Sean Combs Trial: Defense Questions Witness in Emotional Testimony
On Tuesday, Sean Combs’s legal team began cross-examining a woman identified in court as “Jane,” who previously described in detail how she was allegedly pressured into drug-fueled sexual encounters during her relationship with the music mogul.
Defense attorney Teny Geragos worked to portray Jane’s involvement as consensual, presenting affectionate messages and voice notes exchanged between the two. She also asked Jane about her feelings toward Combs’s open relationships with other women.
Jane admitted she was drawn to successful partners, describing her ideal man as someone who could “protect and provide.” She also told the court that, despite the trauma she later described, there were moments she felt deeply cared for, even referring to Combs as her “baby.”
The courtroom exchange remained calm, though pointed at times. When asked about her child’s father, Jane pushed back: “What does that have to do with this whole thing?”
Earlier in the trial, Jane described a disturbing shift in the relationship, saying it became volatile in mid-2024. She testified that Combs orchestrated multi-day sex parties, during which she was directed to engage with male escorts while he observed. Though she expressed discomfort, she said she continued out of fear—especially as he was paying for her housing and legal expenses.
In one incident, a disagreement at her home escalated into physical violence. Jane recounted how she lashed out by throwing candles and pushing Combs, only to be choked and beaten in return. “He told me to ice my face and get ready to meet an escort,” she said, recalling how he allegedly asked in a forceful tone, “Then is this coercion?”
The encounter, according to Jane, left her feeling numb and dissociated. “I just felt like I wasn’t even in my own body.”
When Combs’s former partner, Casandra Ventura, filed a civil suit in 2023 that detailed similar abuse, Jane said she was overwhelmed. “It felt like I was reading my own trauma,” she told the court, adding that the parallels between Ventura’s story and her own were “sickening.”
Although not originally named in the federal indictment, Jane was subpoenaed to testify in late 2024 and began speaking with prosecutors earlier this year. She told the court she had first spoken to Combs’s legal team before approaching the prosecution, a decision she said stemmed from emotional ties to the relationship.
Jane has not pursued any civil claims against Combs and stated that she has no intention of doing so.
Her testimony is set to continue through Thursday, while the broader federal case—where Combs faces charges of racketeering and sex trafficking—could stretch on for weeks. If convicted, the 55-year-old artist could face life in prison.
