In a gripping courtroom session, a former girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, referred to as "Jane," continued her testimony for a second day in the high-profile sex trafficking trial. She explicitly outlined the pressures she felt to engage in sexual encounters with male escorts while Diddy observed, despite her vocal discomfort. Jane alleged that a network of Combs' employees facilitated these encounters, often supplying drugs for what they referred to as "hotel nights" or "freak-offs," which she described as leading to pain and recurring infections.
Combs, 55, has been charged with several serious offenses, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The unfolding trial, now entering its fifth week, has seen the prosecution aim to establish evidence that Diddy’s actions constituted criminal behavior rather than consensual adult interactions, as framed by his defense attorney, Teny Geragos.
In her testimony, Jane recounted a specific incident from a "hotel night" in 2023, where she paid for a male escort to travel from Atlanta to New York City to meet with her and Combs at the Trump International Hotel. Jane took measures to ensure that a cash envelope was delivered for the escort post-encounter. Another allegation involved Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, who purportedly directed Jane to collect drugs from Los Angeles for Combs’ Miami residence. Khorram has been named as a potential co-conspirator.
As prosecutors build their case for the racketeering charges, they must establish that Combs was orchestrating a criminal enterprise. Jane shared troubling experiences from their relationship dating back to 2021, detailing an evolving frustration with the "hotel nights." During one such trip in 2023, she expressed a desire to stop participating in these encounters but found herself drawn back in an effort to please Combs, even as she experienced adverse effects from the encounters.
The prosecution pressed Jane about her motivations to remain in the relationship with Combs, given her feelings of disgust after encounters where she refrained from drug use—an attempt to confront the reality of her situation. At the same time, Jane illuminated the financial entanglement, revealing that Combs was responsible for her $10,000 rent and had formalized a "love contract" that allowed him to exert control over her.
She recounted moments of coercion, where she felt financial implications negated her autonomy and pushed her to continue with the "hotel nights." Jane disclosed various health complications stemming from these encounters, such as persistent infections and pelvic pain, which she often refrained from sharing with Combs to avoid negativity.
The courtroom has also witnessed testimonies from other women in Combs' life, including R&B artist Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, who described similar harrowing experiences. As the trial progresses, it is increasingly clear that the focus will sharpen on how deeply these alleged activities impacted the women involved and the nature of Combs’ conduct.
Listeners can tune in for further developments on the trial via the BBC Sounds podcast "Diddy on Trial," available on multiple platforms.
