Latest news with #Offs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Recap of ‘Diddy' trial: ‘Jane' says Sean Combs threatened to cut her off financially over sexual ‘hotel nights'
A woman using the pseudonym 'Jane' took the stand for a second day of salacious testimony at the end of the fourth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. Jane's testimony comes as the prosecution seeks to show Combs and his inner circle used violence, lies, drugs, and other means to coerce Jane and Cassie Ventura into having sex with other men as part of drug-fueled sexual performances known as 'hotel nights' or 'Freak Offs.' Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His defense has acknowledged Combs was violent but has questioned the motives of those testifying and said the women consented to the sexual activity. Jane began testifying Thursday afternoon and is expected to return to the stand next week to continue her testimony and cross-examination. Here's what we learned in testimony Friday. Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 to 2024, testified that Combs falsely promised he'd spend quality time alone with her and dismissed her repeated requests to stop participating in his sexual 'hotel nights.' Jane said that Combs promised her the things she wanted, like date nights and quality time, but said he wanted to have 'hotel nights' first. She would agree, but then afterward they'd be too exhausted and 'spent the rest of our free time sleeping,' she testified. 'I need a breather and a break from you,' she wrote in a text message, read aloud in court Friday, from November 2021 after seeing Combs spend quality time with another woman shortly after Jane had a 'hotel night' with him. 'This doesn't make me feel good at all. Your true intentions with me are in plain sight.' Jane testified that they had a 'hotel night' on her birthday in 2022 in which she had sex with another man at Combs' direction. Soon after, she saw on social media that Combs had a 'big grandiose birthday' for another woman he was dating, and the contrast was 'heartbreaking,' Jane said. 'I don't ever want to do another hotel night,' she texted Combs around that time. 'I didn't want to do those things with you on my birthday but I wanted to make sure we had a good time.' In 2023, Combs suggested she fly to New York to visit him, but she was hesitant because she figured he'd want to have a 'hotel night' while she was there, she testified. He promised her they would have a romantic time just the two of them, so she agreed to go, she said. But when she was mid-air, Combs texted her about getting 'entertainment' for them, and she felt 'really disappointed,' she testified. Jane said they bickered 'about just how I was done with this and I didn't want to do this and like why every time I see you this is happening.' They ended up having a 'hotel night' that night, she testified. Jane also recounted two times when the man brought in for the 'hotel night' was someone she was not attracted to, and how Combs kept pushing for her to try and engage with him regardless. Regarding one of those times, in 2023, Jane testified Combs said to her, 'Are you sure? Maybe just a little bit' even though she said she knew that 'this was definitely not something that I could fake doing.' She said they eventually excused the man because she was 'repulsed by him,' and then another man came to the hotel after. Jane said she and Combs entered into a 'love contract' in 2023 in which he agreed to pay her $10,000-per-month rent as an allowance. He is still paying for her rent, even now, she testified on Friday. She also testified he threatened to cut her off financially if she stopped participating in 'hotel nights.' In text messages from August 2023 that were read aloud in court, amid a discussion about a 'hotel night,' Combs told her he put $15,000 on credit for things in her new house. When Jane then expressed hesitation about having the 'hotel night,' in part because she was having her period, Combs became angry and accused her of using him for money, according to the texts. Days later, she expressed frustrations to Combs with how he treated her, and Combs sent her an audio message threatening to stop financially supporting her. 'I'm about to really disappear on you, you feel me?' Combs said in the audio message that was played aloud in court for the jury. He said she had a 'rude awakening' coming if she didn't stop fighting him. 'You better get on your job, that's all it is,' Combs said. 