Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Ex-girlfriend ‘Jane' faces cross-examination from the defense after harrowing testimony about ‘hotel nights'
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, with 'Jane' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and ex-girlfriend of Combs — returning to the witness stand to face cross-examination from the defense in the high-profile sex trafficking case.
Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes.
Testifying for a fourth straight day, Jane said that she still loves Combs despite her allegations of abuse, and that she endured the 'freak offs,' or what she called 'hotel nights,' because 'he was my baby.'
Over three days of direct testimony, she tearfully recounted the harrowing sexual encounters — telling the court that she felt obligated to 'perform' sex acts for Combs with other men because he was paying her rent. She also testified about a brutal assault she endured before Combs ordered her to cover up her injuries and take ecstasy for an impromptu 'hotel night.'
The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post.
Under cross-examination, Jane acknowledged that despite the alleged abuse, she still loves Combs.
She told the court that she endured the 'freak offs' or 'hotel nights' — and having sex with multiple strange men in front of Combs — because she often thought it was the only way she could spend time with him.
'He was my baby,' she said. She said that after a typical 'hotel night,' she'd give him foot massages, feed and bathe him and put on his favorite show, NBC's 'Dateline,' until he fell asleep.
When asked by defense attorney Teny Geragos if she still loved Combs, Jane said that she does.
Geragos pressed Jane on the financial support she has received from Combs.
During her direct testimony, Jane told the court that Combs paid and still pays her $10,000-per-month rent — part of the 'love contract' she entered into with him — and that he is currently paying her attorney fees for appearing as a government witness at his trial.
Over the course of their three-plus-year relationship, Geragos estimated that Combs wired Jane $150,000. Jane said that she was not sure of the exact figure but that the number seemed accurate.
But Jane also testified that she lived under constant threat of Combs not paying her rent, which she said he used 'as a little tool.'
Big picture: The defense sought to underscore the consistent financial support Combs has given Jane — an arrangement that could undercut her allegations of abuse in the minds of the jury.
Jane testified that early in their relationship, she became concerned about Combs's drug use.
She recalled that on a trip to Turks and Caicos, the music mogul's hands were shaking and that the coloring of his eyes and gums seemed off.
'I could tell he wasn't taking very good care of himself,' she said, adding that she urged him to seek treatment.
When Geragos suggested that Jane knew Combs was a drug addict, she said, 'In the beginning I didn't really know how to label it. I encountered somebody that was overdoing the partying.'
'As our relationship continued I noticed a very strong pattern, and I still didn't really even label [him] as a drug addict," she said. "I think now I would say that, but then I just would say that he was a really big party guy.'
Describing the details of some of their 'hotel nights' under cross-examination, Jane testified that when they were with a male escort named Paul, they likened themselves to NBA greats.
They called themselves 'the trifecta,' a label coined by Combs, she said.
In this scenario, Jane was Kobe Bryant, Paul was Shaquille O'Neal and Combs was Michael Jordan.
"I was Kobe Bryant and Paul was Shaq," she told the court. "Sean was Michael Jordan."
As the frequency of their "hotel nights" increased, Jane said that she sought to understand Combs's desire to see her have sex with other men.
She told the court that she began researching and came across the word "cuck," which is derived from "cuckhold," a man whose wife or girlfriend is unfaithful. She said she understood a "cuck" to mean a man who is turned on by watching his woman have sex with another man. (In recent years, the word has been co-opted by right-wing conservatives as a derogatory term for a man who has politically progressive or moderate views.)
Jane said she also believed Combs could have been exploring bisexuality.
'Cucks could also have a bi-curiosity that they are too ashamed to experience themselves,' she explained. 'So they use the woman to venture out in this curiosity without actually doing the act itself.'
Big picture: The defense has argued that Combs was engaged in a "swinger" lifestyle and not a criminal enterprise as prosecutors allege. Having the jury hear Jane say that she believes Combs was exploring his sexuality through the "freak offs" could help make that case.
At one point during Tuesday's cross-examination, Jane and defense lawyer Geragos got into a pointed exchange over designer handbags.
Geragos suggested that Jane was accepting designer handbags from Combs in exchange for having sex with strange men.
"No, I got trauma," the witness said.
When Geragos asked Jane if she knew what a Bottega handbag is, she responded: "I'm sure you have one."
Then, when Geragos asked how much a Bottega bag costs, Jane shot back: "How much does my body cost?"
Before testimony got underway, Judge Arun Subramanian denied a motion for a mistrial submitted over the weekend by Combs's legal team.
The motion was centered around the testimony of government witness Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who testified that Combs dangled her from the 17th-floor balcony of Ventura's apartment in Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2016. The defense submitted evidence showing Combs wasn't in Los Angeles on that date. Bongolan said she estimated the date based on photos of her injuries.
