‘Jane’ tearfully recounts ‘hotel nights,’ says Combs assaulted her and threatened to release sex tapes

The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs entered its fifth week Monday in Manhattan federal court, with “Jane” — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and ex-girlfriend of Combs — returning to the witness stand in the high-profile sex trafficking case.

Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called “freak offs” and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes.

Testifying for a third day, “Jane” tearfully recounted the harrowing “freak offs” — which she called “hotel nights” — telling the court that she felt obligated to “perform” sex acts for Combs with other men because he was paying her rent.

After reading the explosive sex trafficking lawsuit filed by Combs’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November 2023, “Jane” said that the claims were eerily similar to her own experience. “I almost fainted,” she recalled in court. “In fact I think I did.”

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.

‘Jane’ says she felt obligated to perform sex acts for Combs

In her testimony last week, “Jane” said that Combs began paying her $10,000-per-month rent in what she described as a “love contract” during their three-year relationship.

She told the court Monday that it made her “feel like I had to perform” sex acts — and that she expressed her displeasure with the arrangement to Combs.

“I don’t want to be used and locked in a room to perform and fulfill your fantasies,” Jane told Combs in a text message that was shown in court.

“I don’t want to play this role in your life anymore,” she continued. “It’s dark, sleazy, and makes me feel disgusted with myself. I feel it’s the only reason you have me around and why you pay for the house. I don’t want to feel obligated to perform these nights with you in fear of losing the roof over my head.”

At one point, Combs texted her asking if he could come over, adding, “that’s my house too.” At another, he texted her the same message six consecutive times: “are you going to let me in our house???”

Big picture: Prosecutors have said that paying rent was a form of financial coercion employed by Combs. And testimony from “Jane” about the arrangement underscores their argument.

‘Jane’ texts Combs: ‘I’m not a porn star. I’m not an animal.’

In response to her concerns, she said Combs invited her to New York and promised it would be a “proper” trip. But shortly after her arrival, Combs arranged another “hotel night” at the Trump International Hotel. She said Combs gave her ecstasy and invited a new male “entertainer” — a “cowboy wearing heels,” she recalled — to join them and have sex with her while he watched.

After the New York trip was followed by a similar one in Miami, “Jane” said she texted Combs to tell him she no longer wanted to have sex with other men in front of him.

“I don’t feel like performing loveless cold sex,” she wrote to Combs in October 2023. “I’m not a porn star. I’m not an animal. I need a break.”

Combs wrote back saying he just wanted to spend the day with her.

“You’re going to spend the day what lovebombing me so you can get what you want? It’s not genuine. I’ve hit a mental and spiritual wall,” she replied.

“Jane” told the court that whenever Combs wanted a “hotel night,” he would begin “lovebombing,” or showing her excessive love and affection, in order to manipulate her — and get her to participate in one.

‘Jane’ says Combs turned a ‘sobriety party’ into a ‘hotel night’ that left her traumatized

“Jane” told the court that after exchanging a series of messages with Combs, she agreed to meet him because she was concerned about his health and wanted to help him get sober.

She testified that Combs agreed to stop taking drugs, but wanted to have a “one last sobriety party” first. At the party at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Oct. 18, 2023, Combs took ecstasy and cocaine and invited three men to have sex with “Jane,” who did not take drugs on this occasion.

She said that after having sex with the first two, she threw up, but Combs encouraged her to continue.

“Jane” said she felt “absolutely terrible.”

“I was just disgusted,” she said. “I was just repulsed.”

She said that she subsequently developed a urinary tract infection and a yeast infection.

Big picture: As they did during Cassie Ventura’s testimony, prosecutors sought to undercut the defense’s argument that “Jane” was a willing participant in the “freak offs” by having her emphasize how horrible they made her feel.

‘Jane’ testifies that she almost fainted when she read Ventura’s lawsuit

After reading Ventura’s explosive sex trafficking lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, “Jane” told the court that the claims were eerily similar to her own experience with the mogul.

