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Sean Combs trial updates: Prosecution expects to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses

Last updated: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 12:01AM GMT
Diddy On Trial: Prosecutors expected to rest on Tuesday after 27 days of testimony, 34 witnesses
Mike Marza and ABC News Legal Contributor Bernarda Villalona recap day 27 of the Sean Diddy Combs trial.

NEW YORK -- The seventh week of testimony opened with a summary witness, HSI special agent Joseph Cerciello, resuming his testimony.

He began on Friday by walking the jury through text messages and other documents.

Federal prosecutors said the government expected to rest on Tuesday.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges in the trial.

This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.

"Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy," a new podcast from "20/20" and ABC Audio, traces how the whispers of abuse came to light and led to the downfall of Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was once among the most influential entertainers and entrepreneurs in hip hop. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more.

(ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Jun 23, 2025, 1:46 PM GMT

Prosecution expects to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses

Federal prosecutors said Monday that they now expect to rest their case on Tuesday once special agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations concludes his testimony.

The defense said it plans to rest without calling any witnesses, only submitting some evidence.

Given the revised schedule, the judge will hold a charging conference Wednesday followed by summations on Thursday.

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Jun 23, 2025, 11:54 AM GMT

Prosecutors expect to rest on Monday

Federal prosecutors in New York expect to rest their case against Sean Combs on Monday, relying on testimony of nearly three dozen witnesses and hundreds of exhibits to try to prove the hip-hop impresario ran a criminal conspiracy that trafficked women and transported prostitutes.

The final witness for the prosecution, Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations, walked the jury through reams of travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers that prosecutors hope will convince the jury that Combs and his associates trafficked his ex-girlfriend, known by the pseudonym "Jane."

Combs' former assistant Brendan Paul told the jury he bought and carried drugs for Combs. Paul was arrested in March 2024 for cocaine possession while aboard a private plane with Combs.

"Was the cocaine yours, Mr. Paul?" prosecutor Christy Slavik asked. "No," Paul answered.

"Whose cocaine was it?" Slavik followed up. "Mr. Combs," Paul responded.

The criminal enterprise Combs is accused of operating committed drug offenses, according to federal prosecutors. Combs has conceded he used illicit drugs but has denied running a criminal enterprise.

Paul also told the jury that Combs wanted his assistants to "move like SEAL Team Six" and anticipate his every need. He testified it was part of his job to buy a pound of marijuana every two months and to score a powdery mix of ketamine and Molly called Tusi that was "dyed pink for the aesthetic."

Paul testified he set up hotel rooms for freak offs, which he knew as "wild king nights," stocking items like lubricant and baby oil. The jury saw photos of the items arranged in Combs' Los Angeles homes.

On cross-examination, Paul testified he never noticed "Jane" being hesitant or apprehensive about participating in what she called "hotel nights."

Once prosecutors rest, defense attorneys said their case would take a day or two.

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Jun 23, 2025, 12:15 AM GMT

Key moments from the sixth week

A holiday and a juror's illness shortened the sixth week of the Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial as prosecutors nearly concluded their case, setting the stage for the defense presentation.

The first five weeks of the trial featured emotional testimony as prosecutors tried to prove the hip-hop mogul oversaw a racketeering conspiracy enabled by violence, drugs and money.

The sixth week introduced the jury to hundreds of documents, text messages and several sex videos of so-called "freak-offs."

Prosecutors say Combs forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers while he watched and recorded the dayslong events.

You can read more about last week's testimony by clicking here.