Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - DIDDY AKA “THE BARON OF BABY OIL” FUMES DURING STATE’S CLOSING

Episode Date: June 26, 2025

Sean "Diddy" Combs used "violence and fear" to run a criminal enterprise that allowed him to subject two former girlfriends to sex trafficking, a U.S. prosecutor said Thursday during closing arguments at the music mogul's trial. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told jurors that Combs "uses power, violence, and fear to get what he wants," adding, "He thought that his fame, wealth, and power put him above the law." Slavik cited Ventura Fine’s alleged involvement in several of Combs' so-called "freak offs" as an example of the coercion he used during sexual encounters. Prosecutors argue Combs operated a criminal enterprise under a "climate of fear." The jury is expected to begin deliberations late Friday or Monday. Some observers say the trial has shifted from a question of whether Combs committed the acts to whether he will be held accountable Joining Nancy Grace today, Joshua Ritter - Criminal Defense Attorney, Former Prosecutor, Host of "Courtroom Confidential" on YouTube; website: joshuaritter.com; Twitter, Instagram & TikTok: @joshuaritteresq, YouTube: CRConfidential Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away” Also featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive  Joseph Giacalone -) Former NYPD Sergeant SDS, Author: “ The Cold Case Handbook” and “The Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators”, Podcast host of "True Crime with the Sarge", YouTube: Joseph Giacalone, Twitter: @JoeGiacalone, www.josephGiacalone.com   Lynn Shaw - Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors - an organization committed to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation,  Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube, website: lynnswarrior.org,  X: @lynns_warriors, YouTube: @LynnsWarriors Tisa Tells - Pop Culture Investigator & Commentator and Host of 'Tisa Tells' on Youtube, Instagram & TikTok: @TisaTellss, Facebook: Tisa.Tells.3 Lauren Conlin - Podcaster/Reporter/Host- Co-Host of "PopCrimeTV" on YouTube,  Website: www.popcrime.tv and primetimecrimeshow.com,  X- @Conlin_Lauren, Instagram: @LaurenEmilyConlin, YouTube: @PopCrimeTV    Sydney Sumner - 'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime stories with Nancy Grace. We are live at the courthouse of Vegas odds even. Sean Combs will spend no time behind bars and Sean Combs will spend life behind bars. But guess what? I don't care what the bookies say. It's all down to 12 jurors. Good evening, I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories.

I wanna thank you for being with us. We are headed into a verdict watch. Out the blue, the defense says we rest our case. This isn't even a trial of did did he do it? It's just a trial of will he be held accountable? He's selling his freedom as if it is a fragrance. He is out there promoting it and I predict Nancy Let's go straight to the courthouse standing by is Tisa Tells, star of Tisa Tells on YouTube. Tisa, thank you for being with us. It's my understanding that early, early this morning

leading into closing statements, Sean Combs looked like he was, quote, walking on air. What? The courtroom was shocked. This man came floating in on air, twinkle toes, just dancing in two. We have never seen this man in a better mood. Everything that's happened,

the attempted charges that have been dropped from the jury verdict, they have them in the best of spirits. This is a man that thinks he's going to walk away. This is a man that thinks his $20 million law team did their job. This is a man that thinks he has avoided justice. Tessa Tells, tell me what else happened in the courtroom today. What happened in court today literally shocked everyone. The prosecution came in strong. They made a clear, concise case. Diddy, who seemed to be walking on air, walking in, you saw his body language slump. They made such an excellent case to actually map out and hold our hands like we were three-year-olds

that needed help across the street. What the Combs enterprise was, how he commanded and controlled everything and everybody, and how they were nothing but an apparatus made to fulfill every sexual deviant desire he had. It really came together today in court. At the beginning, they refer to Sean Combs, well it's Slavic. Slavic refers to Sean Combs as the head of a criminal enterprise and someone who quote, doesn't take no for an answer. Describe what she was telling the jury and how the jury responded. That's what Slavic said straight out of the gate. She said he doesn't take no for an answer and he wants what he wants.

