What to know about the sex trafficking trial

– LIVE UPDATES – 

• Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former girlfriend, identified in court by the pseudonym “Jane,” returns for her sixth day of testimony today.
• Jane once again faces cross-examination from defense attorney Teny Geragos about her relationship with Combs in an attempt to recast her allegations of forced sex, physical violence and abuse.

‘Jane’ back for sixth day on the stand

A former girlfriend of Combs’ identified by the pseudonym “Jane” will return for her sixth day on the stand.

Yesterday, Combs’ defense team said they would be done with cross-examination in the morning. Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian that the government would rest its case no later than a week from Friday and perhaps as early as Wednesday next week.

One of the prosecutors, Maurene Comey, also said the government is condensing its case and will soon inform the court and defense which witnesses will be removed from earlier plans.

Setting ground rules for Jane’s testimony today

The government wants to bar or limit the number of text messages that Combs sent to “Jane” in late 2023 and 2024, saying he knew he was in legal jeopardy in the wake of Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit.

Combs wanted to make self-serving statements — that “hotel nights” and “freak offs” were completely consensual events — as pre-emptive legal strikes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said.

The defense has attacked Jane “up and down” by trying to show that she agreed to these sex acts, using these Combs messages as the alleged proof, Comey said.

U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian appears to be leaning toward prosecutors, ruling against the introduction of at least one allegedly self-serving Combs voicemail.

The judge, both sets of lawyer and an attorney for Jane left the courtroom to discuss, away from the juror’s ears, her upcoming testimony.

‘Jane’ back on the witness stand for more cross-examination

“Jane” took the witness stand following this lengthy, closed-door delay to hash out ground rules of her ongoing cross-examination.

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, without revealing the specific nature of his side’s disagreement with Judge Subramanian’s evidentiary ruling, said he fears Combs could be denied his rights to a “totally public trial.”

In very cryptic arguments, Agnifilo appeared to say his side needs to delve deeper into an event that only Combs and Jane were party to and thus the defense wants others to corroborate.

In equally cryptic words, Comey argued that getting into more detail would be needless: “Anyone who has witnessed these events can come forward, the suggestion that they need to say the names to get information from the public is nothing more than a pretense to intimidate the witness.”

‘Jane’ texted Combs in 2023 that she’s ‘processing some sort of trauma’

The defense is going back to messages “Jane” sent Combs in October 2023 where she wrote to him that she was “processing some sort of trauma” and needed time to herself.

She wrote that she wanted to please Combs though deep down she wanted the “night” to end.

Combs’ attorney, Teny Geragos, pointed to another message and asked Jane to confirm that she wrote she knew she was consenting verbally. Geragos also pointed to the fact that Jane wrote Combs never knew she was uncomfortable.

Jane confirmed that she did send those messages.

Defense plays sympathetic voicemail from Combs to ‘Jane’

The defense played a voicemail that Combs left for the witness, appearing to show the music mogul was sympathetic to her feelings after Ventura’s bombshell lawsuit.

Combs said he hoped they could mend their relationship “so you can move on with your life, so you don’t feel like I wasted your life,” according to the message.

He asked Jane, “what will make you feel better?”

Sex worker ‘Anton’ had relationship with another rapper, witness testifies

A sex worker whose name has come up often in this trial, “Anton,” was known to have a “relationship” with another rapper and his wife, “Jane” said.

Both Jane and Combs had known in early 2024 that Anton was part of a “relationship” with this other, unnamed artist, the witness said in cross-examination by defense lawyer Teny Geragos.

Combs threw birthday celebration that felt ‘like like prom,’ witness says

The witness fondly recalled Combs throwing her a birthday celebration that “felt like prom” in Miami in March last year.

The party included a five-course dinner and music, as “Jane” called it “really sweet.”

The celebration was so moving, Jane said, that she was OK with hooking up with sex worker “Don” at Combs’ direction due to his generosity with the party.

‘Jane’ testifies she witnessed positive changes in Combs after Cassie lawsuit

There were a number of positive changes in Combs after Cassie Ventura filed her lawsuit alleging he abused her in November 2023, according to “Jane.”

Under cross-examination, Jane confirmed to Combs’ defense attorney that she felt closer to Combs after the suit was filed. She affirmed the characterizations that she felt much more love from Combs after the suit, whereas before he was often cold and egotistical.

Attorney Teny Geragos asked Jane to confirm that Combs became more apologetic, a better listener and that he spent more quality time with her in that time.

Jane agreed that Combs had done all those things and that she felt she could assert herself more in 2024 than she had in the relationship previously.

Defense revisits physical fight between ‘Jane’ and Combs

Defense attorney Teny Geragos revisited a physical fight between “Jane” and Combs at her residence in Los Angeles in 2024, which Jane described to the court under her direct testimony.

Jane testified that the drawn-out and violent incident began when she pushed Combs’ head into a marble countertop. She said the incident was sparked by her feelings of anger over suspicion he was on a family trip in Turks and Caicos with another woman.

Geragos is revisiting details of the fight, including what Jane said and did. She asked about Jane throwing a candle and glass before locking herself in a bedroom. During her direct testimony, Jane said she locked herself into a closet where she changed clothes.

She alleged that Combs began his own assault on her in the hallway after she exited the closet, and that she ran away and hid behind a wall outside for two hours.

Court returns from lunch; headphones distributed for the jury

Court is back in session after lunch and “Jane” has returned to the witness stand.

Headphones have been given to the jury, indicating some upcoming evidence that may be played is not for the public’s consumption.

