Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' former partner 'Jane' details alleged sexual abuse
Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' former partner 'Jane' details alleged sexual abuse
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Former Diddy partner says he controlled her with his wealth
A former partner of Sean 'Diddy' Combs testified he used his wealth to control her, including forcing her to have sex with escorts against her will.
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial is kick-starting its sixth week with more testimony from a former lover who alleges years of coerced sex with escorts and occasionally transporting his drugs.
Jane, a witness for the prosecution who dated Combs on-and-off from 2021 to 2024, is in her third day of testimony on June 9. So far, she has described how what she thought was a one-night escapade with a sex worker turned into a yearslong pattern of weekly or biweekly "hotel nights" where Combs allegedly pressured her to have sex with several men consecutively, lasting as long as three and a half days.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
Read on for everything Jane revealed in her latest round of testimony.
Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces life in prison
When will the Diddy trial end?
Combs' trial is expected to last for approximately eight weeks in total.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who's presiding over the sex-crimes trial in New York, has said he's hopeful proceedings will wrap up by the July 4 holiday.
Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more
Is Diddy still in jail?
The disgraced music mogul remains in custody, and, despite repeated attempts at bail, has remained confined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
What are the charges against Diddy?
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling lawsuit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him.
Racketeering meaning
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have video of.
Where can I watch the Diddy trial?
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff; Reuters
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend says she cried for three days after reading Cassie's lawsuit
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs' recent ex-girlfriend told Combs that she cried for three days after reading R&B artist Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura's 2023 lawsuit against the music mogul, a case that described hundreds of drug-laced marathon sex sessions with Combs and other men as 'horrific encounters.' The woman, who is known in court by the pseudonym Jane, testified Monday that she felt like she was 'reading my own sexual trauma' as she read the lawsuit, which was settled within a day for $20 million. She read aloud in Manhattan federal court a text message that she sent Combs three days after the lawsuit was filed in November 2023. She said that she had been crying for three days and felt nauseous. She said three pages of the lawsuit addressing what Cassie referred to as 'freak-offs' and what Jane has called 'hotel nights' followed her experience with the Bad Boy Entertainment founder 'word for word, exactly my experience.' Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey raised the subject of the lawsuit as Jane testified for a third day about her experiences with Combs for over three years until his arrest last September. Cassie testified for four days earlier in the trial, saying she engaged in the weekly sexual performances as Combs mostly watched or filmed her sexual activities with male sex workers in sessions that often lasted for days. Cassie dated Combs for nearly 11 years, ending in 2018. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges that could put him in prison from 15 years to life if he is convicted. Prior to bringing up Cassie's lawsuit on Monday, Comey elicited from Jane that she had protested the way Combs was treating her in the weeks before Cassie sued. She read aloud for the jury hundreds of text messages that she had exchanged with Combs, including some in which she complained that he seemed to be forcing her into the sexual encounters by threatening to take away her Los Angeles home. He had begun paying for the residence months earlier. She pleaded with him to recognize the damage the sex marathons were doing to her, writing: 'I am not an animal.' Jane's testimony was expected to fill the bulk of the trial's fifth week, as prosecutors move closer to finishing the presentation of their evidence before the defense gets its turn. As in her previous two days on the stand last week, Jane became emotional and cried briefly Monday, but was mostly composed as she discussed her experiences with a man she said she loved. She acknowledged that she had reviewed some of the sex sessions with prosecutors prior to beginning testimony last Thursday. Comey asked her what she saw on them. 'I saw me,' she responded, before adding: 'following a pattern.' She added that with the 'majority of these tapes it was like the same show over and over again.' Jane said that after she expressed her frustrations and desire to only have sexual relations with Combs, the verbal fights between them would sometimes be resolved when Combs would say all the things she wanted to hear and promise to spend time with her without a 'hotel night.' Then, she said, when she saw Cassie's lawsuit, 'I almost fainted.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Triad elementary school students design their own monster plushies
