Federal prosecutors in the high-profile criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs have withdrawn several major allegations ahead of closing arguments in New York City, as reported by TMZ

In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, the government announced it will no longer pursue jury instructions related to attempted kidnapping, attempted arson, and certain elements of aiding and abetting sex trafficking.

The move comes after the court instructed prosecutors to “streamline” the jury instructions before the case is handed over for deliberation.

Among the dropped allegations are claims that Combs attempted to kidnap former employee Capricorn Clark by allegedly detaining her in a building and forcing her to take a lie detector test after jewelry was reported missing.

Prosecutors also stepped back from similar allegations involving singer and former girlfriend Cassie, who alleged she was held against her will at the London Hotel.

Also no longer being pursued is the claim that Combs attempted to commit arson by orchestrating the destruction of a vehicle belonging to rapper Kid Cudi.

Prosecutors had previously alleged that the artist’s car was blown up in an act of retaliation, but failed to directly link Combs to the incident during trial testimony.

They dropped the 3 main charges against Diddy 😮
This is wild! pic.twitter.com/O0XwN1cDnM

— Ang (@ALetsGoooo) June 25, 2025

All of these claims were tied to a broader racketeering charge still pending against Combs.

While prosecutors are not abandoning the overarching sex trafficking charges, they are dropping specific elements related to aiding and abetting. No detailed explanation was provided regarding which parts of those charges would be excluded from the jury’s consideration.

In their letter, prosecutors requested that jurors receive instructions clarifying that prior consent to sexual activity does not eliminate the possibility of later withdrawal of that consent.

They also noted that financial compensation to alleged victims, such as “Jane,” does not rule out the potential finding of forced labor within the scope of sex trafficking charges.

Additionally, prosecutors asked the court to inform jurors that coercion in sex trafficking cases does not require proof of physical restraint or commercial sex acts.

The trial has drawn national attention due to the celebrity status of Combs and the serious nature of the charges.

The prosecution’s decision to narrow the scope of the case ahead of final arguments suggests an effort to focus the jury’s attention on allegations they believe are more likely to result in conviction.

Closing arguments are expected to begin this week, after which the jury will begin deliberations.