When she said that, she went into a list of all the predicate crimes. She said kidnapping, arson, forced labor with sexual assault, bribery, sex trafficking that was forced and manipulated these women. And when that happened, she went in like a battling ram and the jury was up. The jury was taking attention. They had their notepads out. They were leaned in. They were so locked in. The prosecution woke the jury up and they couldn't get enough. Tisa tells Slavik did something I think was brilliant. She almost immediately took the jury to two of the most violent attacks on women in order to force them to perform sexually. Of course, one has to be Cassie Ventura's attack at the Intercontinental Hotel.

That's the single strongest one because there's video evidence. You don't have to just take her word for it. You can see it on the closed circuit TV there at the Intercontinental. But she also took to the jury to the moment that Jane, not her real name, was brutally attacked and covered in welts all over her body, a beating by Sean Combs, after which he told her to get back in the ring and perform oral sex on a male escort, despite her protests.

What did she say exactly, and how did the jury respond? What were they doing? She showed a screenshot of the moment we saw Cassie be brutally beat. And she said, I want to take you to two moments, eight years apart, but with the same pattern done by the same man. The jury was leaned in. They described how Cassie was brutally beaten and stumped. She used the word stumped. And then they tied it in with Jane. Now, of course, they didn't let us see the pictures of Jane, but they put those beaten pictures of Jane

on their screens, and they showed us a screenshot of Jane's testimony, where they had her saying, I was beaten, I was dragged, I was kicked. It was an incredibly powerful moment. Tisa tells, how is Sean Combs reacting to this? What does he say as the prosecutor is regurgitating all of these horrific facts about him, and he's sitting right there.

I honestly think that the jury's reaction showed us the clearest of how well the prosecution was going. When she first started talking, he almost had a smug look on his face. There was still a faint smile. He was looking over in the prosecutor's direction, in the jury's direction, looking like he did not care. However, once they put a screenshot of Cassie's, that beating one, and she went through, boom, boom, boom, rapid fire of everything

he's being charged with, leaving no doubt, he all of a sudden just looked straight. He looked down. Then, I believe he got nudged, He looked straight again. And after that, he rarely looked at the jury the whole time. But what are you doing? Somebody is literally outlining how you are the devil incarnate. You know, another thing that Kristi Slavik did that I thought was also brilliant, I hate when lawyers simply vomit up the letter of the law and use Latin phrases that nobody knows

what they're talking about unless you went to Harvard Law School for Pete's sake. She really broke down what RICO means, a conspiracy. And I'm going to quote what she said. The concept is simple. When someone commits a crime as part of a group. The law calls it an enterprise and that makes them, Sean Combs, more powerful and dangerous. You know over and over, Tisa tells, we heard the same thread going through all of the victims testimony. When Cassie Ventura was being beaten, she looked up at all of Combs' minions and said, Can't you see what's happening? And they tacitly, non-verbally, condoned what

Combs was doing. That's the enterprise, those people that enabled Combs. Tell me how the jury responded. What did she say and how did they react? That was an incredibly powerful moment, okay? Slavik said he's already a rich and powerful man and the enterprise made him more powerful and more dangerous. When they heard that, you saw a few jurors uncross their legs and lean forward.

They were dialed in. Again, it's almost like the prosecution had taken their kid gloves off and they were leaving the jurors with no doubt. You don't need to connect the dots. We are going to draw the dots, connect them for you and then walk you over to see where everything is.