'Because you got me on my job.' Jane testified that she understood her 'job' was 'taking care of him, being good to him and making sure he was happy,' which included the sexual encounters. She said his 'job' was taking care of her financially. Jane also texted Combs that he had been 'making things feel completely transactional lately' and was 'threatening me any chance that you get.' She testified that Combs was constantly reminding her that he paid for her home. Around the time when she and Combs entered into their 'love contract,' Combs also paid for Jane to get veneers 'because he didn't like my teeth,' Jane testified. At one point thereafter when Jane texted him complaining that she hadn't seen him alone outside of a hotel room for the 'hotel nights,' Combs responded, 'Well get over it please. Look at the roof over your head and that pretty smile. I don't want to do anything if that's still an issue.' In late 2023, she sent him messages saying she didn't want to play this role in his life anymore. 'I feel it's the only reason you have me around and why you pay for the house,' she wrote. 'I don't want to feel obligated to perform these nights for you.' Combs responded to the text, 'Girl stop.' The jury heard audio from a 'hotel night' in which Combs was dismissive of a request from Jane to have her male sex partner wear a condom. The audio was an excerpt from a video recording of a 'hotel night' that captured a conversation between Jane, Combs and a man named Don. On the recording, Jane said, 'you promised' to Combs, who expressed his disapproval. Jane said on the stand that she and Combs had a conversation before that 'hotel night' in which he told her it would be okay if she wanted the man she would have sex with to wear a condom. He eventually gave the 'entertainer' a condom, Jane said. She said she asked Combs to allow the 'entertainers' to wear condoms several times, but Combs was typically dismissive. Jane was asked why she needed Combs' permission to have the man wear a condom, and Jane seemed to get emotional and said she was 'still trying to process' that. She said she didn't insist on the man wearing a condom because then Combs would be 'unhappy.' At another point in her testimony, the jury saw 15 photos that weren't released to the public (none of the exhibits were shown to the public in court). Jane testified that each of the photos showed her and another man during a 'hotel night' and that Combs was present for all of the nights pictured. One female juror placed her hand over her face as the sexually explicit photos were displayed on the screens in front of them. Jane testified that when Combs would run out of drugs during a 'hotel night,' he'd call an assistant, a butler or one of his security guards to bring more. She recalled a time in 2022 when Combs directed her to pick up drugs from security personnel at his Los Angeles home and fly with them to meet him in Miami. She communicated with Combs' aide Kristina Khorram about picking up the 'package' at Combs' home. Jane said she asked Khorram if this was 'safe and okay,' and Khorram said, 'It's fine I do it all the time.' Jane flew with the drugs to Miami and later took ecstasy with Combs that she said came from the package. Jane testified that Combs gave her drugs during the 'hotel nights' that kept her awake for longer and made it easier for her to participate in the 'fantasy.' Jane cried and was emotional as she detailed one 'hotel night' in which she had sex with three other men, at Combs' insistence, on her birthday. Jane said she flew to Miami in 2023 to celebrate her birthday with Combs and he told her they'd spend quality time together. When they went to dinner, Combs brought up plans for a 'hotel night,' and she reluctantly agreed to participate. Jane said the first man who showed up that she never met before felt like a stranger and it was upsetting. 'More of an invasive moment because it was my birthday and I didn't want to do this on my birthday,' she said, crying. After the man left, Jane and Combs moved to a different suite at the hotel and Combs 'shifted his energy' and became more loving. He had arranged for cake, flowers and balloons in the suite, and they had some alone time, she said. But then another man came to the room for sex, and then a third man. 'I acted like it was nothing, but inside I hated it,' she said, adding between tears that she acted that way because she loved Combs. On the stand, Jane grew very emotional while discussing the birthday. She heaved more than once as she cried, and prosecutor Maurene Comey asked her repeatedly if she needed a break. Each time Jane said no. At another point in her testimony, a box of tissues was passed to her in the witness box by the courtroom deputy. After that birthday, Combs left her in the room and went on a private vacation with another romantic interest, Jane testified. According to messages read aloud in court, she texted him, 'Why do you lie to me?' She wrote to him that she wanted to get off the 'hamster wheel' and said, 'I didn't want to do all of that on my birthday.' Jane said she and Combs were on a break for about a month after that, but got back together.
