Billy Joel admits to past suicide attempts and coma in new documentary
Billy Joel is sharing the most haunting chapter of his life – a chapter that nearly silenced his music forever.
The “Piano Man” singer, who is currently battling a brain disorder, revealed in the first part of his documentary, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” what led him to attempt suicide twice and fall into a coma.
When the musician was in his early 20s, Joel was part of a small band called Attila with his best friend Jon Small. At the time, he moved in with Small, his wife, Elizabeth Weber and their son, according to People.
BILLY JOEL CANCELS ALL CONCERTS DUE TO BRAIN DISORDER DIAGNOSIS
“Bill and I spent a lot of time together,” Weber confessed in the documentary, according to People. She added that their friendship was gradual and a “slow build.” Joel eventually told his best friend, “I’m in love with your wife.”
“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,” Joel admitted in the documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday. “I was just in love with a woman, and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.”
“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker.”
The betrayal not only ended Joel and Small’s friendship at the time but also dissolved their band, Attila. Consumed by guilt and depression, Joel’s personal and professional life unraveled, as he began to spiral.
“I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats, and I was depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic,” Joel said in the documentary. So, I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.’ I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out? Tomorrow is going to be just like today is, and today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all.”
BILLY JOEL IS ‘NOT DYING’ DESPITE RARE BRAIN DISORDER DIAGNOSIS
Joel’s sister shared in the film that she was working as a medical assistant and gave him sleeping pills to help with the restless nights.
“But Billy decided that he was going to take all of them … he was in a coma for days and days and days,” she emotionally said. “I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.”
While Joel acknowledged that he had been “very selfish” during the tumultuous time, he recalled his first thought when he woke up from his coma was that he wanted to attempt suicide again.
During Joel’s second attempt at suicide, he ingested “lemon Pledge,” a furniture polish. Miraculously, he survived both attempts, after his friend Small rushed him to the hospital.
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“Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,” Joel explained in the documentary.
His friend Small added, “He never really said anything to me. The only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually, I forgave him.”
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Following the second suicide attempt, Joel shared that he had felt like a “lost soul” and admitted himself to an “observation ward.” There, he confronted his inner demons and began the long road to recovery. The singer called the experience life-changing and was released several weeks later.
“I got out of the observation ward, and I thought to myself, ‘You can utilize all those emotions to channel that stuff into music,’” Joel said.
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Joel and Weber reconnected and eventually tied the knot years after the affair. The couple were together from 1973 until 1982.
Apology demanded from Tim Cook after Apple TV+ show depicted ‘blatant sacrilege’
A Catholic group is calling out Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple TV+ in a letter demanding an apology and removal of a “Eucharistic desecration” scene in one of its shows.
“As the nation’s largest lay Catholic advocacy organization, we write to express our concern about a blasphemous anti-Catholic scene in the Apple TV+ show, Your Friends and Neighbors,” CatholicVote said in a Monday letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.
“Episode 6 of the series depicts two characters breaking into a Catholic church,” the letter, signed by Josh Mercer, vice president of CatholicVote, reads. “The male character steals Eucharistic hosts from the tabernacle, which they eat as a snack. The man flippantly remarks about how they are eating the Body of Christ. The man feeds a host to the female character and feigns blessing her. Then they begin engaging in romantic activity in the pews before the pastor walks in, and they flee the church.”
VIRGINIA BISHOP SAYS ALTAR DESECRATION IS LATEST IN ‘INCREASING GLOBAL TREND OF ATTACKS’ ON CATHOLIC CHURCH
Mercer, who is also requesting a meeting with Cook to discuss how the company can promote “true diversity and tolerance,” called the scene “sacrilegious,” and asked Cook if he would be tolerant of similar content mocking the Islamic or Jewish religion. CatholicVote’s website called it a “shocking depiction of Eucharistic desecration.”
“As Catholics, we have believed for 2,000 years that the Eucharist is not simply a piece of bread,” Mercer wrote. “It is the body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. The practice of taking communion was instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper. Receiving the Eucharist at Mass is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.'”
He also highlighted a statement on Apple’s website, which appears to value supporting those from various walks of life, stating, “At Apple, we create a culture … with a North Star of dignity, respect, and opportunity for everyone. Because we’re not all the same. And that remains one of our greatest strengths.”
Mercer also pointed to a 2015 op-ed from Cook where he opposed discrimination against those who provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Cook wrote that, “I have great reverence for religious freedom… Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love.”
CATHOLICVOTE CALLS OUT HARRIS FOR PHOTO WITH CONTROVERSIAL SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE DRAG NUNS
CatholicVote has also launched a petition with 169,596 signatures and counting asking signers to tell Apple leadership that they “won’t stand for blasphemy.”
“Apple’s shameless depiction of blatant sacrilege inside a Catholic Church is a direct attack on what Catholics hold most dear,” Mercer told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“We solemnly believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ; this fundamental truth is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith,” he added. “We cannot stand by while Christ and His Church are casually mocked in the name of ‘entertainment.’ We call on Catholics to join us in demanding that Apple take down the blasphemous episode and issue an apology. We await Apple’s response to our letter and hope it makes amends for its offensive actions.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Cook and Apple for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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Woman’s deadly brain infection linked to common household practice — what to know
A woman in Texas has died after contracting a fatal brain amoeba from contaminated water.
