Diddy trial day 21 recap: 3rd victim takes the stand as judge threatens to boot Combs

The alleged private sexual appetites and exploits of Sean "Diddy" Combs were once again put on full display Thursday during the sex-trafficking trial of the rap mogul now facing the possibility of life in prison.

A single mother using the pseudonym "Jane" testified to the jurors about how she fell "head over heels" for Combs, recounting the first few months of their romance. Long walks on the beach, fancy vacation villas and cute nicknames for each other like "Bert" and "Ernie" from "Sesame Street."

That all changed in 2021, Jane testified. She said their relationship became overwhelmingly dominated by drug-fueled sex parties organized by Combs and called "freak-offs." She told the jury she initially and reluctantly agreed to the marathon sex sessions that featured male sex workers and drugs in order to appease Combs, who she said liked to watch the encounters.

Quickly, she testified, she realized she did not like the orgies but was pressured financially by Combs to continue participating in them. Ultimately, the sessions -- which she and Combs referred to as "debauchery" or "hotel nights" -- consumed 90% of the time she had with Combs, she said.

"I truly felt like that night opened a Pandora's box in our relationship," Jane told jurors. "It was like a door I was unable to shut for the remainder of the relationship."

Beginning her testimony on the 21st day of the trial, Jane was the third alleged victim to take the stand in the racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking case.

Prosecutors allege Combs used his wealth, influence and threat to coerce women into sex acts and ensure their silence. The victims identified by prosecutors in the indictment who testified are the singer Cassie Ventura, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Jane, and his former personal assistant, who testified under the pseudonym Mia.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and prostitution. His lawyers argue that Combs might have committed some crimes, like domestic abuse or illegal drug use, but never engaged in an organized enterprise to coerce women into sex.

Combs has sat mere feet from the witnesses and jury in the case since the trial began last month. On Thursday, his facial expressions toward the jury brought a stern warning from the U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.

"I was very clear there were not to be any facial expressions," Subramanian told lead defense counsel Marc Agnifilo. "That is absolutely unacceptable."

Jane says she was 'head over heels for Sean'

It was late 2020 when Jane said she met Combs during a girls' trip to Miami. She told jurors that Combs was romantically involved with one of her friends at the time, and he invited her group to his mansion on Star Island, Miami Beach.

"He was really charming, really nice and I was already drawn to him pretty instantly," she testified, adding that Combs "didn't mind" that she had been in a relationship and had a child with someone close to him. Their first date, she said, lasted five days.

"I remember when I first saw Sean, he walks in the door of the hotel room, and he was just larger than life, he had a big personality, really charming, very passionate, just in how he speaks," Jane said. "I was pretty head over heels for Sean already."

Because she earns a living as a content creator on social media, Jane testified that Combs quickly offered to pay her for the time they spent together to make up for the money she lost by not being online. By 2021, she said, Combs had paid her to move to Los Angeles and soon began paying her rent, in addition to sending her between $5,000 and $10,000 a month. Her testimony about Combs paying for her to travel – and eventually move to Los Angeles – could be used by prosecutors to attempt to prove their sex-trafficking allegations.

Jane testified that Combs also provided her with drugs, taking ecstasy, molly, cocaine, and ketamine "whenever we would start having sex."

She said she learned what Combs liked during the first months of their relationship and had consensual sex. "I learned so many things. I learned how he liked to have pornography playing. I learned how he preferred me to dress, and I just learned the things that he liked sexually," Jane said. "He preferred me to dress in provocative lingerie and really high, like, stripper shoes."

When prosecutor Maureen Comey asked her about an alleged sexual encounter in May 2021, Jane bowed her head and began dabbing her eyes.

Jane says 90% of her time with Combs was spent having sex with other men

Jane told jurors that Combs often initiated "fantasy talk" when they were high on drugs and having sex, and one day in May 2021, he mentioned "role play about other men."

"He started saying, I could make this fantasy a reality if you'd like to have that happen." Jane said she agreed "because it seemed like he wanted that, and it was really turning him on."

She said she did not expect it would happen that night.

"I remember I went to the restroom, and when I came back out, Sean was staring at his phone really seriously. He just looked really serious at his phone. He said we can make that happen tonight," Jane said. "I was like, tonight? I was taken aback, a bit surprised, but like,e ok."

