NEW YORK — Day 25 of the federal sex-trafficking case against Sean “Diddy” Combs pivoted Tuesday from prosecution fireworks to defense counterpunches, as attorney Teny Geragos set out to recast the government’s star witness, “Jane,” as a willing participant rather than a coerced victim.
Geragos unfurled a digital paper trail of affectionate voice notes, heart-laced texts, and lavish gifts to suggest the 29-year-old influencer exercised free will while dating the hip-hop mogul from early 2021 until his September 2024 arrest. She pressed Jane on her stated attraction to “successful, protective providers” and her admitted jealousy over Combs’s open-relationship rulebook, in which multiple girlfriends rotated through the orbit of his Manhattan penthouse.washingtonpost.com
The defense’s message to jurors: consensual polyamory is messy but not criminal.
When Affection Collides With Allegation
Under gentle but persistent questioning, Jane acknowledged moments when she felt “very loved” and referred to Combs as “my baby.” Yet she bristled when asked about topics she deemed irrelevant, snapping, “What does that have to do with this whole thing?” — a retort that momentarily hushed the gallery.6abc.com
Earlier in the trial, Jane delivered graphic testimony describing “hotel nights” in which she says Combs demanded drug-fueled sex with male escorts while he watched. She claimed she complied for fear of losing the Miami condo, legal fees, and monthly expenses the entrepreneur subsidised. Prosecutors argue those payments — and alleged violent episodes in June 2024 — prove a pattern of exploitation central to their racketeering theory.6abc.comnpr.org
Stakes and Strategy
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and related counts that could carry a life sentence. His legal team aims to erode the government’s trafficking narrative by spotlighting Jane’s autonomy, financial benefit, and continued contact after the alleged chokehold incident. They also highlight that she never filed a civil suit and met first with defense investigators, not prosecutors.abcnews.go.com
Meanwhile, prosecutors link Jane’s story to earlier testimony from singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, portraying a long-running playbook of coercion wrapped in glamour and fear. They are expected to rest their case next week, after which the defense will decide whether Combs himself takes the stand — a high-risk move that could sway a jury already saturated with graphic evidence.abc7ny.com
What’s Next
Jane’s cross-examination is slated to continue through Thursday. Court watchers expect prosecutors to redirect, underscoring violence and power dynamics that transcend consensual kink. With jury selection alone taking nine days and testimony now in week five, Judge Martha Bennett has urged both sides to keep closing arguments within June.
Should the jury convict on the top racketeering charge, sentencing guidelines allow for life imprisonment — a stark prospect for an artist who once dominated airwaves under the mantra “Can’t stop, won’t stop.”
