This report includes descriptions of violence and alleged sex trafficking.
On Monday, a witness in the trial of Sean Combs told the jury in a Manhattan federal courtroom that the hip-hop mogul frequently pressured her into sexual encounters with escorts throughout their romantic relationship, which lasted up until his arrest and indictment in 2024. The witness, who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" to protect her identity, said Combs was dismissive when she told him she "hit a mental and spiritual wall" from trying to fulfill his fantasies.
Combs faces two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transporting to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jane is the second alleged victim in the prosecution's indictment for sex trafficking charges, following Combs' long-time girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who testified earlier in the trial. In her testimony, Jane described her relationship with Combs in a way that echoed Ventura's story: an evolution from affection to manipulation, and eventually violence.
In an effort to maintain Jane's privacy, the court sealed all visual evidence so only the jurors and legal parties could see photos, videos and texts. The public and press could still hear audio of videos and other recordings played for the court.
(Over the weekend, Combs' attorneys filed a motion requesting a mistrial for "prosecutorial misconduct" over the testimony of a woman who said Combs dangled her over a balcony in 2016. Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to respond to the motion shortly.)
When Jane first took the witness stand last week, she told the jury that she began dating Combs in early 2021, and although the relationship was not public or monogamous, she fell in love with the rapper and entrepreneur almost immediately. The single mom and content creator described a euphoric first date and early romance with Combs.
Within a few months, Jane said, Combs opened up to her about fantasies of watching her with another man. On the stand, Jane said through tears that she agreed to try it out, but she later came to deeply regret that decision. According to Jane, the couple soon established a pattern of drug-fueled "hotel nights" in which she would stay up for 20 to 30 hours straight, having sex with male escorts while Combs watched, gave instructions, masturbated and recorded the encounters.
Jane testified that from 2021 until 2024, she told Combs many times that she did not want to keep having sex with other men. In turn, he would promise to take her on romantic trips or spend quality time together. But Jane said that again and again, Combs would ask for "entertainment" during their time together, including during her own birthday celebrations. Prosecutors showed many text messages between the couple, as well as notes on Jane's phone in which she repeatedly wrote that she felt used and lied to.
"Anything outside these hotels, I'm a joke to you," she wrote on one occasion.
'Love contract' and 'sobriety party'
Jane told the jury that in the spring of 2023, she and Combs verbally agreed on a "love contract." He began to pay her rent and support her financially. During this time, Jane said her income had decreased significantly because Combs demanded much of her time and attention. When Jane resisted or declined to participate in "hotel nights" — at one point telling Combs she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder— Combs would allegedly raise the subject of her rent and call her "crazy." In a voice memo recording played by prosecutors, Combs told Jane, "You better get on your job" because he was doing his — implying he expected sexual performances in exchange for the monetary support he provided.
According to Jane, she became worried about Combs' excessive drug use in October 2023. Combs asked for one last "sobriety party," promising he'd get clean after — and Jane decided to participate in the "hotel night" without taking any illicit substances. The encounter, which lasted about 12 to 18 hours, included multiple escorts. Jane said that after she finished having sex with the second man, she went to the bathroom and threw up. Combs allegedly followed and told her she should feel better now — and he expected her to continue with a third man. Jane obliged.
"I was just disgusted," Jane said through tears. "I was just repulsed."
Jane said it was not uncommon for Combs to run out of drugs throughout "hotel nights," and that his assistants and security guards would bring him more when needed. According to Jane, the hip-hop mogul also asked her to fly drugs across the country for him more than once. Jane would coordinate to pick up the drugs from Combs' staff in Los Angeles and deliver the packages to him in Miami.
Cassie Ventura's lawsuit and hotel video
In November 2023, Cassie Ventura filed a civil lawsuit accusing Combs of rape, trafficking and assault. Combs and Ventura settled the lawsuit out of court within 24 hours. Jane said when she first read Ventura's complaint, she nearly fainted. "I feel like I'm reading my own sexual trauma," she texted Combs at the time, accusing him of manipulating and lying to her when he had "exploited" other women in the same way. In the courtroom, prosecutors played audio recordings obtained from Combs' assistant's phone, which depict phone calls of Jane and Combs soon after Ventura's lawsuit was filed. Jane can be heard telling Combs she feels sick and manipulated, while Combs tries to soothe her by saying these are things the two of them did together for fun. Jane testified that she did not know the line was being recorded.
Jane told the court she did not see Combs again for a few months, though they would call and text each other. At one point, Combs threatened to show the father of Jane's child videos from the "hotel nights." Prosecutors showed messages from early 2024 in which Jane told Combs she was triggered by the mounting allegations against him and he should stop drugging and pressuring women. Jane said during this time, she had gone into debt trying to furnish her home and keep up with living expenses. She opened an OnlyFans account to generate income and eventually began seeing Combs again, though he allegedly continued to hold the rent payments over her head.
Jane said she was at Combs' house in May 2024 when CNN released a video, captured on a security camera, of Combs hitting, kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Combs allegedly showed Jane drafts of an apology he was planning to post on social media. In the courtroom, prosecutors played a video Combs posted — and later deleted — taking accountability for his actions in the hotel surveillance footage. According to Jane, Combs told her Ventura was "a hitter."
"He said that that was the only time that they had physical violence like that," she told the jury.
June 2024 incident
Jane testified that a few weeks after the hotel video made headlines, she and Combs were at her home in Los Angeles spending the evening together. According to Jane, she initiated a physical fight because she believed Combs had taken another woman on a family vacation. She said Combs chased her into different areas of the house.
When Jane attempted to hide behind locked doors, Combs kicked them down. "I just kept telling him to leave," she told the jury.
Jane said she eventually balled up on the ground while Combs punched, kicked and dragged her by her hair, leaving visible bruising on her face. Jane testified that she repeatedly told Combs she hated him, and he slapped her while she tried to shower after the fight. Later that night, Combs allegedly ordered Jane to get into lingerie and texted an escort from her phone to come meet them. He told her to take an ecstasy pill, saying "You're not going to ruin my f****** night."
Jane told the court she saw Combs once more in August and was planning to meet him in New York in September 2024. Jane did not make it to New York before Combs was arrested and indicted by federal prosecutors on Sept. 17. Jane said she received a subpoena from the government shortly after, but she felt obligated to meet with Combs' defense attorneys and said she continued to do so until April 2025. Jane testified that she told the defense about her experiences with Combs before making any allegations to prosecutors.
Jane's testimony revealed that her relationship with Combs remains complex. She told the jury that despite Combs' constant accusations that she was "setting him up," she never planned to file a lawsuit or make legal demands from him. According to Jane, Combs continues to pay her rent and is paying for her legal representation in his criminal trial. When asked how she currently feels towards Combs, Jane replied: "I just pray for his continued healing. I just pray for peace for him."
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