Within a couple of hours, she said, they were in a hotel room in Miami with Combs' assistant setting up the room for a freak off with red lights, beverages, and bottles of baby oil. She then told the jury how a male prostitute entered the room and began having sex with her, while Combs allegedly watched and masturbated.

She said she remembered trying to "speed" things up "to get it over," and Combs allegedly insisted the sex worker not wear a condom.

After the first alleged "hotel night," Jane said she felt exhilarated but thought it would be a one-time thing. Instead, she testified that for the next three years, Combs made her have sex with other men 90% of their time together.

"I truly felt like that night opened a Pandora's box in our relationship," Jane said. "It was like a door I was unable to shut for the remainder of the relationship."

"Can you estimate how many times you told Sean in writing and verbally you did not want to have sex with other men?" Comey asked.

"Many times," Jane answered.

She said Combs threatened to withhold rent payments if she refused to participate in the "hotel nights." "I felt frustrated," Jane testified. "I felt obligated," Jane said.

The jury saw a copy of her lease. She was listed as the tenant in the $10,000 per month home, but that was a sum she said she could not afford on her own. Prosecutors have argued that Combs used his wealth and influence to coerce women like Jane into sex, which he denies.

Judge threatens to kick Combs out of the courtroom

With Combs frequently responding to testimony by shaking and nodding his head -- and occasionally glancing toward the jury -- the judge threatened to boot Combs from trial if he continues to make facial expressions toward the jury during testimony.

"I was very clear there were not to be any facial expressions," Subramanian said. "There's a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury and there was a subsequent moment when there was a sidebar, and I saw your client looking at the jury."

Subramanian added emphatically, "That is absolutely unacceptable."

After Agnifilo vowed that Combs would refrain from making any future facial expressions, Subramanian told him to speak to Combs and threatened to potentially remove the rap mogul from the courtroom.

"There should be no efforts whatsoever to have interaction with this jury," the judge said.

Bongolan stands by her account of Combs' alleged assault

The judge's warning and Jane's testimony came after the trial day started with a continuation of Wednesday's testimony by Bryana Bongolan.

The longtime friend and former co-worker of Combs' ex-girlfriend Ventura testified that Combs dangled her from a 17th-floor balcony and threw her into a coffee table in a moment of unprovoked rage. Combs denies that the assault happened. Defense attorneys spent the morning attempting to hammer at Bongolan's credibility and suggested the incident had never occurred.

Bongolan stood by her testimony, having told jurors that she was sleeping over at Ventura's apartment when Combs barged in, dangled her off the balcony while shouting, "You know what the f--- you did," then threw her into the furniture.

To this day, Bongolan said she doesn't know why Combs was angry at that alleged moment in Los Angeles. Prosecutors have told the jury the incident highlights how Combs willingly used acts of violence to intimidate his alleged victims, such as Ventura, who was present for part of the attack.

Combs' lawyer tried to blow a hole through Bongolan's claims by introducing evidence to suggest that Combs could not have been in LA at the time of the incident, pointing to photos she took of her injuries dated Sept. 26, 2016.

The jury then saw a bill from the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York, showing Combs, using the alias "Frank Black," had been staying at that location from Sept. 24 through Sept. 29. And on the morning of Sept. 26, specifically, Combs' lawyer asked Bongolan if she was aware that Combs and Ventura were at a Boys and Girls Club event in New York.

"Mr. Combs did not cause you the injuries that you showed us that we saw on your phone with the metadata from Sept. 26, did he?" defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked.

"I can't agree with you," Bongolan answered.

"You came in here and you lied to the ladies and gentlemen of this jury," Westmoreland insisted, concluding her cross-examination.

"I can't agree with you," Bongolan responded.

Though evidence showed that Bongolan documented her injury on Sept. 26, she did not specify exactly when the attack took place.

Prosecutors, to reinforce their points about the LA incident, asked Bongolan if she had any doubt Combs held her on a balcony.

"I have no doubt," Bongolan said. "I will never forget him holding me on that balcony."

To bolster her claim, prosecutors introduced a text message that they said they retrieved from a cell phone of Sean Combs' one-time chief of staff, Kristina Khorram.

"He came into my house and my friends were here," Ventura allegedly texted Bongolan on Sept. 30. "They woke me up because he was ringing the bell like crazy."

The message allegedly continued, "He went at Bana and choked her, then dangled her feet off the balcony."