Kanye West at court, says he's supporting Combs
Sean "Diddy" Combs is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.
This is week five of testimony in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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Sean Combs trial reaches an end with mixed verdict
The highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has reached an end.
The jury found Sean Combs not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge.
The jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura) and guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane").
He was found not guilty of both charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Ventura and "Jane."
Combs was accused of being the ringleader of an alleged enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, which he called "freak-offs," and then threatened them into silence. Combs has said that all of the sex was consensual and that while his relationships sometimes involved domestic violence, he wasn't engaged in trafficking.
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was simply part of the swinger lifestyle and that he "vehemently denies the accusations made by the SDNY."
'Is that all I’m worth?': 'Jane' asked about payments from Combs in re-direct examination
After a cross-examination that included dozens of "Jane’s" effusive and suggestive text messages to her then-boyfriend Sean Combs, prosecutors sought during their re-direct questioning to reframe how to interpret those messages.
"Jane," who's testifying under a pseudonym, read aloud a text she sent, which read, “I know what you want, baby,” and “Don’t want to make you mad” before a sexual encounter with a male escort named Paul.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey showed the jury a message that Combs sent to Paul not long after: “Imma need you to persuade her,” the message said.
Did you know that Sean had sent this text to Paul saying ‘Imma need you to persuade her?’” Comey asked on redirect.
“I’ve never seen these messages,” "Jane" testified in response.
“Did you derive physical pleasure from sex with entertainers?” Comey asked.
“No,” "Jane" testified. “I was putting on a show.”
"Jane" told the court she did not orgasm during such encounters but routinely faked it, “Because I was putting on a show.” She also began sobbing when Comey asked about her jealousy of other women that Combs was seeing during their relationship.
“I was just made to be, just carry this impossible pressure and they weren’t asked to hold any of that, that pressure, like I did,” "Jane" testified through tears and sobs. “I just thought it was unfair. All the nights with these men.”
"Jane" also wept while telling the court, “Why do I have to break all my boundaries and compromise myself and they don’t have to? It was never about the women -- it was, 'why am I being treated like this?'”
After the defense, during cross-examination, pointed out texts between "Jane" and Combs about tender moments after the June 2024 episode of physical violence in her house, Comey sought to remind jurors of the night’s brutality.
“Was Sean vulnerable with you when he forced you to perform oral sex on Anton?” Comey asked, referring to the male escort who showed up after the fight ended.
“No,” "Jane" testified.
“Was Sean affectionate with you at all?” Comey asked.
“No,” "Jane" testified.
“What was his demeanor the entire time Anton was in the home?” Comey asked.
“Evil,” "Jane" testified.
“How do you compare in strength to Sean?” Comey asked.
“I don’t." "Jane" told the court.
“What was his tone when he told you to ‘Get in the f------ outfit?’” Comey asked, referring to earlier testimony.
“Angry,” "Jane" told the court.
“Did you want to have sex with Anton that night?” Comey asked.
“No,” "Jane" testified.
“What did Sean say to you?” Comey asked.
“That I better get out there and [perform oral sex],” "Jane" told the court. “That I wasn’t going to ruin his night.”
On re-cross examination, defense attorney Teny Geragos pointed out that the violence occurred while "Jane" knew Combs was under federal investigation, suggesting that she could have reported it.
Geragos asked whether "Jane" would be willing to give up her home, for which Combs allegedly still pays the monthly rent.
“That’s where me and my child live,” "Jane" testified. “That’s a very hard question for me.”
“You receive almost $5,000 a month in child support?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified, adding she also makes about $10,000 per month on OnlyFans.
“You have the ability to pay for the home yourself?” Geragos asked.
“I’m catching up on three years of debt,” "Jane" testified.
“And in those three years, he has wired you $150,000,” Geragos said, referring to Combs.
“Is that all I’m worth in three years?” "Jane" retorted in her testimony.
"Jane’s" testimony is now over.
Court has adjourned for the day. It will resume on Friday with testimony from a federal agent; from Jonathan Perez, a Combs assistant; and an additional witness.
Defense concludes the cross-examination of 'Jane': 'I resent him'
The jury donned headphones to listen to long excerpts of a conversation between "Jane" and Sean Combs following a July 2024 trip to visit him in Miami.
Combs put on headphones to follow along and, at one point, offered an earphone to defense counsel Marc Agnifilo, who leaned in close.
The exhibit was offered under seal so the gallery could not hear but defense attorney Teny Geragos read excerpts, including one in which "Jane," the former Sean Combs girlfriend testifying under a pseudonym, told Combs “you gave me so much love,” and another excerpt in which she told Combs, “I value your energy so much.”
On direct examination, "Jane" previously testified that Combs allegedly threw water on her and called her a 'b----' when she expressed reluctance to partake in a sex performance with a third party. She said she ended up taking ecstasy, sprayed liquid molly in her mouth and had sex with a male escort.