Combs's team alleged mistrial prosecutorial misconduct, claiming that the government knew or should have known that the witness's assertion of the date the alleged attack occurred was "demonstrably false.' But the judge disagreed.
'This is not fodder for a mistrial; this is the adversarial process at work,' Subramanian said, while calling defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland's cross-examination of Bongolan a 'real Perry Mason moment.'
No interference happened, Subramanian said, and the defense was fully able to undermine Bongolan's testimony.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
44 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Barry Morphew Indicted in Murder of Wife: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Colorado grand jury indicted Barry Morphew earlier this week on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 disappearance and death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, according to court records reviewed by Newsweek. Barry Morphew, 57, was arrested in Arizona just days after the indictment and is being held on a $3 million cash-only bail as prosecutors seek his extradition to the San Luis Valley, court records show. Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared from the couple's Chaffee County home in May 2020, and her remains were not discovered until September 2023, Newsweek previously reported. Why It Matters This case has drawn nationwide attention, fueled by multiple failed prosecutions, the unusual circumstances of Suzanne's disappearance, and renewed debate over law enforcement accountability. The saga underscores the challenges of investigating and prosecuting cold cases in the United States, especially when initial proceedings are marred by procedural errors as seen in this case. What To Know Suzanne disappeared on May 10, 2020, from her family home in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Her remains were ultimately found in a shallow grave near Moffat, Colorado, in September 2023 while officials investigated an unrelated matter. The autopsy concluded her death was a homicide "by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine [BAM] intoxication," The Washington Post reported. Barry was initially charged in 2021, before his wife's remains had been found, but the case was dismissed in 2022. A judge found significant prosecutorial misconduct, including failure to release potentially exculpatory evidence—such as unknown male DNA discovered in Suzanne's SUV—resulting in the disbarment of former District Attorney Linda Stanley, according to the Associated Press. After charges were dropped, Barry sued police and prosecutors for $15 million for wrongful prosecution, as previously reported by Newsweek. That lawsuit was dismissed in 2024 and Barry, along with his legal team, have maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The new indictment draws on forensic evidence from Suzanne's remains, location data, and prescription records. According to prosecutors, no one apart from Barry purchased BAM in the relevant region of Colorado for years leading up to Suzanne's disappearance. Investigators found a tranquilizer dart gun and associated paraphernalia at the Morphew home, according to The Denver Post. The Washington Post reported that phone records cited in the indictment suggest that after sending a selfie to her extramarital partner on May 9, 2020, Suzanne did not use her phone further, and Barry placed his own phone in airplane mode around the same time. Surveillance and cellphone data reportedly tracked Barry disposing items in multiple trash containers on the morning following his wife's disappearance. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. Chaffee County Sheriff's Office via AP What People Are Saying Anne Kelly, the district attorney in Colorado's 12th Judicial District, said during a Friday press conference: "Law enforcement, the Chaffee County community and Colorado as a whole has never stopped fighting for justice for Suzanne." David Beller, Barry Morphew's attorney, told The Denver Post in a statement: "Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence. Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either." What Happens Next Barry is expected to be extradited from Arizona to Colorado to face trial on the new charges. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole. Proceedings, meanwhile, will continue in the San Luis Valley. Further hearings and motions are anticipated as both prosecution and defense prepare for trial.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Their names were on the alleged Minnesota gunman's hit list. Here's how lawmakers faced the 43-hour manhunt
The congresswoman was enjoying a quiet morning at home in the Minneapolis suburbs last Saturday when her doorbell rang. It was around 6 a.m., Kelly Morrison recalled. Far too early for visitors. But as she padded to the front door, Morrison noticed a police car in her driveway. 'Sorry to bother you so early,' the officers said, 'but we need you to know that there's a man going around impersonating a law enforcement officer, and we need you to stay in your house, shelter in place, and do not answer the door to anyone.' Stunned, Morrison asked for more details, she recalled to CNN. But the officers simply told her: 'There have been some concerning events' and they'd be patrolling her street 'more closely.' Morrison locked her front door and tried to go back to her quiet morning alone at home, she said. But her eyes kept drifting to the street. She did not yet know a fierce manhunt was underway for a gunman who, just hours earlier, had gravely injured a state senator and his wife at their nearby home, then assassinated another state lawmaker, Melissa Hortman, and her husband in theirs. Morrison also did not yet have a critical piece of information that would upend not only her quiet weekend but also her perception of life as a public servant and the state of America's democracy: Her name was on the gunman's alleged hit list, too. The attacks had begun just after 2 that morning when a man carrying a handgun and wearing the tactical vest and body armor of a police officer pounded on state Sen. John Hoffman's windowless, double-bolted front door. 'He arrived in a Black SUV with emergency lights turned on and with a license plate that read 'Police,'' Joseph Thompson, the acting US attorney for Minnesota, would later tell reporters. 