Again, a lot of shifting, a lot of rubbing the faces, a lot of leaning in, taking furious notes, looking closely at what was being shown on their monitors. They had the jury with their closings. Another important chord that Slavick struck during her closing argument, which commenced early this morning, is that Sean Combs has been clothed in respectability, in celebrity, in billions of dollars, in everything that can buy the private jet, the mansions all over the world, the designer clothes,

the fancy restaurants, people at his beck and call, but she pointed out that for all the fame, wealth, power, and privilege, he is not above the law. And he's not. Remember that quote Tisa tells where one minion says to the other, pointing up to a picture of Combs, this is his kingdom and we're just living in it. Explain to me how the jury responded to her argument. His enterprise and the way she said the word enterprise that was dripping with disdain, their only goal was promoting and protecting and fulfilling every sexual desire that he had. Okay. They enabled him to commit crimes when she said that the jury furiously taking notes. They even looked over

at Sean Cohn's side, not directly at him, but at the side where all his loyal supporters and family were sitting and protecting him from law enforcement. When they said that, a few jurors' brows actually furored. It's almost like they were cutting through all of the BS from the last four weeks, cross examinations and cutting through to what the heart of this case was. And it became clear to everyone, I think even Sean Diddy combs

that he is not going to beat this. Tisa tells what exactly did Slavik say about Sean Combs' wealth, fame, and privilege? What she talked about was, in a fast swoop, she did an amazing job of explaining away the reason why some of these assistants that got immunity were sitting there saying, I think Sean Colmes is a great man. He taught me so much. Because she called them minions, foot soldiers, young, naive kids that were willing to do anything to be part of the organization.

But she pointed out, Brendan Paul got paid 100K to do these illegal things from. And Christine Kornum,el KK she got paid six months six times as much I said well okay KK got paid over a half a million dollars but also in that moment they firmly put the onus on Diddy KK and his security staff and they actually said that even though they said that even though the names may have changed, the core group stayed the same and they were the enterprise.

And everybody else, no matter what they said, whether they knew willingly or not, were nothing but minions and foot soldiers. That carried out all of his desires. Standing by outside the Monahan Federal Courthouse, Tisa tells, closing arguments for the state commenced this morning, and the fallout has been spectacular. Tisa tells, I found it very interesting, and this is important, that Slavitt kept referring to Sean Combs' employees, as I say his minions, because not all of them were his employees. Some were just starstruck and willing

to do whatever he wanted. But she described them as foot soldiers. And you know, you've got to be a foot soldier to do what they did. Some of them going into hotel rooms after free coughs and cleaning up the bodily fluids. You know, that's a nice way of saying sperm, sweat, blood, urine, feces, dope, food, alcohol. I mean it was rank. The hotels, as we've talked about many times, would charge up to $47,000 to clean a room after a free cough. That would be a minion that would do that, right? And she talked about that in closing arguments, didn't she, Tisa? Now, that was a brilliant visual display.

She referred to the security as lieutenant. She named them all, Fahim, D-Rock, Uncle Pauly, Rube said that they were armed and ready, okay? They said, remember David James? Remember how he said he was taken at gunpoint down to go confront, confront Jignite with guns flying down the hill? It was an amazing, amazing image to just say that, no, this was a real criminal

reorganization, but it didn't stop there. They then show the pictures of the guns and the magazines saying there were two AR-15s with serial numbers filed off. There were rifles with serial numbers filed off. And then they said, listen, this was an enterprise and KK and the security gave the orders. And then they put up this visual of 11 of all his security people, 11 men standing there

looking a little bit unseemly. She said, to looking unseemly and saying, they called the shots. And then they went back to his workers. They said, maybe he didn't know. They were young, maybe the workers didn't know, the flunkies, the minions. Maybe they were young and naive, but they followed orders

and they were nothing but foot soldiers that followed KK and security. Say, again, they put everything in focus and a lot of people were whispering, and Diddy is convicted I don't know if I was KK and anybody that was part of his lieutenant security team I would be very very worried right now because the government has called you out. We are live at the Monahan Federal Courthouse

where it's all culminating today closing arguments in the Sean Cone sex trafficking trial. Now a lot of people, including the bookies, are betting against the state and that includes the community. It's my understanding that there is a resurrection victory tour, a world tour, being planned for Sean Combs. What? Exactly. If you were dumb enough to bet against the house at any time, you get what you get.

Listen, the Southern District in New York did not come to play. I've been in the courtroom. They've done amazing. But these idiots that want to buy a ticket to a resurrection reunion tour, save it. Save it so you can show your grandchildren how off you were and against history.

