“The Trial Of Sean Combs” Episode Thirty One | The Defense Rests

0:10 Get ready to dive deep into one of the most gripping legal battles of our time. I'm your host, Jim Chapman, and today we're unraveling the high stakes drama surrounding one of the music industry's most enematic figures, Sean Diddy Combs, in a case that has captivated millions. The courtroom has become a battleground for fame, fortune in the dark secrets that lurk beneath the glittering surface of celebrity life. As the gavel comes down, we'll explore the allegations, the testimonies, and the shocking twists that could change the course of Diddy's legacy forever. Was this case merely a clash of lifestyles or something much more sinister? With each episode, I will bring you exclusive insights, analysis, and witness testimony accounts that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

1:23 So buckle up as we embark on this thrilling ride through the trial of the century, where the stakes are high, the drama is real, and the truth is anything but certain. This is the trial of Shawn Comb's Let's get started. Welcome back and a quick catch up on what occurred yesterday in the trial of Shawn Combs, Joe of Sercilio, a special agent with the Homeland Security Investigations Unit. He testified that did He appeared to have paid for a sex worker to stay at the Trump International Hotel in New York City, This was in September of twenty twenty three, and then take an Atlanta to Newark flight. The testimony potentially underlined one of the US government's charges against Ditty, which is transportation to engage in prostitution. The prosecution team then showed jurors September twenty twenty three text messages in which Ditty's ex girlfriend Jane lashed out at him, saying she refused to meet him in New York City. She was quoted as saying, quote, clear, you just want me there for a hotel beingch She went on to say, I don't want to be used and locked in a room to fulfill your fantasies. According to those text messages,

2:58 and keep in mind, the government's indictment alleged that did he coerced women to fulfill his sexual desires. Now in a separate text exchange around that same time, Cassie filed her in November twenty twenty three lossuit against Diddy. Jane told Diddy that she didn't want to have sex with strangers on his command anymore. She told him she was not a porn star and added that she was mentally and physically drained by these marathon sexual encounters, according to the text messages. So that's just a quick catch up on yesterday's testimony. If you haven't listened to that episode, please go listen to it. And I'm back with the testimony for Tuesday, June twenty fourth, and Joseph Circilio, a special agent for Homeland security investigations. He is back on the stand and the jury has entered and defense attorney Tiny gergo she resumes cross examination, and she starts by referring to text messages between Jane and entertainer Sly, who you have heard a lot about this From September of twenty twenty one. Jane wrote to Sly she was thinking about one of their recent hotel nights. She wrote, quote, send me something. She then asked him if he could fly to meet her that night or the next day.

4:22 Sly responded he was busy with Christmas preparations with his family, and she suggested he'd just make it a day trip. Now, remember this, Jane had previously testified to the prosecution that she only initiated explicit messages with Sly when she was with Combs because he would tell her to do so. So with this testimony, that's refuting what she's already said. But I've told you already several times during her testimony Jane is a liar. I think she's lying about some of this stuff. Just my opinion. Gerre Gos went over text messages between Jane and Diddy. In early April of twenty twenty two, before meeting with an entertainer named Leo, Combs texted Jane and he said that he had been having crazy fantasies about her and Leo. Jane responds with, baby, I want to make love to you. I haven't selfishly had you to myself for five months. I'm fine with the other stuff, but I really just need you right now, and Comes responded to that, Okay, whatever you want, and then a few texts later, Combs wrote Leo would be free after we spend some one on one time. So after that meeting with Leo, Jane Combs a text message saying quote, still thinking about you loving all over me.

5:51 The jury then saw some messages that Diddy and Jane sent to Paul. This was in October of twenty twenty two. Of course, that was a man that frequently joined them for hotel night. So Jane sends Paul a text and she asked if he was ready for some fun tonight. She then told him he should come after the butlers were finished helping, and he could wait in the lobby if he got there early. And at this time Combs also texted Paul and he said, quote, hold up, the staff is outside, they leave now. Hang tight, Jim, did you see what happened in Texas today?

6:33 Wait before you tell me that, let me tell you what happened in New York. It cannot be as crazy as the case I told you about yesterday in Louisiana. You know what, we should do a podcast. About it, and with that we did. Crime War Weekly covers the crime news headlines that have dominated the week. We cover trending crimes from all over the country and even sprinkle in a few globally. Crime War Weekly is available now wherever you listen to your podcasts. Simply by sir, she can Crime Wire Weekly or clicking the link in the description of this podcast. Greggs then reviewed records and text messages related to a hotel night in January of twenty twenty three, when it appeared that Diddy and Jane were taking steps to prevent staff from seeing a man involved in the hotel nights. Comes text to Jane, quote, can I walk in on you and Paul I would like that. Jane responded yes and asked him what time she should tell the entertainer, and Comes responded maybe nine thirty so he doesn't run into anyone.

