{"id":155004,"date":"2025-06-28T10:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T10:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/in-closing-arguments-diddy-lawyer-says-cassie-relationship-was-a-great-modern-love-story-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T10:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T10:43:10","slug":"in-closing-arguments-diddy-lawyer-says-cassie-relationship-was-a-great-modern-love-story-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/in-closing-arguments-diddy-lawyer-says-cassie-relationship-was-a-great-modern-love-story-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"In closing arguments, Diddy lawyer says Cassie relationship was a 'great modern love story' – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is a free article for<\/em> <\/em>Diddy on Trial<\/strong><\/em> <\/em>newsletter subscribers.<\/em> <\/em>Sign up<\/strong><\/em><\/a> <\/em>to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs\u2019 federal trial.<\/em>
Today, jurors in Diddy\u2019s trial heard closing arguments from defense attorney Marc Agnifilo<\/strong>. Agnifilo, who addressed the panel for four hours, forcefully and sometimes derisively pushed back on the U.S. government\u2019s \u201cexaggerated\u201d narrative. He asserted that Diddy was being unfairly persecuted for his sexual \u201clifestyle,\u201d insisting that his client was innocent of all charges.
Agnifilo said the defense doesn\u2019t dispute that Diddy physically assaulted his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura<\/strong>. (\u201cWe own the domestic violence,\u201d Agnifilo said. \u201cI hope you guys know that.\u201d) But the rapper \u201cdid not do the things he is charged with, racketeering or sex trafficking,\u201d the attorney added. \u201cHe is going to fight to the death to defend himself against what he didn\u2019t do.\u201d
The prosecution team alleges that Diddy sex-trafficked Ventura and another ex-girlfriend, \u201cJane<\/strong>,\u201d forcing them to participate in the drug-dazed \u201cfreak offs\u201d at the heart of the case. Agnifilo rejected that version of events, referring to Diddy\u2019s relationship with Ventura as \u201ca great modern love story\u201d between two \u201cswingers.\u201d
Agnifilo argued that both women were consenting and sometimes enthusiastic participants in \u201cfreak offs,\u201d which the lawyer characterized as pleasant evenings in \u201cbeautiful hotel rooms.\u201d He attempted to downplay the marathon sexual encounters, including the fact that Diddy recorded them on video. \u201cHe\u2019s not the only man in America making homemade porn,\u201d Agnifilo said.
In closing, Agnifilo implored the jury to \u201csummon the courage\u201d and acquit Diddy. \u201cI am asking you to acquit Sean Combs of all the counts. He is not a racketeer,\u201d Agnifilo said. \u201cHe sits there innocent, so return him to his family.\u201d
What\u2019s next<\/strong><\/em>: The jury will get the case first thing Monday, Subramanian confirmed this afternoon. Then it can start deliberations. We\u2019ll keep you updated on all the key developments.
Agnifilo spoke animatedly, occasionally using a biting and jocular tone to convey skepticism about the government\u2019s case against his client.
In one notable moment, Agnifilo appeared to mock the federal law enforcement officers who searched Diddy\u2019s houses, remarking that the agents made America \u201csafe from Astroglide,\u201d the lubricant brand the rapper used for \u201cfreak offs\u201d with ex-girlfriends and male escorts. \u201cWay to go, fellas,\u201d Agnifilo said. \u201cYou guys just do you.\u201d
When the jurors were on a break, Maurene Comey<\/strong>, one of the prosecutors, complained to Judge Arun Subramanian<\/strong> about Agnifilo\u2019s tone. \u201cRespectfully,\u201d Agnifilo replied, \u201cI think I\u2019m allowed to be sarcastic.\u201d
In the prosecution\u2019s rebuttal, Comey said Diddy\u2019s defense team served up \u201clies\u201d and \u201cexcuse after excuse\u201d for the defendant\u2019s \u201cinexcusable behavior.\u201d She added: \u201cMake no mistake, this trial was how, in Sean Combs\u2019 world, \u2018no\u2019 was never an option.\u201d
In other news<\/em>: Diddy, sitting close to the defense table, appeared engaged during Agnifilo\u2019s summation \u2014 a sharp contrast with his generally downcast appearance during prosecutor Christy Slavik<\/strong>\u2019s closing arguments yesterday. The music tycoon acknowledged his family in the courtroom earlier in the day, forming his hands into a heart and giving them a thumb-up.
PSA: Every night during Diddy\u2019s trial, NBC\u2019s \u201cDateline\u201d will drop special episodes of the \u201cTrue Crime Weekly\u201d podcast to get you up to speed. \u201cDateline\u201d correspondent Andrea Canning<\/strong> chats with NBC News\u2019 Chloe Melas<\/strong> and special guests \u2014 right in front of the courthouse. Listen here<\/a>.
Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ProfileSectionsLocaltvFeaturedMore From NBCFollow NBC News news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeThis is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs\u2019 federal trial.Today, jurors in Diddy\u2019s trial heard closing arguments from defense attorney Marc Agnifilo. Agnifilo, who addressed the panel for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155004\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}