OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:58 PM – Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Prosecutors in the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial have indicated that they are moving away from pursuing several serious charges, including attempted kidnapping and arson, in addition to aiding and abetting a sex trafficking operation.
This also follows after another woman, referred to as “Jane Doe,” dropped her civil case against Combs and Jay‑Z in mid‑February 2025 after accusing him of sexual assault when she was just 13-years-old. The lawsuit was dismissed “with prejudice” on February 14, 2025, meaning she cannot refile the suit.
The government explained the decision in a letter to the judge, which was filed on Tuesday.
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“The Government understands the Court’s desire for streamlined instructions. With that in mind, the Government has suggested ways to streamline those instructions,” the letter stated.
“Specifically, the Government has removed instructions from the charge relating to (i) attempted kidnapping under both California and New York law, (ii) attempted arson under California law, and (iii) aiding and abetting sex trafficking. The Government is no longer planning to proceed on these theories of liability so instructions are no longer necessary,” it continued.
Combs was previously arrested in September, and he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has since pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Throughout the “Diddy” trial, the court has seen testimony from public figures such as rapper Kid Cudi, Combs’ former girlfriends like singer Cassie Ventura, as well as singer Dawn Richard.
After public outcry began to surface, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani assured the public that the prosecutors in the Diddy case are essentially “simplifying the charges for the jury,” rather than removing them completely.
“There are no charges being dropped,” Rahmani told Fox News.
“The prosecution’s legal theories are essentially the same. The government is no longer pursuing the attempted kidnapping and attempted arson as predicate acts for racketeering. But they can still argue that the complete kidnapping of Ventura and [Capricorn] Clark and completed arson of Kid Cudi’s vehicle are RICO acts. The same applies to the sex trafficking counts,” he continued.
“The government is arguing that Combs sex trafficked the victims, not that he aided and abetted others to do so. They’re simplifying the charges for the jury. This doesn’t really change anything.”
Both the prosecution and the defense completed their cases on Tuesday following six weeks of testimony, with the defense choosing instead to point out flaws and inconsistencies in the arguments of the prosecution.
Through testimonials, prosecutors argued that Combs had orchestrated lengthy, drug-fueled sex parties, known as “freak offs,” where Combs’ ex-girlfriends were said to be forced to engage in sexual acts with male prostitutes.
Combs chose not to testify throughout the trial, and the jury could begin deliberations as early as June 30th.
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