'Sen. Hoffman had a security camera; I've seen the footage … and it is chilling,' he'd add. Authorities soon identified Vance Boelter, 57, as the man masquerading as a police officer and described in chilling detail how he 'stalked his victims like prey.' After wounding Hoffman and his wife, Boelter visited two other lawmakers' nearby homes, court documents later would assert: One was out of town; the other's life may have been spared by the timely intervention of a local police officer. Boelter then went to Hortman's home, killing her and her husband, Mark, authorities would posit, before firing at police and vanishing into a moonlit night. Investigators in what became the largest manhunt in Minnesota history soon found among Boelter's belongings apparent hit lists naming dozens more potential targets, most of them Democrats or figures with ties to the abortion rights movement, including Planned Parenthood, court documents would say. On a conference call later that morning with Democratic lawmakers, Morrison learned the tragic truth of what had happened to the Hoffmans and the Hortmans – her friends and colleagues – and prompted her early morning visit from local police. It wasn't long before the Minnesota Department of Public Safety also let her know she, too, was among those targeted. As an OB-GYN who had volunteered for Planned Parenthood, Morrison had been targeted with threats of violence in the past, she said. Still, this was 'unnerving, particularly when we lost Melissa and Mark in such a shocking and violent way.' The congresswoman immediately called her husband, John Willoughby, who was out of town, to tell him about the shootings. And that she could be a target. The former Army Ranger 'moved into protective mode,' Morrison recalled, and began making his way home. Even with local officers already stationed outside their house, the couple hired private security, she said. And Morrison put on the panic button Capitol Police previously had recommended she buy. Across town, another state House official, Rep. Esther Agbaje, was glued to her phone as texts and emails poured in with updates on the manhunt. She left her home and spent the day with her fiancé and his mom, she recalled to CNN. She was lying low, she told her friends and family, in an abundance of caution. Meanwhile, Morrison and her husband considered what to tell their grown children. 'There's all these different moments as a parent where you question what the right thing to do is,' the congresswoman recalled, 'but we knew we had to let them know.' Their daughters, traveling in Minnesota, wanted to come home; their son, who was out of state, stayed in constant contact. Then, Morrison made another call: to her own parents. 'I had been pretty calm,' she said, 'but when I heard my mom's voice, I definitely kind of lost it.' By Saturday evening, the tenor of Agbaje's weekend also had shifted – from mindful public servant attuned to the latest safety alerts to an unwitting role far closer than she'd imagined to the frightening storyline deeply underway. 'For most of the day,' the state representative said, 'I didn't know that I was a potential target.' Then, she, too, learned her name was on Boelter's list. Sunday arrived with no outward signs Boelter soon would be caught. And Agbaje had grown so distracted, she forgot it was Father's Day. 'I forgot to call my own Dad until, like, the middle of the afternoon,' she told CNN. 'I have a really good Dad. He was concerned about how I was doing.' Officers had warned Morrison it would be dangerous for her to go ahead with plans to celebrate the holiday with relatives. 'I FaceTime'd with my dad and my brother to wish them a happy Father's Day,' she said, 'and tell them how much I love them and how grateful I am for them.' Morrison and Agbaje also spent hours across the weekend reassuring their constituents as word of the attacks spread and reiterating a common message in the face of what seemed to be the latest wave in a rising tide of political violence afflicting the United States. We can't go on this way. 'This was the moment where I kind of feel like everything has changed in the United States,' Morrison said. 'This happened in my district, and these are my people. We have to decide together that this is not the path that we want to go down as a country.' But even fortified resolve could not quell the fear of lawmakers whom the suspected assassin had called out by name. On Sunday evening, the fact remained: Boelter was still on the run. Not, though, for much longer. Some 43 hours after the gunman barged through the Hoffmans' red front door, Boelter crawled out of a forest near his own home, about an hour's drive away. He was arrested and faces six federal charges, including two that could carry the death penalty, and four state charges, including two counts of second-degree murder. But for Morrison and Agbaje – along with untold others on the hit lists and people across Minneapolis and beyond – the conclusion of the police chase has yielded to another pursuit, one perhaps less riveting but, if possible, more heart-wrenching. 'I think now that the acuteness of the manhunt and the trauma from the weekend is subsiding, we're just (feeling) real grief and sitting with the loss,' Agbaje said. After decades of increasingly toxic political rhetoric and the dehumanization of lawmakers, many Americans have lost sight of our shared humanity, she continued. 'For those of us who want to keep this democracy, we have to remember that we solve our disagreements through discussion and debate; we can't devolve to guns and violence.' Though Hoffman has a long path to recovery, Agbaje looks forward to the day she again will work alongside the fierce advocate for health equity, especially for those with disabilities, she said. 'He's really funny,' Agbaje said, then paused, recognizing this kind of violence can change a person. 'I'm sure it'll be different, but I'm glad that he'll still be around,' she said of Hoffman. 'Whether you agree or disagree with them on policy issues, (lawmakers are) real people. They have families, they have people who care about them. At some point, we have to remember the humanity in each other.' Morrison and her colleagues gathered privately Wednesday night, she said, to mourn and honor Hortman, a public servant who dedicated herself and her career to the state and the people she loved. 'I think she'll go down as the most consequential speaker of the House in Minnesota's history,' Morrison said. 