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Sean Combs tricked and beat women to compel sex, prosecutor says
27th June, 2025 02:27 AM
A prosecutor Thursday portrayed Sean Combs, the famed music producer, as the leader of a criminal enterprise who “used power, violence and fear” to compel two of his girlfriends to engage in sexual marathons with male prostitutes against their wishes.
The prosecutor, Christy Slavik, told jurors during the closing argument of his federal trial that Combs had employed a loyal inner circle of employees to carry out a series of crimes over more than a decade, including sex trafficking, drug distribution, arson, bribery and kidnapping.
“He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law,” Slavik said. “But over the course of this trial his crimes have been exposed.”
Combs has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have argued that the women had consented to the sexual marathons, and they have denied that Combs ran a criminal enterprise.
Here’s what else to know:
— Racketeering: Prosecutors are trying to convince jurors that Combs ran a criminal enterprise responsible for years of sex-trafficking, drug distribution and other crimes. They are using a federal law that was once intended to combat the Mafia and has been central to recent cases against R. Kelly, Young Thug, Wall Street executives, street gang members and President Donald Trump.
— Felony charges: Combs has been charged with two counts of sex trafficking, one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. In order to convict him on any of the counts, the jurors must agree unanimously that he committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
— ‘Freak-offs’ and ‘hotel nights’: A central part of the government’s case is about highly choreographed sexual encounters involving male prostitutes and drugs including Ecstasy and ketamine. Combs, who called the encounters “freak-offs,” watched and recorded them while he masturbated.
— Right-hand aide: Kristina Khorram, an employee at Combs’ company since 2013 who became his chief of staff in 2020, was named by a prosecutor as a key member of a criminal conspiracy that the government alleges helped Combs with sex-trafficking two women, among other crimes.
— Prosecution’s case: Prosecutors have sought to prove that Combs coerced two of his former girlfriends into marathon sexual encounters with hired men and that he worked with a loyal inner circle of employees to conduct a pattern of criminal activity.
— Defense’s case: Combs’ defense team has worked to convince jurors that the nights of sex at the heart of the case were consensual. It has acknowledged that Combs had problems with domestic violence and drug use, but fervently disputed the idea that he sex trafficked his girlfriends or ran a criminal conspiracy.
