Sean “Diddy” Combs chose not to take the stand in his own defense during his federal criminal trial, as his legal team officially rested their case on Tuesday, June 24. Surprisingly, the defense did so without calling a single witness.
During the court session, Judge Arun Subramanian checked in with Combs and asked how he was feeling. The music mogul responded positively and even thanked the judge for doing “an excellent job,” which drew a laugh from the courtroom.
The defense wrapped up their side of the case in just 23 minutes. Their only move was reading a series of past text messages between Combs and Casandra “Cassie” Ventura into the record. One message from Combs asked Ventura if she thought she could “Freak-Off” without getting high. She responded that she’d need to be at a level that felt right for her.
Closing arguments are set to begin Thursday, June 26, with jury deliberations possibly starting as soon as Fridaythough it’s more likely they’ll begin on Monday.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to several serious charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution. The prosecution rested its case earlier that same day, having presented 34 witnesses over 29 days. These included multiple women who claimed Combs abused them over several years. Among them was Cassie Ventura, who had a long-term relationship with Combs for 11 years.
