A former girlfriend of Sean « Diddy » Combs has told his sex trafficking trial how a whirlwind romance opened a « Pandora’s box » of sex sessions with male escorts that she did not know how to stop.
The witness, who is testifying under the pseudonym « Jane », alleges the hip-hop mogul coerced her into participating in drug-fuelled « debauchery » nights throughout their relationship, which began in 2021 and ended when he was arrested in September 2024.
She began her evidence on a dramatic day at the Manhattan court, taking to the stand not long after Judge Arun Subramanian issued a warning to Combs‘s lawyers after seeing the rapper « nodding vigorously » towards the jury during earlier testimony.
If the « totally unacceptable » behaviour happens again during the trial, the judge said, he could take steps to remove the defendant from the courtroom.
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Combs with his lawyers ahead of the day’s testimony. Pic: Reuters.
Jane is one of three alleged victims of Combs giving evidence during his trial, and her allegations mirror those given by his former long-term partner Cassie Ventura.
Both women said the rapper would sit in the corner and masturbate as he watched them have sex, and that the sessions would often last for more than 24 hours with « no sleep ».
Combs, 55, is accused of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In court on Thursday, he often looked straight at Jane as she gave evidence.
The single mother began her testimony by describing her whirlwind romance with Combs, saying he made her feel special and showered her with love and gifts in the first few months from January 2021.
Asked what happened in May 2021, she bowed her head and became emotional as she told the court how Combs started to talk about fantasies of role play with other men.
One night, he told her he could make the fantasy a reality, she says – and did so straight away.
Jane told the court she agreed to having sex with the male escort because she wanted to make Combs happy – and even « felt excited » afterwards after doing something « taboo ».
However, she said she thought it was a one-off. Instead, « it opened a Pandora’s box » and « set the tone » going forward, she said.
After that first night in May 2021, Jane said she was having sex with other men « 90% » of the time.
Asked if this is what she wanted, she said it wasn’t, but that she « went along with it because I loved him at this point ».
Combs kept pushing her into these sex sessions, and she felt « obligated » to go along with it, she said. He also had control over her life in other ways, she told the court, including by paying the rent on her home.
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But as their relationship continued, she said she did tell him, « many times », she did not want to keep having sex with other men, but he would dismiss her, make her feel uncomfortable, or seemingly threaten to stop paying her rent.
These encounters were referred to as « debauchery » or hotel nights, she told the court, and they always followed the same pattern – « hotel suites, red lights, music, lotions and alcohol, there would be bed sheets covering everything, blankets and towels, because of the excessive use of baby oil everywhere ».
Jane said she would « have drugs in my system » and wear « provocative » lingerie and « high stripper shoes », and Combs would ask her to pour baby oil on the men and on herself.
These sessions typically lasted between 24 and 30 hours, she said, with « no sleep ».
In her testimony, Cassie Ventura told of similar sexual encounters, which Combs referred to as « freak offs », she said.
Jane’s evidence is set to continue on Friday and on several days next week.