Mint
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Sean Diddy Combs dismissed accusers requests to stop seeing other men, jury hears
Ex-girlfriend says Combs threatened to stop paying her rent Judge threatens to kick Combs out of courtroom Combs faces sex trafficking trial, pleads not guilty to charges (New throughout with testimony from Combs accuser) NEW YORK, June 5 (Reuters) - dismissed requests by one of his former girlfriends to stop having sex with other men at his behest, and threatened to stop paying her rent, the woman testified on Thursday at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, said she was Combs' girlfriend between 2021 and 2024. She is the third woman who prosecutors say was sexually abused by Combs to take the stand at his trial in Manhattan federal court, which is in its fourth week. to five counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Jane, a model and social media influencer, said she felt "exhilarated" the first time she had sex with a male escort in front of Combs in May 2021, about five months into their relationship. But she said she thought it would be a one-time occurrence. Instead, she said she had sex with other men in front of Combs about 90% of the time she saw him. When she eventually told him she did not want to have sex with other men anymore, Combs - whose net worth Forbes estimated at above $1 billion in 2022 - threatened to stop paying her rent, Jane said. "He just was dismissive or wanted to move on from the subject," Jane said. Jane said she and Combs would call the events with other men "debauchery" or "hotel nights." Her description of the events resembled what another former girlfriend of Combs', , referred to as "Freak Offs." Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known professionally as Cassie, said she participated in "Freak Offs" with Combs and male sex workers for nearly a decade - at first to please him, and later because he with videos of the encounters. JUDGE THREATENS TO KICK COMBS OUT OF COURTROOM Earlier on Thursday, Combs' lawyer Nicole Westmoreland accused another witness, Ventura's friend Bryana Bongolan, of falsely testifying that Combs dangled her over Ventura's 17th-story Los Angeles balcony in September 2016. Westmoreland suggested Combs was on the East Coast at the time of the alleged attack. "You came in here and you lied to the ladies and gentlemen of this jury, didn't you?" Westmoreland asked. "I can't agree with you," Bongolan replied. Under further questioning from prosecutor Madison Smyser, Bongolan said she did not know the exact date of the incident but said she had no doubt it took place. Prosecutors later displayed a text message Ventura sent an associate on September 30, 2016, stating that Combs' had dangled Bongolan's feet over the balcony. Outside the jury's presence following Bongolan's testimony, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he had observed Combs "nodding vigorously" in the jury's direction during Westmoreland's questioning, and threatened to kick him out of the courtroom if he did that again. "There should be no efforts whatsoever to have any interactions with this jury," Subramanian said. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Inc.: How Sean Combs' closest aides are unraveling his jet set empire in court
NEW YORK ― For years, Sean 'Diddy' Combs was the embodiment of untouchable celebrity — a near-billionaire mogul who crisscrossed the globe in private jets and chartered yachts, hosting drug- and sex-fueled parties from Cannes to St. Barts to Las Vegas. To accomplish that, Combs enlisted an entourage of paid support staff and enablers who lived a life most mortals could only dream of — lavish, nonstop and, like Combs himself, at the white-hot center of fame, money and power atop the entertainment world. Drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4 a.m. Snorting from a potpourri of drugs in a luxe party bus at Burning Man. Partying at Prince's house while The Purple One performed atop a table. Sunbathing off Turks and Caicos. Jetting off to Ibiza for a rave. Now, inside a hushed Manhattan federal courtroom, that fantasy world is crashing down with the testimony of some of the very same people who made it all happen. Diddy trial live updates: Sean Combs allegedly dangled witness over balcony One by one, the people who once orbited Combs − assistants, stylists, gofers and security guards − are pulling back the curtain on his carefully erected empire. They describe a Promethean lifestyle powered by wealth and fame and propelled relentlessly forward by a combination of intimidation, manipulation, violence ― and even rape. Some are testifying under federal subpoena and against their will, as is the case of former stylist Deonte Nash and Derek Ferguson, former chief financial officer for Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment.. "Absolutely not," Nash said when asked if he was taking the stand of his own accord. More: Witnesses say Sean 'Diddy' Combs broke the law for decades. Why didn't they say anything? Some legal experts say their testimony, and that of more insiders to come, will bolster prosecutors' allegations that Combs oversaw a movable party operation that crossed the line into becoming a global criminal enterprise designed to 'fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.' 