"Jane’s" cross-examination concluded with the jury hearing "Jane" say the July trip “ended in a positive moment.”
Overall, the cross-examination appeared designed to establish that "Jane" kept returning to Combs and routinely agreed to participate in sexual encounters he desired.
“Unfortunately, yes,” "Jane" testified often when asked about her assent.
“You keep saying 'unfortunately' but you had agreed to it, right?” Geragos asked during one exchange.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified.
“You regret now that you agreed to it; is that fair?” Geragos asked.
“I resent him for knowing how much I loved him and knowing I couldn't say no to him,” "Jane" testified.
“My question is, you regret that now, right?” Geragos asked.
“I resent him for it, yes.” "Jane" testified.
'Ball of emotions': Defense questions 'Jane' about alleged June 2024 physical altercation
The cross-examination of the former Sean Combs girlfriend appearing as "Jane" is covering her description of an alleged physical assault by Combs in June 2024 that she previously testified left her with welts and a black eye.
By then, "Jane" had seen the widely circulated 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“You had never seen Mr. Combs in your relationship act like that before?” defense attorney Teny Geragos asked.
“Right,” Jane testified.
“He had never laid a hand on you prior to this night?” Geragos followed up.
“No,” "Jane" testified.
In that moment, "Jane" told the court, Combs said, “Now you want to attack me?”
"Jane" testified she had a “feeling” Combs had taken another woman on a family trip.
“It was a ball of emotions that night. Just resentment for so many things,” "Jane" told the court, before she instigated the physical altercation, about which she previously testified.
“Did you tell defense counsel that you slammed his head into the counter?” Geragos asked, referring to Combs.
“I think I did,” "Jane" testified in response.
“Did you tell the government you pushed his head?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” Jane testified.
“Do you remember calling him a piece of s---?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified.
Geragos emphasized the champagne and tequila "Jane" testified both she and Combs had consumed.
“I probably had two,” "Jane" told the court. “He had two or three and shots in between.” She testified that she also had two shots of tequila.
"Jane" told the court that Combs escalated the violence:
“He kicks me on the back of the leg and I fell on my buttocks. He lifted me up in a chokehold.”
"Jane" also testified that Combs dragged her and slapped her.
When the fighting stopped, "Jane" told the court she changed into an “outfit” and a male escort, named Anton, arrived for a so-called "hotel night" sexual encounter.
“We just made small talk and then he just is in the living room area and just waits around a bit and we invited him into the bedroom,” "Jane" testified.
Jane" testified that before there was any sexual contact, she told Combs about seeing Anton in Las Vegas at the January party she attended with an unidentified famous rapper.
Geragos quoted Combs as saying, “I can’t believe you went to another man’s 'freak-off,'” the latter another name Combs used to describe sexual encounters with multiple partners.
"Jane" alleged Combs told her to take a pill. “That was an ecstasy pill?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified.
“You performed oral sex on Anton?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified, adding that she did not mention to Anton the violence that preceded the encounter.
“I was just trying to cover my wounds with my hair as much as possible,” "Jane" told the court.
"Jane" testified that Combs left that night without the two of them having their customary one-on-one sex session following a performance with an escort because, "Jane" told the court, he couldn't believe she “went to another man’s freak off.”
Defense questions 'Jane' about phone call regarding 'hotel nights' with a seemingly sympathetic Combs
In December 2023, when "Jane" testified her relationship with Sean Combs “started to deteriorate,” she told the court he well knew her negative feelings about “hotel nights” with male escorts.
On cross-examination, "Jane" -- the former Combs girlfriend appearing under a pseudonym -- testified that Combs told her he did not know how she felt.
“He had indicated to you he wasn’t aware of how you were feeling,” defense attorney Teny Geragos said.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified.
“He did not want you to be upset,” Geragos said.
“Yes,” "Jane" testified again.
The jury heard an audio recording of Combs telling "Jane" to “move on” if the relationship was so upsetting to her.
“Just focus on what, at the end of the day, will make you feel better. How can we get to a solution where you can move on. I don’t want to be in a relationship like this,” Combs was heard saying. “End this cycle. Move on with your life so that you don’t feel like I wasted your life.”
"Jane" told the court that she was in Las Vegas in January 2024, where she flew with a “famous rapper.”
"Jane" testified about the trip on direct examination and told the court that she recalled seeing Anton, an escort she'd had sex with during a “hotel night” with Combs, having sex with a woman “and everyone was watching.”
During cross-examination, it was brought up that she flashed her breasts to the room with the “well-known rapper” present.
“I think he said something along the lines of that he thought I was beautiful and he wanted to blank me,” "Jane" testified.
“Is that the point where you started dancing and flashed?” Geragos asked.
“I can’t recall but sometime in the moment I was there,” "Jane" testified.
“And the rapper told you in that moment he had always had a crush on you?” asked Geragos.
“Yes," testified "Jane."