Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Combs accuser 'Jane' testifies the music mogul is still paying her rent

Yahoo

12 hours ago

The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Friday in Manhattan federal court, with 'Jane' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and ex-girlfriend of Combs — returning to the stand in the high-profile sex trafficking case.
Jane's testimony over the last two days has been strikingly similar to that of Cassie Ventura, another ex-girlfriend of Combs and one of his alleged victims. Jane said she fell 'head over heels' for Combs in the first few months of their romance, but testified that the relationship hit a turning point in 2021, when it became dominated by drug-fueled sexual encounters she called 'hotel nights,' which she said she felt obliged to participate in to appease the music mogul. Despite their breakup and Combs's arrest last September, he is still paying her rent, she disclosed on Friday.
Jane's lawyer told Judge Arun Subramanian that social media users and news outlets are attempting to reveal Jane's identity. Her lawyer said these attempts threaten her safety and privacy. The judge told Jane's attorney to identify who is trying to out her, and added that if someone is found to have violated the rules, he will consider issuing 'a gag order to the media.'
Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called 'freak offs' and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes.
The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Here are some key takeaways from Friday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, the Associated Press and the Washington Post.
Jane testified that in March 2023, she and Combs entered into a two-year 'love contract' in which Combs agreed that he would pay her a $10,000 per month allowance, which she spent on rent for a new home. She confirmed during Friday's testimony that Combs is still paying her rent.
'Who's paying your rent now?' prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. 'Sean,' Jane replied.
Jane testified that she repeatedly told Combs, either in person or through text messages, that she didn't want to have sex with other men. She said since Combs had financial control over her life, she felt 'obligated' to participate and wanted to make him happy.
In order to get through the 'hotel nights,' Jane said she 'had to' take drugs because 'it would just make things easier,' she said, breaking down in tears. 'When I wouldn't, it would just feel too real.'
In 2023, Jane said, she told Combs she wanted to stop having 'hotel nights.' She told him in a text message that she wished they could go back to their early dating days, and said she didn't 'want to feel obligated to perform these nights for you.'
Jane said that in 2023 she flew to Miami to celebrate her birthday with Combs. Despite already telling him she no longer wanted to do 'hotel nights,' Combs had set one up.
'It's your birthday and let's have fun,' she said Combs told her. Jane described it as a 'gulp moment' because she wasn't expecting it, but 'just accepted it' as she didn't want Combs to be unhappy with her.
Jane tearfully recalled feeling robotic about having sex with a total of three male entertainers until the early morning hours as Combs watched.
Jane testified that the longest 'hotel night' lasted about three and a half days, with the shortest being 12 hours, over New Year's in 2022. She stayed awake with ecstasy and didn't sleep at all.
Big picture: Jane's testimony is similar to that of Ventura, who testified that the 'freak offs' with Combs would span multiple days and that she used drugs to stay awake.
Jane recalled through tearful testimony the many health issues she had following the 'hotel nights,' which included constant back pain, frequent urinary tract infections and yeast infections. She said she was forced to have these sexual encounters before she was fully recovered.
Jane said if she suggested pausing the sessions on multiple occasions, Combs would become 'upset, defensive, belittling, dismissive.'
Big picture: Ventura had also testified that she suffered from UTIs after enduring marathon 'freak offs' and felt forced into participating before she was fully recovered.
Combs would record the 'hotel nights' on his cellphone, saying they were 'just for him,' Jane testified. She said she was used to it and was always high on drugs when he recorded. 'It was just a part of what was happening,' she said.
The jury listened to audio from a video recording of one of the 'hotel nights.' In the clip, Jane asked one of the male entertainers to wear a condom, but Combs expressed his disapproval and intervened.
Between May 2021 and October 2023, Jane testified, Combs typically kept cash in hotel bedroom nightstands in order to pay the male entertainers that would participate in the 'hotel nights,' which she said took place in multiple states: California, New York and Florida.
Combs ran out of cash 'every so often' and he would call members of his staff to bring him more.
On two occasions, Combs asked Jane to bring a package of drugs from California to Miami in her checked luggage, she testified, describing how nervous she was smuggling pills on commercial flights. Jane said she was uncomfortable with the idea, but that Combs's chief of staff Kristina Khorram told her, 'It's fine, I do it all the time.'
Jane testified that she delivered the drugs to Combs and ended up using some of them with him.
Big picture: Prosecutors are trying to show with Jane's testimony that what began as a romantic relationship with Combs turned into coerced sex acts and transportation of drugs across state lines. Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The government needs to prove that the alleged victims were forced into acts they normally wouldn't be comfortable participating in.