'It was never about Melissa; it was always about the work … the end goal was always to make life better for Minnesotans.' 'It's just hard to put into words what a devastating loss this is for our entire state.' The attacks of just a week ago fell exactly eight years after a gunman opened fire on lawmakers as they practiced for a congressional charity baseball game and critically wounded Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a Republican now leading the House majority. Morrison worries about the chilling effect political violence could have on future public servants, she said. But even so soon after facing her own imminent threat, Morrison is far from scared. 'I think it's important for people to remember that this is not just an attack on those individual legislators; this is an attack on democracy itself. It's an attack on Americans' ability to be represented well,' she said. 'I am not afraid of cowards like this man, and I would encourage people, if you've ever thought of running for office, to please continue pursuing it.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump Justice Department not expected to appoint outsider as special counsel, source says
The Justice Department is not expected to appoint an outsider to serve as special counsel to handle politically sensitive criminal investigations, but will likely deputize a US Attorney to handle such matters if the need arises, according to a source familiar with the strategy. On Friday, President Donald Trump once again called for a special prosecutor to investigate former President Joe Biden and aired unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. 'A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin!' he wrote on Truth Social. The president has repeatedly called for a special counsel to investigate his predecessor over a number of issues. 'The whole purpose of the special counsel regime is to appoint a politically neutral outsider who can bring independence and credibility to a case,' said Elie Honig, a CNN senior legal analyst and author of a forthcoming book on the history of special counsels and independent prosecutions. 'To choose a Trump-appointed US Attorney will, at a minimum, create the appearance that that person is biased in favor of Trump and his political agenda.' The Justice Department is already investigating some of Biden's actions while in office as part of its 'Weaponization Working Group.' On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo establishing the group, which would focus on examining the state and federal investigations into Trump as well as the prosecutions related to the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and other right-wing priorities. Ed Martin, who failed to secure confirmation as US Attorney for Washington, DC, now oversees that effort, which has expanded to include subjects such as pardons issued by former President Joe Biden and other aspects of his administration. CNN previously reported that Martin sent a letter to the National Archives requesting information about White House operations under the Biden administration. He is also seeking information related to Operation Crossfire Hurricane, the code name for the investigation into links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. It is expected that if the department deems that if any of these matters need to be escalated to a full-blown criminal investigation – that work will be outsourced to a US Attorney. The administration currently does not have any Senate-confirmed US Attorneys, but they do have nominees working in offices across the country. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. The special counsel role was created through federal regulation to be used when there are conflicts of interest for the Department handling an investigation and it 'would be in the public interest to appoint an outside special counsel.' There have been several notable special counsels in the past few years, including Robert Mueller who was appointed by then-deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate the Russian government's interference with the 2016 presidential election. Mueller had previously served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013. Trump has repeated railed against special counsels. In Mueller's final report, Trump is quoted saying, 'Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels, it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won't be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.' Jack Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Trump for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, and for his allegedly mishandling of classified documents. Smith had also previously served as a federal prosecutor and was working at The Hague at the time he was tapped for this position. In July 2024, Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversaw Trump's classified documents case, ruled that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional under the Appropriations Clause, which determines how the federal government is funded. Cannon also said that Smith was unlawfully appointed by Garland. 'For more than 18 months, Special Counsel Smith's investigation and prosecution has been financed by substantial funds drawn from the Treasury without statutory authorization, and to try to rewrite history at this point seems near impossible,' Cannon wrote when she dismissed the case. Smith appealed the controversial ruling, but after Trump was reelected, he withdrew both cases against the president-elect. The nature of special counsels has evolved over time – under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Congress allowed for appointment of 'special prosecutors,' which later became known as 'independent counsels.' These individuals were appointed by specially selected three-judge panel and were outside-government appointees. Ultimately, the law expired in 1999 after much debate about the cost and scope of special prosecutors, especially after the Kenneth Starr-led investigation of President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. When the law expired, the Justice Department created a new regulation that allowed the Attorney General to appoint a 'special counsel' from outside the federal government. The Justice Department determined that special counsels would be appointed for investigations that would have too much conflict of interest to operate under normal agency guidelines.