“I almost fainted. In fact, I think I did,” she told the court. “It was a nightmare. … I can’t believe I’m reading my own story.”

“Jane” texted Combs with a similar message.

“I feel like I’m reading my own sexual trauma,” she texted Combs.

“The sick part is you knew this was coming and you gaslit me and made me feel crazy about the sex trauma I was developing knowing you’ve been here before,” she continued. “It’s all so clear that this was sexual exploitation that you framed as love for your sick fetishes.”

The court then heard audio of a conversation “Jane” had with Combs a few days later in which Combs tells “Jane” he needs her “friendship” and that they need to get through this together.

“I need you to be there for me,” he said. “You know you don’t got to worry about anything else.”

“Jane” testified that she took it to mean he would continue to pay for her rent if she cooperated with him.

‘Jane’ says Combs threatened to release sex tapes to her child’s father

“Jane” testified that at one point after Ventura’s lawsuit became public, Combs told her to “charge me for your resentment” over their relationship.

“I just need you to get over this,” she recalled Combs telling her. “I don’t want any loose ends.”

After “Jane” proposed that he pay her $150,000, Combs accused her of being an opportunist and threatened to release video recordings of her having sex with other men during “hotel nights” to the father of her child.

“Jane” said that she reported the threats to Kristina Khorram, Combs’s chief of staff, and asked Khorram to intervene. According to “Jane,” Khorram assured her that nothing would happen, and that she and Combs just needed to give each other space.

Big picture: Combs’s alleged threats to release video footage of Ventura and “Jane” participating in “freak offs” and “hotel nights” are a key part of the government’s case against him. Prosecutors say the hip-hop mogul used the recordings as blackmail against his victims.

‘Jane’ says Combs assaulted her before orchestrating an impromptu ‘hotel night’

“Jane” told the court that she missed Combs, and that they eventually got back together in 2024. She testified that on June 18, 2024, he came to her house in Los Angeles after he got back from a family trip to Utah, and they got into an argument that escalated into physical violence.

She said she was upset about a young woman she thought he was with on the trip, and called him a “pedophile.” She said she pushed his head into a marble counter and started throwing candles around the house and locked herself in the bathroom. Combs kicked the bathroom door off its hinges, she said, so she ran into a closet and then tried to leave. “Jane” said Combs caught her at the front door, kicked her in the thigh and put her in a chokehold. She said she was able to squirm out of it and ran outside.

She said that she returned to the house thinking Combs had left, but he followed her inside. This time she said she hid in the guest bedroom and locked the door, which Combs also kicked in, and then ran onto the patio, where they punched each other.

“Jane” said she “went into a ball” on the ground in her backyard as Combs kicked and punched her. She said he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back into the house.

Shortly after the fight, Combs invited a male entertainer over because he said that “we’re not gonna end the night like this,” she told the court.

“Jane” said that Combs told her to put on makeup and put her hair to the side to cover her injuries, and insisted she take an ecstasy pill before having sex with the male escort while Combs watched.

She told the court that Combs had his assistant and a security guard later deliver $10,000 to $12,000 in cash for damage to the home, which included four broken doors, and to pay the male escort. Photos of the damaged doors were shown in court.

Defense files motion for mistrial

Over the weekend, Combs’s legal team filed a motion for a mistrial, alleging prosecutorial misconduct stemming from the testimony of government witness Bryana Bongolan. Bongolan, a friend of Ventura, testified last week.

In her 2024 lawsuit against Combs, Bongolan said that he dangled her from the 17th-floor balcony of Ventura’s apartment in Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2016. The defense said it had proof Combs wasn’t in Los Angeles on that date.

Judge Arun Subramanian granted the government a day to respond to the motion, which was filed Saturday.

It’s the second time Combs’s defense has made a motion for a mistrial. Subramanian denied the first.