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Editor’s Note: This communicative contains discussions of home violence, rape oregon intersexual assault. Reader discretion is advised. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is experiencing home unit oregon abuse, you tin find resources and discreet ways to get assistance connected the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or the National Sexual Assault Hotline website.
(NewsNation) — A prosecution witnesser who alleges helium took portion successful sex acts astatine Sean "Diddy" Combs' absorption exclusively told NewsNation’s “Banfield” connected Tuesday that helium did not see the encounters transgression astatine the time.
Sharay Hayes, known professionally arsenic "The Punisher," testified Tuesday. Cassie Ventura's mother besides took the basal with affectional grounds astir threats against her daughter.
Hayes, who was a stripper, told NewsNation that portion helium sometimes observed Ventura “sighing oregon wincing” astatine Combs' repeated directions, helium interpreted it “as frustration” with the concern alternatively than unwillingness to participate.
Sharay “The Punisher” Hayes testified that helium was hired by Diddy and Cassie Ventura aggregate times for hourslong “sexy scenes,” saying Diddy was successful complaint but helium ne'er saw violence, cameras oregon drugs. He joins NewsNation's "Banfield" exclusively to sermon his testimony.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, right, blows kisses to radical successful the assemblage during his enactment trafficking and racketeering proceedings successful Manhattan national court, Monday, May 19, 2025, successful New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
"It would beryllium suggestive ... thing aggressive, thing that would make immoderate benignant of script that this was, like, unnatural betwixt them," Hayes said. "In hindsight, if determination were nary accusations, I would person seen it arsenic wholly natural."
Hayes told jurors helium was hired eight-12 times by Combs and Ventura to enactment successful intersexual encounters that helium described arsenic "methodical" and "routine." Hayes said helium viewed the concern arsenic a mates engaging successful consensual phantasy role-play.
"In the moment, I didn't spot it arsenic thing but a mates doing thing risqué, and Cassie arsenic a spouse trying to make a phantasy for who I believed was her husband," Hayes told NewsNation.
Hayes said these encounters lone included himself, Ventura and Combs.
Hayes testified that Combs directed each aspects of the intersexual encounters, though helium ne'er witnessed unit during the sessions successful which helium participated. He described a accordant signifier wherever encounters would statesman with babe lipid application, escalate to intersexual touching and culminate successful intersexual acts.
Earlier successful the day, Regina Ventura, Cassie's mother, delivered affectional grounds astir discovering successful 2011 that Combs threatened to merchandise "two explicit enactment tapes" of her girl aft learning Cassie Venura was dating rapper Kid Cudi.
The parent besides said she photographed bruises connected her daughter's assemblage that were allegedly inflicted by Combs. Defense attorneys declined to cross-examine Regina Ventura.
Prosecutors are utilizing specified grounds to physique their lawsuit that Combs led a transgression enterprise, utilizing his employees and concern infrastructure to perpetrate "predicate acts" required for racketeering charges.
When asked whether helium believed Combs was blameworthy of enactment trafficking and racketeering, Hayes declined to connection an opinion.
"I don't person the ineligible knowing to levy the grounds and travel to a determination of what I think," Hayes said. "I conscionable deliberation it's an unfortunate concern for everyone."
Hayes besides referenced a book helium wrote astir his encounters helium said helium had with the couple.
Combs faces national charges of enactment trafficking, racketeering and different crimes. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges.