Again, there's a resurrection tour, there's a homecoming barbecue, there's so much planned. But again, these might just be the delusions of a madman who really thought he got away with everything. Joining me, Joshua Ritter, criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor, star of Courtroom Confidential on YouTube. Joshua Ritter, I never count my chickens before they hatch.

I go into every closing argument as if I'm going to lose and I argue like H-E-L-L. That's pretty bold to be going in to closing statements as if you're going to win. Listen, you got to have confidence, right? If you don't have confidence, what else are you left with? I think you have to at least applaud that. There's, you know, whether or not the jury agrees with all of that is to be seen, I suppose. But you're certainly not going to limp into these closing arguments feeling like the case is already settled. Okay, in addition to a so-called victory resurrection tour to Tisa Tells joining us outside the courthouse,

everybody, those of you just joining us closing arguments going down throughout the day today in the Shaw and Comet sex trafficking trial, I understand there's a big July the fourth party planned and I'm not talking about behind the walls of MDC. Diddy's team, again I don't know if they have smuggled that man some tucci into jail, but Diddy's team has been convinced that he is coming home. They have convinced them that he is coming home and that they have mounted such a strong case and poke holes in the prosecution's case so much that it's not going to be one, two, three, four, five days of deliberation that by July 4th, this man will be home to literally kiss babies and shake hands to his loyal followers that prayed for him and bought

him home. Again, it defies logic that even if you sat through these summary charts, and they were long, arduous days, that any jury could get through this mountain of evidence in time, whether they decide not guilty or guilty to have him home safely. But again, time will tell. But Diddy has, he, listen, there's a lot of probably dead pigeons in Central Park,

a lot of alleged sacrifices going on. We will see, but right now, this is a man that swears he is coming home. Word is Sean Combs isn't the only one who believes he will walk free. Kanye West is apparently chomping at the bit to have Combs join him on a resurrection tour the second the trial is over. Combs and West have shared several jailhouse phone calls, and insiders say his short visit to court was to send a message of loyalty. The rapper's plan has some serious flaws, including the possibility Combs is convicted. Former Kanye fans are now signing petitions to prevent him from performing,

and Sean Combs may never be welcome back into the public's good graces. Let's talk about closing arguments as they are going down in the Monahan Federal Courthouse throughout today. Tisa tells who is in charge of closing arguments for the defense. Agnifilial is in charge of closing for the defense. He has respected the, oh shucks, your honor, this is my first day in federal court. However, it might be effective. The male jurors around Mark's age seem to be very respected to him. And even when he's made his arguments in court, they always respond very well. I think it was very strategic,

looking at the way the jury sees the reflection in Mark to a certain point. It's going to be interesting to see how much actually carries over. But for right now, Mark seems to be their secret weapon. Okay, to Josh Ritter joining us, criminal defense attorney. It's not like you can pass it off like in a football game, you can just throw it to your favorite player

in the middle of a run. It doesn't work like that. One attorney is in charge of closing statements. You can't pass it off like one argues for an hour and then the next argues for another hour. That's not how it works. Only one lawyer from the defense team can be chosen to give closing statements. Explain.

No, you're absolutely right. And it's not a surprise that it's Agnifilo. He's the more experienced, he's the more seasoned attorney. Listen, Diddy has paid a lot of money for this defense. He's not going to let the most crucial moment in it fall into the hands of less experienced attorneys. He's paid big money. He expects that big name. He expects the partner, the headline,

the person whose name appears at the top of the letterhead to be the person giving the closing arguments. And I think Agnificolo wouldn't have it any other way either. Here's the moment to shine. This is bringing it home. If you're the Diddy team, you feel like you're now just punching it through the one yard line. That's going to be Agnifilo.

So you're absolutely right. One attorney, one chance. And I'm not surprised that it was him. You know, I'm very, very surprised that Agnifilo chose himself. He's the lead defense attorney. He's the one to make this decision. Chose himself after his very disturbing performance with our friend Harvey Levin regarding what else?

