Sean Combs trial updates | Defense closes; deliberations set for Monday

Federal prosecutors have said they expect to rest their case against Sean Combs today, hoping that more than six weeks of testimony from nearly three dozen witnesses -- including ex-girlfriends, former employees, male escorts and rapper Kid Cudi -- is enough to convince the jury to convict.

The last witness, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Joseph Cerciello, summarized during his testimony Monday the sexual encounters Combs allegedly arranged for his then-girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym "Jane."

Jurors saw messages from Combs allegedly booking escorts and heard an audio message from Combs telling an assistant, "There's no more baby oil." Jurors also saw travel receipts, hotel invoices and money transfers.

Federal prosecutors argue it all supports their contention that Combs and his employees were running a criminal enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, and then threatened them into silence. Combs has denied all of the charges and maintains that the sex was consensual.

The defense, on cross-examination of Cerciello, showed a message that "Jane" sent to one of the escorts. "You are such a sweetheart," the text said. "Thank you for making me feel beautiful."

Both sides played recordings of arranged sexual encounters with male escorts, known as "freak-offs." The jury has now watched nearly 45 minutes of explicit video.

After the prosecution rests, the defense will present its own case, which is expected to consist of reading evidence into the record. Defense attorneys have said they plan to call no witnesses.

Combs has been accused of sex trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy as part of a blockbuster federal indictment originally filed in September 2024. He later faced two additional superseding indictments. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

During cross-examination of Special Agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations, defense attorney Teny Geragos attempted to highlight how certain expenses for alleged "freak-off" sexual encounters appeared to have been paid from Sean Combs' personal account. The defense has argued that "freak-offs" were how Combs spent his personal time and were separate from his business, which prosecutors have alleged Combs ran like a criminal enterprise.

Geragos also showed additional video excerpts to jurors. The public could not hear or see the clips.

Court has adjourned for the day. The defense will finish cross-examining Cerciello on Tuesday morning, after which the government will rest its case.

Judge Arun Subramanian will then hear a defense motion for a directed verdict of acquittal, a proceeding for which the jury won't be present. If that motion is denied, the defense will present its case. The defense has said they will not call any witnesses but there are exhibits that the defense wants to enter into the record.

The charge conference will take place on Wednesday morning and the jury will hear closing arguments on Thursday. The prosecution and defense are each expected to take about four hours to present their arguments.

The jury will hear the judge's charge on Friday before deliberations begin.

Through a combination of text messages, travel records, hotel receipts and other records, the prosecution showed the jury what they argue were the logistics involved in the alleged arrangements made for male escorts for Sean Combs to participate in sexual encounters.

"Hey in NYC have entertainment for after midnight?" Combs wrote in a text message to a woman at a male escort service.

"Will be there in ten mins with the cash," one of Combs' bodyguards wrote in a message to "Jane," a former Combs girlfriend who testified under a pseudonym. "Jane" messaged back: "OK great. Room 508. Do you have a key?"

The jury was shown invoices from hotels where prosecutors said the alleged sexual encounters occurred. The jury saw one bill for $2,490.17 from the Trump International Hotel from a stay there in September 2023.

In one audio message, Combs allegedly said, "There's no more baby oil."

The jury was shown records from "Jane's" travel, including a car service and a Jet Blue flight arranged by a woman who handled travel for Combs.

The jury also was shown messages about IV fluids Combs and "Jane" received to help them recover from the sexual encounters. "Extra Benadryl," Combs' former assistant, Brendan Paul, said in a text message. The IV drip also included sodium chloride, B12, zinc, vitamin C and amino acids, according to the messages presented by prosecutors.

The jury also saw a text to Combs from his then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, from September 2023. "Next time you leave when you're randomly partying you have to tell us. Can't just uber lit with a guest. That's when bad s--- happens. You know this," the message said. "Puff, seriously that is reckless."

Combs responded in part, "I love you to death, but you have to stop."

Federal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as "freak-offs," "hotel nights" or "wild king nights," depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual.

Given that the defense said this morning that it will rest its case without calling witnesses, that likely implies that Sean Combs will not testify in his own defense.

It is likely that Judge Arun Subramanian will ask Combs at some point to formally confirm the choice.

The jury at Combs' trial is now seeing sexually explicit videos depicting him, his former girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane," and a male escort.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Joseph Cerciello, a summary witness for the government, testified that he reviewed "multiple hours" of explicit videos

Federal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as "freak-offs," "hotel nights" or "wild king nights," depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual.

The jury was shown video excerpts along with travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers collected during the investigation. Federal prosecutors are hoping to convince jurors that the sexual acts depicted in the videos were the result of alleged coordinated criminal activity by Combs, his chief of staff, his assistants, his travel manager, his finance people and his bodyguards, all of which Combs has denied.