'It seems like each and every day, the testimony gets worse and worse for Sean Combs,' said David Ring, a civil trial lawyer specializing in sexual assault cases who represented one of Harvey Weinstein's victims in a civil case. 'And I think we're going to see more employees come forward who have to admit on the stand that they enabled these criminal actions because they felt like they were pressured into it.' Combs is the only one publicly charged in the case, with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His all-star team of lawyers accuses some of those now speaking out against him as joining 'the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs.' That's especially the case when it comes to Combs' treatment of his longtime girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura Fine, who the mercurial rapper is accused of coercing into marathon sex acts known as "Freak Offs" and other degradations to satisfy his whims. But his prosecution, especially charges of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act or RICO, hinges on the core accusation that Combs 'relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled' in his rise to the top. If convicted of that RICO charge, Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison. At least one former executive assistant, George Kaplan, has been granted immunity to testify against Combs – an indication that they too might have been facing charges. Justice Department prosecutors have broadly hinted that there are other unindicted co-conspirators who lived the high life with Combs while doing his bidding, either willingly or under duress. Several of Combs' former aides have testified that Combs demanded not only their absolute loyalty but also their silence. Several said they feared losing their jobs, and their employability in the entertainment world, if they spoke out, including about illegal activity. But they're talking now. To make their case, prosecutors have had at least seven people in Combs' employ walk the jury through how they answered to his every whim, anywhere in the world and at any hour. One of Combs' longest-serving aides, identified only as Mia to protect her privacy, testified that she worked for him from 2009 to 2017 even though he physically and emotionally terrorized and even raped her. She did so, in part, because of the professional opportunities he gave her, including founding and running a film production company. One of several yacht charters off the luxe Caribbean island of St. Barts was marred, Mia testified, by Combs screaming at her when she couldn't count the cash in his safe fast enough for him. "You better learn to walk on water like Jesus did, b*tch,' Combs screamed before ordering her out of his sight. Soon after, Mia said, Combs decided to jet off to Las Vegas and demanded she accompany him. "The highs were really high but the lows were really really low," Mia said during her three days of often-emotional testimony. Mia described "magical, hilarious" and "hysterical" experiences, like partying with Leonardo DiCaprio, and drinking champagne in Paris and fending off Mick Jagger's attempts to take her home. "Puff! Sometimes life goes by at catastrophic speeds where you never get to live in and enjoy 'now,'" Mia wrote Combs in a note for his 45th birthday in 2014. "I hope on this day you get to sit back and take it all in." Mia also said the ADHD medication she'd been taking since her late teens helped her keep up with the sleepless nights and jet lag. As the first rapper to combine the riches of a pop mega-star with the thug life ethos of rap and hip-hop music, Combs indeed did live life at 'catastrophic speeds' that often crossed the line into illegality, other former staff members have testified in recent weeks. To support his high-flying lifestyle, Combs had as many as five personal assistants, executive assistants, a large security detail and at least one private chef. Also on speed dial, a drug dealer nicknamed 'One Stop,' because he had everything from cocaine to Plan-B and birth control to the party drug ecstasy, Combs associate and singer Dawn Richard testified. Richard said she observed Combs using weed, ketamine, cocaine and the party drug Molly, stashing his drugs in a Louis Vuitton toiletry bag. David James told jurors part of his job was picking up drugs for Combs and his friends, from Percocet prescriptions at the pharmacy to an eighth of an ounce of cocaine from a yacht in St. Tropez. More: Sean 'Diddy' Combs could lose his freedom – and his vast empire of mansions, art and cars He also saw several different types of ecstasy pills in Combs' medical bag, including "one in the shape' of former President Barack Obama's face. Even more damaging to Combs, prosecutors suggest, could be the testimony of male former employees, especially security guards who may have been involved in recruiting and transporting women across state and national lines, key elements of the trafficking case. A former Combs' chief of staff Kristina "KK" Khorram, often described as his all-knowing 'right hand' could also testify. 'The fact that these employees are testifying is incredibly significant to the RICO charges, because it shows that this was an enterprise that was engaged in criminal activity,' Ring told USA TODAY. 'If it's just Sean Combs by himself, there wouldn't be any claim of a RICO violation.' If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (4673) and and en Español Josh Meyer is a veteran correspondent focusing on domestic, national and global security issues, including transnational criminal organizations. Reach him atJMeyer@ Follow him on X at @JoshMeyerDC and Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy Inc.: Sean Combs' aides unravel his jet set empire in court