The baby oil. Listen. They call them freak-offs. But, you know, back when I was a kid in the late 70s, they were called threesomes. If these are genuinely threesomes, how do you explain a thousand bottles of baby oil? I don't know where the number of thousand came. The US Attorney said it.

I can't imagine it's thousands. I mean, you know, and I'm not really sure what the baby oil has to do with anything. They're essentially saying it's a lubricant for an orgy. I guess. I don't know what you need a thousand. One bottle of baby oil goes a long way. I don't know what you need a thousand for. I mean, he has a big house. He buys in bulk.

You know, I think they have Costco's in every place where he has a home. I mean, have you sat in a parking lot of a Costco and see what people walk out of there with? Not a thousand bottles of baby oil. I don't think it was a thousand. I think it was, I think it was, let's just say it's a lot, okay? Has he lost his mind? That's from our friends over at TMZ.

CRIME STORIES CRIME STORIES CRIME STORIES WITH NANCY GRACE CRIME STORIES WITH NANCY GRACE CRIME STORIES WITH NANCY GRACE CRIME STORIES WITH NANCY GRACE Back to Tisa Tell standing out in front of the courthouse. Who ever knew that baby oil would be the centerpiece of both the defense and the state's case?

But that's Agnifilo. He couldn't even hold up to softball questions from Harvey Levin on TMZ. So I'm very curious why he didn't have Tenney, Tenney Garagos or Brian Steele do closings. It was such an interesting choice, but I got to be honest with you, I am salivating at seeing Mark Agnifilio do his baby oil defense. Everybody remembers that TMZ interview. He's sitting there across from Harvey. Harvey, I don't know why baby oil was there. His voice cracking, trying to act like it's the most normal thing in the world to have over $2,000 in baby oil, assuming it's $1.99 a bottle, in your home and act like these are the normal, perfectly, perfectly rational and perfectly legal

actions of an innocent man. Again, it's an interesting choice. It's an odd choice. But as somebody that is waiting for Diddy to get justice, I welcome this. Bravo, Mark. Bravo. I hope he does another TMZ level performance. Hey, um, I really don't know what's going on with you, but I just want to just give you a heads up that I'm about to really disappear on you. You feel me? I'm not going to be playing these games with you at all, at all. So I don't know, you think you're silent treating me,

treating me, and you think I'm gonna be, nah. You'll have a rude awakening, you'll just have silence. And ain't nobody threatening you, and I don't even try to go back and forth with no woman. You know what I'm saying? I'm telling you, I ain't got no time for no games. Where my life is at right now, I don't have no time for no woman, you know what I'm saying? I'm telling you, I ain't got no time for no games. Where my life is at right now, I don't have no time for no games, baby girl.

Me and you can be mad, I can have a spat, we can have whatever, then after that, you better get on your job. That's really, that's all it is. Cause you got me on my job, nah, it ain't gonna, it ain't never gonna work like that over here. You know what I'm saying? I was trying not to leave this message,

but you have left me no choice. So either you, you going the direction of like moving on and shit like that, or you like just like have me just keep moving. Ain't no threat, I'm just being clear. I can't do this shit with you every time you get upset. Get on your job. Get on your job and get in there,

end the freak off and be videoed. Having sex with multiple male sex workers, Sean Combs, you can kiss my hard working rear end. How dare he tell this woman, get on your job. You know, Lynn Shaw, it makes me so mad. I think I could chew a nail in half. It brings tears to my eyes as well because I have represented women as have you that have been beaten and coerced into up to 20 tricks a day. 20, 30 different sex partners a day, or they would be beaten. Their money would be taken away, their driver's license, their cell phone,

all sorts, all manners of coercion. I get the pimp Romeo tactic, but I don't know if the jury is going to get it. Explain it. Yeah, Nancy, that's the problem. The public as a whole don't know if the jury is going to get it. Explain it. Yeah, Nancy, that's the problem. The public as a whole don't really understand this pimp Romeo, as well as the justice system, I'm convinced. They don't even really totally understand it.

