was part of their job.

"Getting drugs for the defendant was a group effort," Slavik says.

She called back testimony from Jane, who told the court that Combs’ chief of staff Kristina Khorram instructed her to carry drugs across state lines.

"It’s fine, I do it all the time," Khorram allegedly said.

Slavik also harkened back to the white powder guessing game, in which Mia - a former assistant who also testified anonymously - said Combs forced her to snort a white powder without knowing what it was.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

One of the components that prosecutors must prove for the racketeering charge is that Combs agreed that he or someone else would commit at least two crimes.

Prosecutors have presented several allegations against Combs. They include sex trafficking, drug distribution, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, and bribery.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik also tells jurors that the two crimes, for example, could include two instances of drug distribution, which were an essential part of the so-called "freak-offs". Former staff members have testified that they helped procure drugs for Combs.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

The prosecution’s Christy Slavik moves on to Diddy’s assistants, who she refers to as "foot soldiers".

She says they were young and didn’t necessarily know about all of his alleged crimes, but "didn’t blink to do whatever it took to keep the defendant happy".

Slavik tells jurors that Diddy’s "inner circle" and "foot soldiers" didn’t need to be happy or like committing crimes in order to prove racketeering happened.

Prosecutors just need to show that these people carried out Combs' directives, Slavik says.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

The next slides shown by the prosecution are of Combs' "inner circle".

These are people we have heard a lot about throughout the trial, but they have not testified.

They include his former chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, who prosecutors called "his right hand", and his body guards.

Slavik says Khorram lived in Combs' mansion in Miami and even responded to messages on his behalf from his phone.

She says his 24/7 body guards were not a "regular" security detail doing "regular" jobs.

She reminds jurors of one instance where Combs and his security went with weapons to a diner in Los Angeles to confront his rival, Suge Knight. Slavik also mentions weapons that were seized from Diddy's home which had serial numbers defaced.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

Prosecutor Christy Slavik is using a PowerPoint presentation to walk the jury through the racketeering count.

She says Combs led an enterprise, or a group of people with a common purpose, to serve and protect him.

She tells the jury that it was "his kingdom".

Slavik alleges Combs expected everyone to serve him, protect his reputation and brand, fulfil all of his desires - including sexual ones, and to enable his crimes and protect him from law enforcement.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

The defence team faced a dilemma during this trial: should they let their own client take the stand?

On Tuesday, we heard directly from Combs in court. Judge Arun Subramanian asked how he was doing.

Combs, 55, responded he was well. "You're doing an excellent job," he told the judge.

The judge asked him to if he would be taking the stand in his own defence. Combs said no.

"That is my decision, your honour," Combs said. "That is solely my decision."

If he had, the entire case could have come down to his remarks, legal experts say.

Such a situation would be risky for the hip-hop mogul, as he would have to address many allegations of violence, some incidents of which have been filmed, Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told the BBC.

High-profile defendants in criminal trials typically do not take the stand, in order to avoid opening themselves up to cross-examination.

During cross-examinations of government witnesses, Combs' lawyers already scored some wins, lawyers said.

• Read more: How compelling is the case against Diddy?

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

We’re only minutes into prosecutors’ arguments, Combs watching quietly in his cream sweater, as the government tries to push its racketeering case.

They say he used "loyal employees" to help carry out his crimes.

The first sentences of their arguments reference a "criminal enterprise".

"He wouldn’t take no for an answer," prosecutor Christy Slavik also says over and over.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Prosecutors have just begun their closing arguments, with Christy Slavic at the podium. "You’ve learned a lot about Sean Combs," she says. "He’s the leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn’t take no for an answer."

Slavik says the "brutal crimes at the heart of the case" are sex trafficking.

She alleges the rapper used fear and violence to force Jane and Cassie Ventura to have unwanted sex with male escorts.

She brings the jury back to the video of Combs beating Ventura in the hallway of a hotel in Los Angeles, alleging this took place when Ventura tried to leave a so-called "freak-off".

The jury has entered the courtroom and closing arguments have begun.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik is presenting the government's case.

Image source, SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock

We are expecting opening arguments to begin in about 5-10 minutes.

Outside the New York courthouse, some of Combs' family members were photographed as they arrived.

Combs' mother and several of his children have frequently attended court to watch proceedings over the past six weeks.

Image source, SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Image source, REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Warning: This page contain details some readers may find distressing

A key witness for the prosecutors was Cassie Ventura, a musician and model known as Cassie. She testified for days about her abusive, on-and-off 11-year relationship with Sean Combs.

Eight months pregnant and often speaking through tears, Ventura testified that Combs beat and coerced her into so-called freak-offs, during which she would have sex with male escorts as he watched and filmed.

Prosecutors allege Combs used drugs, violence and manipulation to pressure several women into unwanted sexual encounters with male escorts.

Ventura's testimony - delivered when she was weeks away from giving birth - was critical to prosecutors' allegations that Combs committed sex trafficking, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Some of the strongest evidence was a surveillance video of Combs beating Ventura in the hallway of a hotel after a so-called "freak-off", and the testimony of a hotel security guard who said Combs offered him money to get rid of the tape. Prosecutors also displayed photos of Ventura's many injuries, allegedly from the rapper's abuse.

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.

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.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Good morning from Manhattan federal court.

We’re nearing the end of Sean Combs' sex trafficking trial, and to wrap things up, today we’ll hear the government make its final case to a panel of 12 New York jurors.

The arguments are expected to last four hours, and will build on the testimony we’ve heard from over 30 witnesses in their case. The government will likely keep pushing its main point - that Combs used his celebrity influence and power to coerce women into drug-fuelled unwanted sex acts.

They also have to hammer home the racketeering part of their case, in which they accuse the rapper of relying on a loyal circle of employees to facilitate this alleged sex trafficking and to help cover up his crimes.

Legal experts say the racketeering charge is the most complicated - and perhaps the weakest - part of their case, so we can expect to see them working harder to connect the dots between Combs, his employees and his alleged crimes.

Image source, Reuters

Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

If he’s 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.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of closing arguments in the criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

After 34 witnesses giving testimony over six weeks, the prosecution rested its case against the hip-hop mogul earlier this week.

Diddy's attorneys wrapped up their case with a defence lasting under 20 minutes.

Now it's time for closing arguments, where each side will try to get their main points to the 12 members of the jury.

The burden of proof lies with the government, so it has to convince the jury of their case against Combs. The defence will be trying to poke holes in testimony from witnesses.

First up will be the prosecution. We are expecting them to begin at 10:00 local time (15:00 BST).

Stick with us as we cover the latest from the courtroom in New York City.