‘Jane’ testifies Combs was upset she attended another man’s ‘freak off

Combs’ defense went into an argument between “Jane” and Combs over her being in Vegas with another rapper, which led to an instance of sexual voyeurism.

Jane testified earlier today that she was in Las Vegas with another rapper and his wife, who had a relationship with the same sex worker that Combs and Jane often employed. She said a group of people watched the sex worker, Anton, have sex with a woman in a hotel room during that trip.

Teny Geragos, Comb’s attorney, questioned her about a disagreement she had with Combs over the matter, with Combs apparently upset that Jane attended another man’s “freak off.” The defense seemed to emphasize that Jane left the argument unharmed.

Wyoming trip prompts Combs apology, witness testifies

Combs apologized to Jane after she saw pictures of him appearing to be on a vacation to Wyoming with another woman.

In a text exchange introduced during Jane’s cross-examination, Combs wrote that, “I just want to be friends” and that he’s sorry for “anytime I hurt you.”

Combs, lawyer sharing a headset

The defendant was having problems with the headset, leading him to first try the listening device of defense lawyer Brian Steel.

And when that didn’t appear to work, Combs shared a headset with Agnifilo, both of them leaning in to hear one side of the headphone pair.

They were listening to audio evidence only being shared with the witness, jurors, the judge, lawyers and Combs.

Combs in tears: Emotion or allergies?

During a break, Combs grabbed a handful of tissues and dabbed an eye before walking out of the room.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the defendant was briefly overcome by courtroom drama or a more natural irritant.

Prosecution takes issue with defense implications that ‘Jane’ is lying

Federal prosecutor Maurene Comey took issue with the defense’s cross-examination of “Jane,” which has been led by attorney Teny Geragos.

She told the judge that the crux of Geragos’ cross was the implication that Jane tried to tailor her testimony to please prosecutors. Comey pointed out there were four incidents in which Geragos tried to shade Jane’s testimony and imply that she was lying about being coerced by Combs.

Judge denies evidence for the defense in yet another vague courtroom discussion

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied the admission of evidence for the defense, but it’s unclear what the evidence was, as the courtroom was filled with another opaque conversation.

It appears that Combs’ attorneys wanted to show the court something that they believed would show “Jane” colored her testimony after reading the Cassie Ventura lawsuit.

Subramanian didn’t seem to agree with Combs’ attorneys on its relevance, saying that another person’s lawsuit would not constitute an improper motive for testifying.

Prosecution questioning ‘Jane’ again on redirect

“Jane” could be reaching the end of her time on the witness stand as Comey started the government’s redirect examination.

Jane reiterated how much Combs pushed her for “hotel nights” even after telling him she didn’t want to do it.

“All the time,” Jane said.

‘Jane’ testifies nonstop performances took their toll physically

The constant need to have sex for Combs’ entertainment made “Jane” “sore, tired, exhausted and overwhelmed,” the witness said.

“I felt like a whore, I’m not a trained actress,” Jane said during redirect testimony.

“What do you expect from a woman after 24 hours of drugs and nonstop performance.”

‘Jane’ testifies she wishes she could forget ‘hotel nights’

Prosecutor Maurene Comey asked “Jane” whether she wanted to remember every one of her “hotel nights” with Combs.

Jane wishes she could forget them, she told the court.

‘Jane’ breaks down in tears over pressure to sleep with other men

There was another emotional moment of testimony from “Jane” as she explained her jealousy of other women in Combs’ life, crying as she described the pressure to perform for him.

Jane told the court that she felt it was unfair that other women in Combs’ life appeared to get more from their relationships with him than she was, despite the pressure she felt to sleep with other men during “hotel nights.”

She brought up the nights with Combs because she was frustrated at being forced to compromise herself and the treatment she got from him, she testified.

Did the rent pay for ‘hotel nights’?

The witness said she objected to Combs’ need for her to perform sex acts with other men — but felt she was obligated to perform.

Once Combs started paying her rent in 2023, Jane said, “I felt I had to do ‘hotel nights’ to maintain emotional stability.”

When prosecutor Comey asked if Combs ever threatened to stop paying rent if she didn’t want to perform “hotel nights,” Jane said, “Multiple times.”

‘Jane’ says she had no choice but to testify

The witness said she’s not getting paid and has no choice but to testify.

When Comey inquired if she’s receiving any monetary compensation, she said, “No.” And when asked her motive to take the stand, “Jane” said, “Because I was subpoenaed.”

Earlier in the day, the defense had argued Jane’s testimony was tainted because she could, in theory, make money on a civil action against Combs.

Defense asks ‘Jane’ if she was willing to give up her home

Defense attorney Teny Geragos returned to question “Jane” once again, asking her about a prior question she had been asked about if she was willing to give up everything to stop doing “hotel nights.”

Geragos asked Jane if she was willing to give up her home, which she lives in with her child and was paid for by Combs. Jane responded that it was a hard question for her.

The defense attorney then pointed to Jane’s financial capabilities, including $150,000 Combs had wired her over their relationship and the sometimes $50,000 a month she receives from her OnlyFans content.

‘Jane’ excused from the witness stand

Jane’s marathon testimony finally came to an end, with her leaving the witness stand after answering a prosecutor’s question about the violence she endured.

“He slapped me and punched me,” she said.

Jury dismissed until tomorrow morning

Judge Subramanian thanked the jury and dismissed them for the day, reminding them that they’ll be back at court tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET.

S: NBC News