But here's the thing. It is, let me break it down very simply. A vulnerable young woman, girl, thinks she has a new boyfriend. He showers her with love and gifts. And it may be good for a day or two, or even a month or two. And then it turns into, oh, you know, baby girl, you love me, you'll do this for me.

I'm a little short on the rent. I need a car payment. I need a new Gucci belt. If you love me, you'll do it just this once. This is what we hear a lot. And they do it the once because they think they're in this love relationship, right? And again, I wanna remind everybody everybody mostly very vulnerable girls and women.

Okay. Fast forward. Then it becomes a little more hardcore and they're forced into full blown sex trafficking. This is sexual servitude. Everybody has to understand what the dirty diddy case and the public has to understand. And I'm praying that this jury, if they understand nothing about a pimp Romeo, they will keep thinking about that Cassie video of being knocked down, dragged barefoot, running to the elevator. That will remain in their minds as well as get on your job.

That says to me, sex trafficking. So we have to do a better job as a society in educating the public to intervene and prevent any new victims and to hold this dirty ditty once and for all accountable to some form of sex trafficking, sex labor trafficking, again, force fraud coercion. I'm seeing it all over the place. He's guilty in my opinion. Well, it's exactly as you just said. I want you to take a listen to what Jane, not her real name, said, speaking of the pimp Romeo tactic of coercion. Listen.

Jane agreed to have sex with Don, believing she was fulfilling a fantasy for her boyfriend and it would not be regular, but compares her first yes to opening Pandora's box she could not close. Every meeting after involves sex with another man. Jane protested to hotel nights, verbally and in writing, but each time Combs threatened to break up with her and withdraw his financial support. And even though Sean Combs, correct me if I'm wrong, Sydney Sumner, joining us, Crime Stories Investigative Reporter, also on the trial, Sean Combs' lawyers tried to pretend he

didn't know that these women repeatedly said, I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this to the point where Cassie Ventura was actually dragged back physically to a freak off by a bodyguard. Is that not coercion? Have I lost my mind? But they tried to pretend that Combs didn't know the women were unwilling, Sydney Sumner. Exactly what they argued in court trying to finalize the instructions that the jury would hear. They said that they have not proved that Combs had the mens rea for all of this to have been a crime. They said that the women never told Combs in person or in writing that they did not want to participate in these freak offs. And it's simply just not true, Nancy.

Jane said this multiple times. We saw in her own text multiple times that she frequently expressed that she did not wanna participate. She did not wanna do these things. She was upset about it. And Jane also had to testify the fact that other women particularly bothered her

because she knew that Combs was seeing other people, other women, and they were not having to do what she was having to do to have time with her boyfriend. They weren't being locked in a hotel room for a week at a time, only she was. And she particularly felt that this was something she was constantly pushed to do against her will. And they signed a contract, Nancy. That's just insanity to me. They signed a love contract.

Holmes obviously thought that he was paying Jane's rent in exchange for her having sex with an escort anytime he wanted her to. I have seen nothing but Puff turn on the charm. That's why he had a career. He still thought he was running things. Was charming, he was funny, he was running things. He was charming, he was funny, he was witty. Puffy plays this game really well and he's been playing it for a very

long time. I think this might be the limit of his star power. And he's playing it right now in front of a jury. Throughout the day we have been listening to closing arguments by the state. The defense closing arguments will commence tomorrow morning. Repeat, Friday morning the defense closing arguments will commence tomorrow morning. Repeat, Friday morning, the defense closing arguments will begin. They project a four hour closing argument that will be followed by the judge's charges to the jury. What are charges? That is when the judge literally reads and the judge must read it. One slip of the tongue, and I've had this happen to me,

one slip of the tongue by the judge if they ad lib bad. That's reversible error. So the judge will literally be reading the law to the jury, the law by which they are to judge and decide this case. What does that mean? They will hear a charge about what is reasonable doubt. What is the burden of proof? What is a reasonable doubt? It is not proving the case to a mathematical certainty such as two and two equals four. It is a reasonable doubt. And I don't mean a doubt like, hey, maybe little green men from Mars flew in and conducted the freak offs. Could that happen? Yes.

