What to know about the trial

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• The defense suggested last week that its case could be shorter than anticipated with its witness list possibly completed by Wednesday. If the government rests tomorrow as expected, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys might be able to present their entire case tomorrow and Wednesday, defense lawyer Brian Steele told the court.
• Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.

Court is in session

Court is now in session marking Day 28 of Combs’ trial.

Government expects to rest tomorrow

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey told the court that  Joseph Cerciello, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations, is expected to testify all day.

That means the government won’t rest its case in chief until tomorrow, setting closing arguments as early as Thursday.

Combs’ staffer sent texts saying he had Plan B in his nightstand

Joseph Cerciello, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, is back on the stand and was asked about text messages Combs sent. 

In one text, Combs’ Chief of Staff Kristina Khorram planned his stay in a Las Vegas hotel, where it appears he was planning a hotel night. She texted saying she had a room at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, put Plan B in his nightstand, and said a jeweler selling Van Cleef can meet him in New York.

Jurors shown more explicit videos

Jurors wore headsets and focused on screens to watch what appeared to be “freak off” videos involving Combs’ former girlfriend, Jane.

Cabral, a sex worker who was among the regular partners of these rendezvous, is expected to be in these sets of video.

50 explicit video files made just before Christmas 2021

Federal agents discovered 50 explicit video files in Combs’ possession that were created from Dec. 17-21, 2021, the witness said.

The jury was shown two of these video files.

Combs looked around the room as the videos played in court, rather than at the monitor showing the explicit footage in front of him.

At the same time, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland and Combs’ mother, Janice, focused on the jury’s reactions to the graphic videos.

Sex worker’s travel records linked to Combs’ Amex

Jurors were shown flight and hotel records for Cabral, a sex worker mentioned frequently in this trial whose travels appeared to be paid for by Combs.

Prosecutors showed that Cabral stayed at Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York in September 2023 after arriving on an Atlanta-to-Newark flight, all on Combs’ American Express card.

While this could be one of the more tame, non-explicit pieces of evidence in this trial, it could be crucial for prosecutors seeking to paint Combs as the alleged head of a criminal enterprise.

Combs appears to be reading something in his lap

As texts between “Jane” and Combs were discussed in court, Combs hung his head for several minutes. 

Combs, dressed in a white sweater and glasses today, appeared to be reading something in his lap. 

‘Jane’ didn’t want to be ‘locked in a room’ to fulfill Combs’ fantasies, texts show

Combs’ former girlfriend, identified in court as “Jane,” lashed out at the music mogul in September 2023 text messages, refusing to meet him in New York City.

She texted him that it’s “clear you just want me there for a hotel binge, you’ve got plenty of” other women or sex workers for that.

She added, “I don’t want to be used and locked in a room to fulfill your fantasies.”

Combs asked male escort agency not to raise rate since he was a regular customer, texts show

Combs was such a frequent user of a male escort agency that the music mogul argued that he deserved cut rates, according to text messages with the provider.

In a chat with a Cowboys 4 Angels representative named Bridget on Sept. 26, 2023, Combs wrote: “Stop raising my rate i am a long timer.”

The agent said it wasn’t up to the company but the worker himself, Cody, who told Combs, “The best guys have high rates.”

Bridget added that she was “contractually obligated to the rates on the website.”

Combs said it was OK and asked Cody to come to the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York for a 1 a.m. rendezvous.

Combs complained escort ‘couldn’t even perform’

In another exchange of texts, Bridget messaged Combs saying there was a mistake with the cash payment and the company was owed $600. 

Combs replied, “LOL, he couldn’t even perform.”

Bridget responded that the agency pays for time and companionship and that the cost is the same for clients like Combs — “whether you’re sky diving or dancing … you pay for his time.”

Combs asked her to “talk nice to me” and again reiterated that he’s a longtime customer. She apologized and said, “not trying tone smart with you,” and he said, “It’s all good, all love.”

IV therapy was included in ‘freak off’

Combs and then-girlfriend “Jane” took IV supplements as part of at least one “freak off” session, according to a group text chain.

