A former girlfriend of Sean Combs resumed testimony on Monday at his federal trial about a series of sex marathons with male prostitutes, which she said she felt pressured to continue because Mr. Combs was funding her livelihood.
As the trial enters its fifth week, prosecutors are expected to drill down on a key part of their sex-trafficking case: allegations of financial coercion.
The former girlfriend, who is known in court by the pseudonym Jane, spent more than seven hours last week testifying about her tumultuous relationship with the music mogul, which started in 2021 and continued until his arrest in 2024. Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, and his lawyers have denied that the sex at the center of the case was ever coercive.
Jane testified last week that in an effort to fulfill her boyfriend’s fantasies, she began to participate in drug-fueled sexual encounters with a succession of hired men that the couple called “debauchery” or “hotel nights.” Her account of the sex marathons — which could last for days and typically involved Mr. Combs watching and masturbating — aligned with the “freak-offs” described by Casandra Ventura, another former girlfriend who testified at the start of the case.
The pattern of “hotel nights” left Jane feeling used, exhausted and at times sick, she testified. But Mr. Combs was dismissive when she voiced her reluctance, she said, and she continued out of a desire to please him. At times, she arranged to hire certain “entertainers” herself so she could choose the men involved, she testified.
The dynamic shifted in 2023, when Mr. Combs began paying her $10,000-a-month rent. Jane said she feared losing her home if she did not comply.
“I felt that at any given opportunity Sean was just hovering the house over my head,” Jane testified.
On Friday, the prosecution started walking Jane through a pivotal 2023 dispute over plans for a night of Mr. Combs watching her have sex with a series of other men.
The jury saw a long text exchange between the couple over several days in which Jane asked to postpone, citing the fact that she was menstruating and the toll the last sex night took on her body.
“I’m sorry for the switch up,” Jane texted him. “I’m only human. I’m tired.”
Mr. Combs sent back a long frustrated message, telling Jane that he didn’t believe her reasoning for canceling.
“This is wack. Don’t stress me about money ever again,” he texted her, using an expletive.
Later on in the exchange, Jane texted: “I’ve nonstop given you these nights for two and a half years, and this is the first time I just hit a wall and was honest and asking for space to go feel better.”
Days later, when their argument continued, Mr. Combs sent an audio message that was played for the jury in which he told Jane that he was ready “disappear” on her, saying “you better get on your job.”
Asked by the lead prosecutor, Maurene Comey, what it meant to get on her “job,” Jane said that it meant taking care of Mr. Combs and ensuring that he was happy.
“What did that include?” Ms. Comey asked.
“It included these nights,” she replied.
Julia Jacobs is an arts and culture reporter who often covers legal issues for The Times.
Ben Sisario, a reporter covering music and the music industry, has been writing for The Times for more than 20 years.
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