The Diddy trial: The rise and fall of Sean Combs
In early 2023, Sean Combs — otherwise known as Diddy, Puff Daddy, Love — seemed to be on top of the world. He had a long career as a successful music producer and businessman, and he received multiple honors for his work — even getting a key to the city of New York from its mayor. But that fall, everything changed when his ex-girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura filed a lawsuit against him alleging that he'd sexually abused and sex trafficked her throughout their decade-long relationship.
This opened the floodgates. Dozens of other alleged victims came forward, and soon Combs found himself at the center of a federal investigation into his businesses. After arresting him in September 2024, federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment that Combs used his business to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. He's now awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail.
For the next month on 'Post Reports,' we're going to be following Combs's trial, which starts Monday. You'll hear regularly from reporter Anne Branigin, who's been closely following this story since Cassie filed her lawsuit, as well as other Washington Post journalists from the Style and Audio teams. On today's episode, Branigin describes how the Combs rose to fame and power, and what he is now being accused of.
Today's show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and Carla Spartos and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks also to Maggie Penman, Lucas Trevor, Amanda Finnegan and Renita Jablonski. The episode also features Janay Kingsberry and Helena Andrews-Dyer, reporters for the Style section of The Post. Geoff Edgers contributed to this report.
Follow our coverage of the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Spotify here.
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Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Diddy's Ex-Girlfriend Cries in Court Alleging 3-Day Sex Sessions With Male Escorts That Made Her ‘Feel Disgusting'
A woman who dated Sean 'Diddy' Combs from January 2021 to August 2024 broke down in tears on the witness stand at his criminal trial as she recounted enduring three-day sex sessions with male escorts that were allegedly arranged by Combs. Testifying under a pseudonym, 'Jane' said Combs pressured her into participating in these so-called 'hotel nights,' drug-fueled sexual performances that closely resemble the 'freak-offs' that Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura described. More from Variety Judge Scolds Diddy for 'Nodding Vigorously' to the Jury, Threatens to Remove Him From Courtroom Diddy Auditioned to Play James Brown in 'Get on Up,' Lost Part to Chadwick Boseman Donald Trump, Asked About Pardoning Diddy, Says 'I Would Certainly Look at the Facts' and That 'He Used to Really Like Me a Lot' Jane described one 'hotel night' that involved three rounds of sexual intercourse with one escort over the course of 18 hours. Immediately afterward, Combs allegedly left the hotel. Jane said she was 'so high' from ecstasy given to her by Combs and felt 'lonely.' Jane said 'hotel nights' became a weekly occasion during parts of her relationship with Combs. The longest 'hotel night' Jane remembers having lasted more than three days without sleep. She said the shortest of such encounters lasted 12 hours, and a typical 'hotel night' spanned 24 to 30 hours. Jane said she told Combs multiple times that she did not want to have sex with other men, and that he was 'dismissive' of her concerns. An audio recording from a hotel room in which Jane asked that an escort wear a condom was played in court. In the recording, Combs is heard brushing off Jane's request. Jane testified that on another occasion, Combs looked at her and said, 'You better not ask for a fucking condom' as an escort prepared to begin intercourse with her. Jane testified about one 'hotel night' that occurred on her birthday. She was eating at Nobu, having great one-on-one time with Combs, when he mentioned there would be 'entertainment' after dinner — a 'gulp moment' for Jane. They went to a hotel after the meal, where Combs gave Jane a necklace for her birthday. Then, an unfamiliar man entered the hotel suite. 'I just accepted it,' Jane said of the 'hotel nights.' The sexual routine became muscle memory for her. 'I've done so many of these, I just know how to tune out,' Jane said. 'I just put my thoughts away [and] tune into someone else. Somebody who can perform.' Through heavy cries, Jane described the alleged encounter as 'invasive.' 'I didn't want to do this on my birthday,' she said. After the escort finished, Combs and Jane moved to a different hotel suite, where Combs was 'sweet' and gave her another gift, alongside flowers, cake and balloons. She remembered another escort suddenly entering, and they had 'hours and hours' of sex. 'By the time he left, it was morning,' Jane said. She testified that Combs brought in a third escort immediately afterward. On one occasion, Jane testified, she performed a 'hotel night' without taking drugs. After having sex with two male escorts, she went to the bathroom and threw up. As a third escort entered the hotel room, she recalled Combs telling her, 'You'll feel better now that you've thrown up. Let's go.' In a text message from September 2023 that was read in court, Jane told Combs, 'I don't want to play this role in your life anymore … it's dark, sleazy and makes me feel disgusting.' Jane's testimony began on Thursday afternoon, when she told the jury that she met Combs while on a girls' trip in Miami in 2020. At the time, Combs was romantically involved with one of Jane's friends, and he invited them on a boat and to his house. She called him 'Ernie' and he called her 'Bert,' nicknames based on the 'Sesame Street' characters. Jane and Combs started a romantic relationship in January 2021, and Jane found him 'super charming,' 'passionate' and 'larger than life.' She told him that she had previously been in a relationship with one of his friends, and that she had a child with someone Combs disliked. A month later, Combs took Jane on a trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands, when he allegedly gave her the drug ecstasy 10 times over the course of nine days. Over the next few months, they met up every other week and had lots of sex. She said Combs often gave her cash payments, sometimes up to $10,000, as a loving gesture. Things changed in May 2021, when Combs began opening up to Jane about his sexual fantasies. Early one morning, they had been up for 24 hours straight on ecstasy and MDMA, and they were having sex for nearly 15 hours while watching pornography. 'He really wanted me to fantasize or talk about other men,' Jane said. She recalled Combs saying, 'I can make this fantasy a reality,' and, within a couple of hours, he brought her to a hotel room that was being set up by assistants. Combs hired a male escort named Don to come to the hotel, and he had Jane dress up in lingerie and 'big stripper heels,' as she called them. Jane described being high on drugs as Combs instructed her to pour baby oil on Don and then perform oral sex on him. Things escalated, and soon enough Jane was undressing and having intercourse with Don. After he ejaculated, she had sex with Combs. Jane said this experience 'exhilarated' her because 'it was taboo.' 'I had a good time with my partner,' she said. But 'that night opened a Pandora's box in our relationship,' Jane said. 'It was a door I was unable to shut.' Soon, having sex with other men became 90% of her time spent with Combs, Jane said. These 'hotel nights' could involve multiple rounds of sex with male escorts and with Combs, and they could span up to 30 hours without sleep. Jane said she told Combs 'many times,' both in writing and verbally, that she did not want to have sex with other men, a concern that Combs allegedly brushed off. When Jane moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles in 2021, Combs paid her $10,000 rent. When she expressed hesitancy about his sexual preferences, Combs insinuated that they could break up and he would stop paying her rent, she testified. Thus, she said she felt 'obligated' to 'perform' for him. In the September 2023 text, Jane told Combs that she felt the 'hotel nights' were 'the only reason you have me around and pay for the house.' Earlier in the trial, Combs' longtime ex-girlfriend Ventura alleged that over the course of 11 years, Combs used violence and threats of blackmail to coerce her into 'freak-offs,' drug-fueled sex parties with male escorts that lasted days at a time. 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