NEW YORK — A woman testifying under the pseudonym “Jane” in a Manhattan federal court has drawn chilling parallels between her past with Sean “Diddy” Combs and the explosive allegations brought forward by singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in late 2023. Her testimony adds to a growing portrait of alleged sexual abuse, coercion, and psychological control at the center of a federal investigation into the music mogul.
Jane told the jury she was overwhelmed with grief after reading Cassie’s lawsuit against Combs, which was settled within 24 hours for $20 million. “It was like reading my own story,” she said, referring to Cassie’s claims of orchestrated group sex acts — what the lawsuit termed “freak-offs” — mirroring her own experiences with the entertainment executive.
Her emotional account included a text message she sent to Combs shortly after Cassie’s legal action became public: “I’ve been crying for three days straight,” she wrote, describing feelings of nausea and disbelief.
Federal prosecutors led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey have now spent several days walking Jane through a series of damning text exchanges with Combs. In many, she pleaded with him to stop what she described as psychological torment and sexual coercion. “I am not an animal,” one message read — a plea made after threats that her housing in Los Angeles, paid for by Combs, would be revoked if she didn’t comply.
Jane’s testimony marked day five of what is shaping up to be a landmark trial with serious implications. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering — crimes that carry a potential sentence of 15 years to life.
In a somber moment on the stand, Jane said she had reviewed some of the tapes with prosecutors before testifying. “I saw me,” she said quietly. “Following a pattern.” The footage, she noted, depicted eerily similar scenarios, repeated with such consistency she called them “the same show over and over again.”
Prosecutors say the evidence points to a calculated system of manipulation in which women were allegedly groomed, filmed, and controlled through promises, threats, and wealth.
Cassie, who dated Combs for over a decade, previously testified about her own experience in which she said she was pressured into sexual encounters while Combs watched or filmed — at times for days.
As Jane’s testimony continues this week, the prosecution is moving closer to the conclusion of its case — one that could unravel one of hip-hop’s most powerful legacies.