In a September 2023 chat that included the couple and members of the Combs team, an assistant named Ashley reminded everyone to make sure that sodium chloride, vitamin B12, B complex, zinc, calcium, amino acids, Toradol, magnesium and Benadryl were ready for their IV use.

Combs’ chief of staff scolded him for leaving a party with someone in an Uber

In one text exchange, Combs’ chief of staff Kristina Khorram asked Combs to call her and told him, “Next time you leave when you’re randomly partying, you have to tell us.”

She said he can’t take Ubers with a guest because “that’s when bad s— happens.”

She added, “I didn’t want to hit you with this, it’s not cool, if something happens it would not be good.” 

Combs left voicemail for chief of staff about running out of baby oil

In a November 2021 voicemail played for jurors, Combs is heard telling his chief of staff that he is out of baby oil.

In the urgent voicemail, Combs told top lieutenant Kristina Khorram, “I can’t believe I’m out” of the lubricant he frequently used during his “freak offs.”

Khorram assured her boss that a fresh delivery would be left outside his door shortly.

Combs wanted Erewhon soup and his Apple TV delivered

In a voicemail to his chief of staff, Combs wanted someone to bring him his “Apple TV system,” whole milk lattes, coconut water, seven bottles of baby oil, five bottles of Astroglide, and some vegetable soup from the high-end grocery store Erewhon.

Combs wanted the order filled so “I don’t have to call anybody” about it later, he said in the voicemail.

‘Jane’ told Combs she’s not a ‘porn star’ to be ordered to have sex with strangers

Around the same time of Cassie Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit against Combs, the music mogul’s then-girlfriend “Jane” texted him that she is “not a porn star” to be ordered to have sex with strangers.

In a series of text messages, Jane said it’d been “three years of having to f— strangers,” telling him that “sex is sacred” to her and she didn’t want to be intimate on his command anymore.

When Combs responded that sex isn’t necessary for their next meeting, Jane wrote back: “You make it clear exactly what you want.”

Jane said she was “mentally and physically drained” of it all, according to the text messages. She also told him she’s not going to have sex with “strangers to fulfill your fantasies.”

Federal agent returns to the witness stand

Cerciello, an HSI special agent, returned to the witness stand for cross-examination by defense lawyer Teny Geragos.

Cerciello spent most of the morning as a conduit for prosecutors to show text messages sent by and to Combs, filling in details of the defendant’s work and love life.

‘Jane’ said in 2021 text that she wanted to see her ‘favorite person’

In a November 2021 text, Combs’ then-girlfriend, identified in court as “Jane,” told the music mogul that she couldn’t wait to hook up with “my favorite person.”

Combs then asked Jane for specifics of what she wanted to do with him, and she responded in graphic sexual detail.

The defense hopes to show that Combs’ girlfriends were willing partners and not trafficking victims.

More explicit videos shown to jurors

The defense showed jurors explicit video footage of “Jane” having sex in November 2021.

The video was only shown to jurors, the judge and lawyers, as it was shielded from the public’s eyes.

It wasn’t immediately clear what was in the footage, but the defense likely hopes to show Jane as a willing participant.

‘Jane’ asked for a ‘freak off,’ texts show

In December 2021, “Jane” reached out to sex worker Cabral and appeared to initiate a “freak off,” according to a text message chain.

Before, however, Jane asked the sex worker to take a PCR test, harkening back to an era when America was still fighting to control the Covid pandemic.

Jury dismissed for the day

The jury is dismissed for the day and is set to convene tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Defense plans to rest without calling any witnesses

Combs’ defense team said it plans to rest its case without calling any witnesses, but will submit some evidence, attorney Marc Agnifilo said before jurors entered court this afternoon. It appears that instead of witnesses, the defense will stipulate several issues.

Cerciello, an HSI special agent, will continue on the stand tomorrow before the prosecution rests its case. 

A charging conference on Wednesday and summations on Thursday will follow that.

Closing arguments should take about 4 hours each

Defense lawyer Geragos said it’s expected that each side — the prosecution and the defense — will take about four hours to make its closing arguments to jurors.

Those final words could be spoken on Thursday, with jurors getting their first chance to deliberate on Friday.

S: NBC News