7:42 Jane then texted Paul later saying okay, let me make sure the coast is clear. Gereg Goos then reviewed Jane's messages from April of twenty twenty three. Jane told an entertainer to quote give it a beat for security, and later said quote he's still making sure everyone's gone outside. And yet in another message for a plaming a hotel night later in twenty twenty three, did he asked Jane to find a location, telling her I can't have KK know damn and KK, of course, is the nickname for Christina Korm. Jane arranged for an entertainer to meet them, and she said she had picked up new outfits. When Combs asked her if she was in the mood, she replied yes. Comes later texted Jane, did you get the pill and hit me when the coast is clear? Jane responded, Joey is gone and Italian is pulling up. Must be more entertainers. Greg Goas then reviewed some of Jane's messages Before a hotel night in May of twenty twenty three, Jane texted Diddy about an available entertainer and said she was trying to arrange things for a trup. He didn't respond to a few of her messages, and she then said, quote, baby, it's all set. Jane also texted one of the entertainers asking if he would be able to fly into Miami.

9:03 Days later, she texted that entertainer that she was setting up the hotel. Later that day, Jane told him, quote, give me a sec clearing out the assistant. They had to stop and drop some stuff off and asked him to wait in the lobby. Hours later, she texted that entertainer again to thank him for coming out and told him she could send him payment through Zell. In text messages from August of twenty twenty three, Jane and Combs discussed having an entertainer sign an NDA, a non disclosure agreement. Combs asked Jane what she thought of the new guy, and Jane replied, quote, he seems cool, babe. Hopefully he doesn't know anybody we know, laugh out loud. She also said she would make sure the man signed the paperwork.

9:49 Garret Gos then reviewed text messages between Jane and Diddy from late September of twenty twenty three. In the conversation, they discussed flight options, Sly and exchange some explicit messages quote I love being kinky for you. I love driving you wild and that was from Jane to Diddy. And later messages, Jane told Combs that she needed to get outfits from the Quote Freak store and that she was pale and hadn't had her nails done. Diddy responded back quote I fucking love it. The next day, Jane texted Sly quote tonight was amazing as per usual, and the jury then saw texts regarding a wild, keen night at the home of Jane. They also were shown flight records that showed Jane flying to Miami before comes Infamous. May twenty twenty four, apology video. Gerret Gos then showed the jury records from September and November of twenty twenty three, indicating that Diddy paid invoices from his personal bank account to his travel management company for travel and accommodations for Jane and entertains around hotel nights. Geargos asked, Sercilio, you didn't write the mister Combs personally paid for these. She was referring to that summary chart that he helped prepare for the prosecution. And it's worth noting the government summary chart lists the tribal manager as having paid for those expenses,

11:21 So that was inaccurate on his part, and that was a good catch by the defense right there. And remember they're trying to prove that any money that was being paid to people was not part of his company, it was personal expenses. Gegos then played additional freak call videos of Jane from around July thirty first and August of twenty twenty four. The jury viewed more than six minutes of video clubs and with that there were no further questions from the defense and the prosecution at that point rested their complete case. So the defense then gets up and they move from what's known as a Rule twenty nine judgment of acquittal. Now, let me define what that is.

12:07 After the government closes its evidence or after the close of all evidence, the court, on the defendant's motion, must enter a judgment of acquittal of any offense for which the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction. Now, the court may on its own consider whether the evidence is insufficient to sustain that conviction. If the court denies the motion for a judgment of acquittal at the close of the government's evidence, the defendant may offer evidence without having reserved the right to do so. And I know that's a very technical chat GVT type definition, so just stick with me on that. The defense attorney Alexandria Shapiro. She then gets up and she makes an argument that the prosecution failed to prove at least three elements of the RICO chore, saying they failed to show that did he violated rico, that he agreed to participate, and insufficient evidence of a conspiracy. She argued there wasn't an enterprise in this case. It was simply Comb's engaging in sex acts in his personal time with his girlfriends. She said the prosecution had argued the bodyguards in high ranking employees that were involved in facilitating the freakoffs and hotel nights, but that the prosecution failed to prove any individual actually conspired with him. They did errands and made travel arrangements, but they did not have anything to do with what went on with Combs and his girlfriends in the hotel room,

13:39 other than they used baby Little astroglide and drank alcohol and maybe did some drugs. She then argued that Combs took steps to conceal the true nature of these hotel nights from his staff. Shapiro said text message evidence showed Combs sought to conceal the escorts from his employees, noting in one piece of evidence that he said, quote, I can't let KK know about the freak off. Shapiro said, when comes chief of staff, Christina Korm and security guards learned of his violence against Cassie, they tried to help her. Shapiro argued there's no evidence Korn thought Combe's girlfriends were being coerced. She said that the trial failed to show evidence Combs tried to bribe anyone surrounding the March twenty sixteen hotel attack between himself and Cassie. She said there was no police involvement, Ventur didn't want police involved herself, and no charges were priced. Eh, That's where I have a major problem with her argument here. It was clear that one hundred thousand dollars was paid for that hotel tape.