GRAHAM, N.C. (WGHP) — Some Graham High School students are on a mission. They are set to deliver some pretty precious cargo to their next-door neighbors. The kindergarteners at North Graham Elementary School. The art classes at the two schools collaborated on a special project and their delivery was the end result. Kathryn Combs, the Art Teacher at North Graham Elementary, says it all started with a book the class read. 'We read a book called Love Monster,' she says. 'It talks about finding people that connect with you and love you for who you are. And so we decided to replicate the monsters from the book.' And so, they did! The students enjoyed drawing their own monsters, which helped to create the ultimate art project. According to Combs, 'We started out by using elements of art. Lines, shapes and colors and the kids drew different lines, shapes, colors, all the monsters, and we used colored pencils to color them in.' Then those drawings were given to the high school art students who were tasked with bringing them to life. Makayia Foust, a Graham High School senior, said it wasn't easy. 'The drawings were really like complex,' she said But it was a challenge they were willing to accept because it was also a learning opportunity. 'There's a lot of creative problem solving in it,' says Doctor O'Donnell, the Art Teacherat Graham High School. 'They have to sort of translate something that might be like a scribble into something that might turn into a pattern or a shape. Some of them, they just immediately sort of knew what they were going to do. Other ones they really had to think hard and do sketching and kind of figure out. You know, how am I going to actually turn this idea into something 3D? So yeah, just a lot of creative problem solving along the way.' But they worked together, and it ended up better than they could have Said Foust, 'It just really made me feel really good because children don't really get to see what they create really come to life. So, me being able to do that really just made me feel great. ' And you can tell the younger students loved the results. They were laughing and cheering when they were delivered. 'It was just a great way for our High school students, a lot of them who I taught years ago to connect with the current students that I teach and just it's a great role model,' said Combs. 'And to show that what you're doing in elementary art can continue in middle school and in high school.' O'Donnell agreed. 'I think for my students this means a lot because it's a chance for them to connect with younger students in their community who look up to them and to just spread joy to use visual art to spread joy to people.' Joy was abundant in the room when the plushies were delivered. Said O'Donnell, 'Just getting to see them hug in and smiling and being happy and making somebody else happy with their artwork is just priceless.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Justin Bieber Continues To Fuel Fans' Worries As He Admits He Is 'Tired Of Transactional Relationships'
Justin Bieber has left fans confused again after revealing that he is done with "transactional" relationships. The famous singer, whose marriage to Hailey Bieber has been the subject of intense scrutiny, has shared multiple cryptic posts recently, raising concerns about his well-being. Justin Bieber's latest comment comes after he was spotted out and about in Hollywood with a knee brace, hinting at a mystery injury he sustained. Justin has kept up his recent trend of sharing cryptic posts online, keeping fans on their toes regarding his state of mind. In his latest post, the "Baby" singer left his followers confused when he wrote: "Tired of transactional relationships. If I have to do something to be loved." Justin added, "That's not love." Fans quickly rushed to the comment section to show their concern for the father of one. A person begged, "Bro, stop posting and get help. I'm serious," while another wrote, "Please go to therapy, please." A third person noted, "I hate what they did to you!!! I'm praying for you." "It's obvious dude is crying for help- he's going to be the poor next Britney - someone help him," another fan commented. Prior to his latest comment about "transactional relationships," Justin raised eyebrows as he appeared noticeably slimmer and had on a knee brace on his left leg during an outing in Hollywood. According to photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the singer was spotted heading to a local spa, dressed in layered hoodies, green checkered shorts, and blue slide sandals, topped off with a baseball cap. A peek of his neck tattoo was visible beneath the hoodie, as he maintained a subdued demeanor. This public appearance follows a wave of speculation triggered by a cryptic Instagram rant earlier in the week. In the now-viral post, Justin criticized those who offer unsolicited opinions on what others "deserve." "Telling other humans they deserve something is like raising someone else's kids," he wrote. "Who are you to tell someone what someone should or shouldn't have?" Justin further noted that only "God decides what we deserve," calling out the "audacity" of self-appointed moral arbiters. One of the many things that fans fear has affected Justin in recent times is his past relationship with embattled rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is currently on trial on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The singer was plagued by widespread allegations that Diddy sexually abused him as a teenage pop star. A video of Diddy saying he and a young Justin would hang out together for "48 hours" also surfaced online last year, sparking more fan concerns about Justin's past. However, the "Sorry" hitmaker finally released a statement shutting down the rumors and noting that Diddy didn't sexually abuse him. "Although Justin is not among Sean Combs' victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him. Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve," a spokesperson for the singer said in a statement to TMZ. Insiders also told the news outlet that Diddy never abused Justin, saying the unearthed videos that flooded the Internet were "performative" and Justin was instead closer to his sons, not the music mogul. A previous report claimed that Justin was "disturbed" by Diddy's arrest in September 2024, as he hoped not to relive his "complicated friendship" with the Bad Boy Records founder. "The last thing Justin wants to do is relive or even discuss his complicated friendship with Diddy," a source told InTouch Weekly, adding that Justin was "finally breaking his silence to his friends about his nightmare experience and the private hell it's caused him." Meanwhile, an insider who spoke to the Daily Mail declared that Justin regrets working with Diddy on his last album and wouldn't have done it if he knew what was going on in the background. "He had a long break from Diddy when he believes most of this took place, and he had distanced himself from him," the insider said. "He was featured on Diddy's most recent album, and had he known any of this, there is no way he would have done it."