Did it happen? Probably no. It probably did not happen. So all of these legal theories must be explained to the jury. And yes, they zone out during that. Imagine sitting in a warm courtroom while the judge literally reads about 30 pages of the law. It's really hard. Think about after you have lunch and you want to take a nap, but you can't, and then they're in the courtroom, everything gets all warm and cozy, there's no distraction,

the judge is droning on and on. Yeah, they're going to zone out. This is why I believe the jury charges are important. Cindy Sumner, I need you on this because the state got a very important charge. During closing arguments, both lawyers, Agnifilo for the defense, Slavic for the state will say you will hear the judge state the law on X. Yesterday the state argued and got a charge that the sex act did not have to be completed for coercion into sex to be shown. They are putting all their money back to Vegas odds, Sydney Sumner, on Cassie Ventura.

And this is why I said in that video, if the state can prove that in that one video, the Intercontinental Hotel beat down, in this one video, she was dragged back to a freak-off, which we know she was, because when security got there, there was another man there, he was a sex worker, and her testimony is that this was a freak off, right? And he didn't take the stand to rebut it. She was dragged back to the room, but at that time, Sidney, she got her bags and left. So the state got the charge. The jury is going to be told, Sidney, that the sex act did not have to be completed. So, Sydney, what I'm

trying to explain is that if the jury believes she was beaten and dragged back to a freak off, that shows coercion and coercion shows sex trafficking. So, if this one instance is proven, the state has met its burden. Bam! Explain the jury charge, Sydney Sumner, that the state got yesterday. Well, Nancy, in addition to what you mentioned, they also got in that previous consent does not mean that a victim was not later trafficked. So I think both of those go hand in hand and are very important in showing that just because the actual sex act didn't happen and just because they may have said yes to this the first time doesn't mean that later on Combs did not traffic them and I think they really have met their burden of proof Nancy. We've seen

all of these text messages, all of these protests, all of these gentle rebuttals. So even before Kathy was dragged back into this hotel room because Combs didn't want her to leave this freak off, she even mentioned, hey, I have my movie premiere Monday. I don't really wanna do this. And Combs went forward with it anyway. Combs had an extreme level of control over Kathy's entire career. And he seemed to want to roll her under the bus and push her

down and make sure that she wasn't being successful without him so that he could continue to leverage this control over her. She discussed having hundreds of unreleased songs. She called it busy work. Kong just kept her happy enough that she thought that he would actually help her career. And that explains part of the reason that she was still with him 10 years later. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Joining me now, special guest Joseph Jackalone, former NYPD Sergeant, author of The Cold Case Handbook, and The Criminal Investigative Function, a guide for new investigators, and he's the

star of a podcast, True Crime with the Sarge. Thank you, Joseph, for being with us. You know what's interesting. Sean Combs is planning his victory tour as Kanye calls it his resurrection tour. The family, Sean Combs' family is preparing a post trial to be released a documentary of how he has suffered throughout this. Shawn Combs, how Shawn Combs has suffered throughout this. There is a block party planned. There is a July 4th party planned for when Combs gets released.

The bookies in Vegas are betting against the state. But you know what? I ain't giving up, Jackalone. I'm not giving up. Because I believe the state has proven its case against a very, very popular, a very, very wealthy celebrity. And it tastes like a dirt sandwich to think he could get away with all the beatings, all the threats, the car bombings, the bribing, the extortion. It's almost more than I can take because you know what Joseph, he's no different than a pimp at the corner of Broadway that beats a woman to go turn tricks. He's no different, Jackalone. No he's not, Nancy, and I was always taught, you know, you don't put the

cart before the horse, and I think that's exactly what's happening here. I mean, listen, I think that the prosecution has a very strong defense, and listen, I wouldn't bet against the federal government. They just don't walk into these things and saying, you know, anything willy nilly. They usually have a very strong case. They have the full backing of them. They have videos, they have testimony, they have eyewitnesses, they have so many different aspects going for them.