14:44 She kind of went into that, noting that Eddie Garcia, who was the guy that took that one hundred thousand dollars, signed an NDA that permitted him to report it to law enforcement, but he never did so. Shapiro argued that Comes didn't threaten Mia or his other staf and the defense said there's no proof of bribes or threats. Shapiro said there's no federal nexus under the Rico charge because there has to be proof a victim turned to federal officials or proof of a federal investigation. She also argued Combs didn't threaten anyone. Shapiro noted how Jane texted Combs after the Ventura lawsuit and Comes did not send any corrupt persuasion or threats. Comes asked her what he could do to make her feel better and asked her for her support. She went on to say there's no evidence Comes used threats or harm to produce the labor of Capricorn Clark, Mia Ventura, or Jane. She said, under the Forced Labor Racketeering Act, someone's services must be procured through force, physical restraint, or threat of serious harm. While some of comes staffers described him as abusive in working under grueling conditions with little sleep, they all could have left. Shapiro went on to say, in reality, most were in fear of losing their jobs. Shapiro argued there was insufficient evidence of kidnapping and racketeering. In regard to Capricorn Clark's claim that she was forced to take a lot of detector

16:15 tests for days at a building in Manhattan after some of Combe's jewelry went missing, Shapiro said that claim doesn't satisfy requirements under New York law, and there's no evidence cones knew that had happened. She went on to say that Clark did that to prove her innocence. Cassie Ventura testified she was held at a London hotel for several days after she was injured, but the government failed to prove she was detained through reasonable fears, Shapiro argued. Also in regard to Ventura, Shapiro said domestic violence is not sex trafficking, and there's insufficient evidence to show Combe's used coercion to force her to commit sex acts. The defense argued Venturs participated in hotel nights to make Combs happy.

17:00 So at this point, the judge said he'll reserve decision on the motion, which means that the judge is going to defer the ruling on the motion, allowing the jury to reach a verdict first, and more on that later. The judge then addressed Comes directly, and he asked Combs how he was feeling, and Combs said, quote, I'm doing great, your honor. I've been wanting to tell you, thank you. You're doing an excellent job. And he is brown nosing the judge right there, although I've got to say, throughout this whole trial, the judge has been excellent. The judge van chuckled and said, thank you. I appreciate it. The judge then asked Comes if he understood that he had a right not to testify and no one can draw any inference if he doesn't testify, and he said yes, your honor. The judge then asked if he had discussed with his lawyers whether or not he should testify it, and he said yes thoroughly. The judge then asked Combs if it was his decision not to testify in the case, and Combs said, quote, that is my decision, your honor.

18:07 He followed that up with that is solely my decision. I mean, it's my decision with my lawyers. The judge asked him if he understood that it was his decision to make basically his call, and he said, yes, my decision. I'm making it now. At this point in the trial, the defense, as I told you, they are calling no witnesses. However, they are going to read some text messages into the evidence. One of those was a text conversation with Cassie and Sean Combs from March of twenty seventeen. Quote you think you can freak off without getting high laugh out loud, Combs wrote. Cassie responded, yes, I'll just have to be at my level in what is good for me. And then in another text conversation, Comes asked Ventura what she was going to do, and Cassie replied, quote, be your little freak. And when that the defense team in the Shawan Combs criminal trial rested its case. More incoming then stood up said prosecutors do not intend to present a rebuttal case, and the judge told the jury, y'all are going to be off tomorrow. You should return Thursday morning to hear closing arguments. So here we go. Closing arguments start Thursday. I'll be here with the final updates on this case right through the verdict. Let's go. And I

19:38 do want to say that the prosecution also said it looked like this was going to go to the jury Monday. At some point. They're anticipating a day to a day and a half of closing arguments, the defense the rest of that time, and Monday deliberation should start at the latest. I can't believe we're here. Remember check out crime Wire Weekly, a podcast I do with Unspeakables Award winning podcaster Kelly Jennings, and of course we put previews on our individual feeds, but to get the full episode, you need to check out in the description crime Wire Weekly, you'll see it.

20:19 Click the link and follow it. The podcast drops every Friday. We cover the entire week of true crime headlines from all over the United States and even a few global crimes. And again I'll place the link in the description so you can be alerted as we drop episodes. Thank you so much for listening. Check out the Patreon for commercial, free early releases, bonus episodes, even quarterly guests for our top tier Patreon members. Patreon dot com slash exposed podcast files, and until next time for exposed scandalous files of the elite. I'm your host, Jim Admin. Much love,