Diddy has become the ‘quarterback’ of his legal team after shaking off early nerves in the courtroom during his trial, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The hip-hop mogul is using his street smarts to help lawyers battle the sex trafficking and racketeering allegations he faces, a source close to the trial claimed.
Diddy has been passing dozens of notes in court each day, grilling his lawyers during breaks and suggesting they bring in different evidence.
He has also been using his personal memories to bolster the tactics of the nine highly paid lawyers he has on the case.
‘He was there, he remembers exactly what happened: nobody knows more about Diddy’s life than he does,’ the source told the Daily Mail.
‘He’s very involved and he’s on top of things because he knows his life is on the line.’
Diddy, 55, whose real name is Sean Combs, was one of the world’s most influential people before his arrest last year on sex trafficking and other charges, which he denies.
His net worth was close to $1billion at one point due to his company, Combs Enterprises, which ran marketing, music and fashion brands.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 55, has transformed in the courtroom from a nervous defendant to a confident maestro, giving subtle hints to his legal team from handing them Post-it notes to engaging with witnesses and jury members through facial expressions
On the first day of jury selection, Diddy’s anxieties were on full display when he raised his hand and asked the judge if he could go to the bathroom because he was a ‘little nervous’
But faced with a trial at federal court in New York, Diddy initially appeared intimidated.
On the first day of jury selection on May 5, he raised his hand and asked for a bathroom break because he was a ‘little nervous’.
Now the trial has finished its second week, those nerves have subsided and Diddy is acting the same in the courtroom as he used to in the boardroom.
The source told Daily Mail: ‘Diddy is all about this kind of stuff. He’s run companies, he’s run marketing campaigns.
‘This is a different setting but it’s the same and he is a big factor in his defense team.
‘He was a bit shocked with the court setup to begin with but now he is getting the lay of the land and he’s more comfortable.
‘Those jitters and anticipation are gone now we’re in the thick of it.
‘He’s used to being the quarterback so that’s why he’s so involved’
While Diddy’s lawyers have brought a wealth of experience and talent to his defense team, Diddy is drawing from his own life experience to defend himself.
The first eight days of the trial have centered around claims from Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, 38, who testified that he abused her from 2007
A source told Daily Mail that Diddy’s experience in closing deals and running a business has helped him get rid of the jitters and get more comfortable, such as when he raised his hands in a sarcastic gesture when a witness pointed him out in the courtroom
Diddy’s leading lawyers are Marc Agnifilo, 60, and Teny Geragos, 34. During trial breaks, Diddy is often seen chatting to Agnifilo about strategy
Diddy hugging his lawyer Anna Estevao after walking into court on May 16. He was overheard telling her he was ‘proud’ before she cross-examined his ex Ventura
The source said: ‘He remembers these things so he has a different point of view to his lawyers and he’s not afraid to tell them.’
In court, Diddy’s growing control over the case is evidenced by the sheer number of notes he passes to his lawyers.
He constantly scribbles on Post-It notes and passes them up during cross-examinations.
Rather than being anxiously hunched over his chair, Diddy is now sitting back from his table and watching the testimony in a relaxed fashion.
Diddy was overheard telling his attorney Anna Esteavo he was ‘proud’ of her before she cross examined Ventura.
He has exerted his influence over the courtroom in more subtle ways too: nodding along repeatedly when his former executive assistant George Kaplan described in glowing terms Diddy’s commitment to diversity at Combs Enterprises.
Diddy even nodded back when another of his former assistants, David James, nodded at him as he walked out of court after his testimony.
One observer who has been in court most days said: ‘He’s running the show, no doubt about it.
‘He’s becoming more confident as each day goes by – he’s the boss’.
Diddy’s newfound confidence while on the hot seat, and potentially facing jail time for the rest of his life, isn’t new but rather an integral part of the party lifestyle he lived before being arrested in September 2024
In court, Diddy’s growing control over the case is evidenced by the sheer number of notes he passes to his lawyers. He constantly scribbles on Post-It notes and passes them up during cross-examinations
During one secret conversation with Agnifilo, Diddy showed off his legal chops and asked the lawyer why they didn’t use ‘the interview’ of Dawn Richard – a singer who claimed he threatened her life after witnessing him beat up Ventura – praising the rap mogul
During the second week of the trial, Diddy could be seen deep in conversation with his lawyer Marc Agnifilo on every break.
Diddy repeatedly gestured with his hands and took off his glasses so he could lean in closer to hear Agnifilo’s voice.
Their conversations were mostly secret but one part was caught on a hot mic during the testimony of Dawn Richard, a singer who was in two of Diddy’s groups in the 2000s and claimed he threatened her life after she saw him beat up his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Diddy could be heard telling Agnifilo: ‘Why didn’t we use the interview?’
Diddy appeared to be referring to interviews Richard has given over the years praising Diddy, even though she was scathing about him in court.
Diddy’s frustration could also have been about the fact that Richard wrote a song on his latest album, ‘The Love Album’, which came out in September 2023 – two months before Ventura filed her civil lawsuit.
One thing that has been absent in court, however, is Diddy joking around.
Despite the plethora of memes and jokes at his expense on the internet, Diddy sees the trial as deadly serious.
The source said: ‘There are so many comedy takes out there but what they’re forgetting is that this guy can go to jail for the rest of his life.
‘This isn’t a joke for Diddy’.