They have circumstantial evidence, direct evidence, you name it, they have it. It's about the presentation. It's about what the jury is going to believe, of evidence, you name it, they have it. It's about the presentation. It's about what the jury is going to believe, of course, in the long run. My only concern is that putting up against the July 4th weekend where court's going to be closed. So, you know, you don't, if they get it Monday, you're looking at maybe Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I hope that they're not going to try to rush things to get it done before the holiday.

That's always a concern. Sydney Summer, before I throw this to Dr. Bethany Marshall, could you please explain what we heard early, early this morning when the lead defense attorney, Mark Agnifilo, came in the courtroom and tested the mics? He sang Copacabana. Apparently, he started out, her name was Lola, to try and test this mic.

He shouldn't need it to give any of his statements today, but he may need to object. So I don't know if that is a sign, if that means something, that they're feeling extremely confident going into closing arguments, but that seems a pretty relaxed way to test that mic. You know what, Dr. Bethany? Even people here on my studio actually laughed just then. I have a completely different reaction. I wanna cry because it's all just a big joke. It's just a big joke. And you know what?

For all of you producers sitting here that actually laughed when you heard Agnifilo tested the mic by singing her name was Lola. It's just a big joke to them because they have never been a sex assault victim. I'm glad. I'm glad they haven't. They've never had to deal with one witness I had. In the middle of her direct testimony.

She couldn't take it, Bethany. She put her head down on the desk in front of her at the witness stand by the mic and went into some kind of catatonic state, in my rape case. Okay, forget my case. Forget what I was trying to do. What about her? When she had to recount what happened? These people are never the same, Bethany.

You know what? Just wait a minute. The state is not allowed to do this, but I can do it because I'm not arguing to a jury. Forget about yourself. Think about your daughter. Having sex. about yourself, think about your daughter having sex time after time after time in one night for hours, sex marathons that go 24, 36 hours with multiple sex workers that were hired specifically because they are quote well endowed by Sean Combs with him standing

by naked masturbating and videoing this happening to your daughter to your daughter oh yes what a change because nobody's laughing in the studio now it's not funny anymore is it you know that know that song, Her Name is Lola? My first association was Lolita, who was a 13-year-old who was sexually abused. All right, and then Jeffrey Epstein's plane is the Lolita Express. This, I think on Mark Agnifilo's part,

is an unconscious reference to the fact that women deserve to be abused. That's the first thing I heard. I think it's disgusting. And I was thinking too, doesn't he have daughters, sisters, a mother? He wouldn't want them in that kind of a situation. I think the defense actually is serving up the idea

of force, fraud, and coercion on a silver platter. And what I mean by this, the three stages of the pimp, Romeo syndrome, the pimp pretends to be in love with the victim, love bombs, all of that, then grooms and gets the victim's trust. And in the third stage, the victim cannot break away. So they do go back and forth like, okay, I'll arrange, you know, I'll call the

sex workers for you. They are terrified. And then they say no, thinking that Sean Diddy Combs is actually listening to them. And when you say no so many times, and the other person doesn't listen, you start to become brainwashed that you didn't say no at all. That's what Cassie said in her testimony. It wasn't until she looked back at her texts that she realized she had been saying no for years. She had dissociated from that. And one more thing, Nancy, this Mark Agnifilo singing the Lola song reminds me of all the rich, wealthy, powerful men who went on the Lolita Express knowing exactly what they were going to do, getting to that island, participating and thinking it was all one big party.

It's not a party. Women and men are being abused. It's a tragedy. As we head to a verdict watch in the Sean Combs sex trafficking trial, we stop to remember an American hero, trooper Mart Hudson, Maryland state PD, just 25, killed in the line of duty, served only one year, leaves behind a grieving fiance, a mother, and stepfather. American hero trooper Mart Hudson.

Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.