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Diddy paid hotel security officer for video, jury told
Sean "Diddy" Combs paid a hotel security officer to hand over surveillance footage that showed the hip-hop mogul violently attacking his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in a hallway, the officer has testified at Combs' sex trafficking trial. Eddy Garcia, who had worked at an Intercontinental hotel, told jurors that Combs contacted him shortly after the incident and asked for the footage. Combs said he would "take care" of Garcia if he gave him the video, Garcia said. "He was concerned that this video would get out and that it would ruin his career," said Garcia, who was granted immunity from prosecution to testify. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say Combs over two decades coerced women, including Ventura, to take part in drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers known as "Freak Offs". The trial is in its fourth week. Jurors had previously been shown a March 2016 surveillance video from the hallway of the Intercontinental hotel in Los Angeles where Combs, wearing only a towel, threw Ventura to the ground, kicked her and dragged her away. Ventura said the incident occurred after Combs had given her a black eye during a "Freak Off". Garcia said he relayed Combs' message about the video to his boss, who told him he would give Combs the video in exchange for $US50,000 ($A77,400). The next day, Garcia testified he saw his boss enter the room that hosted servers for the surveillance cameras. He said the boss gave him a USB drive, which he gave to Combs, who later returned with a brown bag and a money counter. Garcia said Combs ran cash from the bag through the counter, which displayed $US100,000, returned the money to the bag, and handed the bag to him. Combs' lawyers have acknowledged he was at times abusive in domestic relationships but argue that women who took part in "Freak Offs" did so consensually. Prosecutors say bribery is among the racketeering acts that Combs or his employees undertook in order to facilitate "Freak Offs" and prevent word of his abuse from getting out. Combs could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Prosecutors have said they may finish presenting their case next week, allowing the defence to put on its case.
West Australian
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Diddy paid hotel security officer for video, jury told
Sean "Diddy" Combs paid a hotel security officer to hand over surveillance footage that showed the hip-hop mogul violently attacking his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in a hallway, the officer has testified at Combs' sex trafficking trial. Eddy Garcia, who had worked at an Intercontinental hotel, told jurors that Combs contacted him shortly after the incident and asked for the footage. Combs said he would "take care" of Garcia if he gave him the video, Garcia said. "He was concerned that this video would get out and that it would ruin his career," said Garcia, who was granted immunity from prosecution to testify. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say Combs over two decades coerced women, including Ventura, to take part in drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers known as "Freak Offs". The trial is in its fourth week. Jurors had previously been shown a March 2016 surveillance video from the hallway of the Intercontinental hotel in Los Angeles where Combs, wearing only a towel, threw Ventura to the ground, kicked her and dragged her away. Ventura said the incident occurred after Combs had given her a black eye during a "Freak Off". Garcia said he relayed Combs' message about the video to his boss, who told him he would give Combs the video in exchange for $US50,000 ($A77,400). The next day, Garcia testified he saw his boss enter the room that hosted servers for the surveillance cameras. He said the boss gave him a USB drive, which he gave to Combs, who later returned with a brown bag and a money counter. Garcia said Combs ran cash from the bag through the counter, which displayed $US100,000, returned the money to the bag, and handed the bag to him. Combs' lawyers have acknowledged he was at times abusive in domestic relationships but argue that women who took part in "Freak Offs" did so consensually. Prosecutors say bribery is among the racketeering acts that Combs or his employees undertook in order to facilitate "Freak Offs" and prevent word of his abuse from getting out. Combs could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Prosecutors have said they may finish presenting their case next week, allowing the defence to put on its case.