The patient, 71, had used a nasal irrigation device filled with unboiled tap water from an RV’s water faucet, according to an alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The “previously healthy” woman was staying at a local campground at the time, the agency stated.
DANGEROUS FUNGUS COULD SPREAD TO PARTS OF US, RESEARCHERS CLAIM
Within four days of using the nasal rinse, the woman developed “severe neurologic symptoms,” including fever, headache and altered mental status.
The patient was treated for a potential infection of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare, deadly brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba.
Despite treatment, the woman began having seizures and died eight days after symptoms began.
Testing of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid confirmed she had contracted N. fowleri, according to the CDC.
“This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,” the health agency stated.
“Fewer than 10 people in the U.S. every year get infected — but unfortunately, most cases are fatal.”
Naegleria fowleri can also be a risk when swimming in fresh water. It is more prevalent during hotter months, as the amoeba grows best in high air and water temperatures.
Fox News Digital previously spoke with Tammy Lundstrom, chief medical officer and infectious disease specialist for Trinity Health in Michigan, about the risks of infection.
“The risk of brain-eating amoeba is very low,” she said. “Fewer than 10 people in the U.S. every year get infected — but unfortunately, most cases are fatal. There are only a handful of survivors of known cases.”
The death rate for Naegleria fowleri exceeds 97%, per the CDC.
Warning signs to recognize
The initial symptoms of PAM usually begin about five days after exposure, but they can be noticed sooner.
Early signs usually include headache, nausea, fever and/or vomiting, the CDC’s website states.
As the infection progresses, people may experience confusion, stiff neck, disorientation, hallucinations, seizures and coma.
DANGEROUS FUNGUS SPREADING IN US HOSPITALS HAS ‘RAPIDLY INCREASED’
“People usually start to feel ill one to 12 days after water exposure,” Lundstrom said. “Early symptoms should prompt a medical evaluation, as they are also signs of bacterial meningitis.”
Death can occur anywhere between one and 18 days of infection, at an average of five days.
Prevention of infection
To prevent contracting the fatal infection, the CDC recommends using “distilled, sterile or boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation,” as “improperly maintained” municipal water and RV water systems carry the risk of disease.
It is also best to avoid immersing your head in the water when swimming in summer, Lundstrom told Fox News Digital.
“Infection occurs when water harboring the amoeba goes up a person’s nose, usually during swimming,” she said. “It is not known why some people get infected and others, even swimming companions, do not.”
Drinking contaminated water does not present a risk, and the infection does not spread from one person to another, Lundstrom added.
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Because the amoeba is found in soil, the CDC also recommends avoiding stirring up the sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds and rivers.
Treatment of brain-eating amoebas
When a patient has been diagnosed with a brain-eating amoeba, treatment usually includes a variety of antifungal medications, as well as antibiotics like rifampin and azithromycin, according to Lundstrom.
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Miltefosine, a newer antifungal drug, has been shown to kill Nagleria fowleri in laboratory tests and was used to treat some surviving patients, the CDC states on its website.
“However, the effect of all of these drugs on actual infected people is unknown due to the high fatality rate,” Lundstrom noted.
Those who experience sudden headache, fever, stiff neck or vomiting — especially if they have recently been swimming in warm freshwater — should seek immediate medical attention, the CDC recommends.
Despite the infection’s high fatality rate, Lundstrom emphasized the rarity of cases.
“Millions of people enjoy swimming every summer, but only a few become infected,” she said.
Jane, Diddy’s ex, explains why she took over choosing men for ‘hotel nights’
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend testified she took over choosing male entertainers for “hotel nights.”
According to Jane, from May until October 2021 Diddy would reach out to entertainers. Jane said she eventually started arranging entertainers because she didn’t like being surprised.
All of the men Combs allegedly brought were strangers. “I hated it,” she claimed in court. Jane decided to “choose who’s going to be on my body.” She said she got the idea to choose from watching porn.
Comey asked if she wants to have sex with men other than Combs. “Absolutely not,” she replied.
The first person Jane spoke about was a man nicknamed “Chef” because he had a passion for cooking.
Jane recalled watching some of his videos, discussing the size of his genitals. Diddy was allegedly encouraging and flirtatious so she offered to message him. She said she sent him a message via Instagram. They then texted and made small talk. They allegedly had a FaceTime conversation in late 2021 or early 2022. “Things got really hot and steamy,” according to Jane. She said they started talking to him about sex and showed each other their bodies. Jane claimed she did this because her “partner wanted me to.” Jane streamed the FaceTime call on Combs’ TV and he allegedly watched.
After the FaceTime, Jane said they met in person. Jane claimed she scheduled his flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles. She booked it via Expedia and said Combs reimbursed her.
Jane said when she first met the male entertainer he was really sweet and there were butterflies. Jane claimed she remembers telling him that her partner would be there as well, so he wouldn’t be surprised.
They made small talk, then went about the same “routine.” This routine included her outfit, oils, dancing, foreplay on the male entertainer and then sex. Jane testified Combs was there watching, masturbating. “He was really happy and saying positive things,” she told the court.
Jane said she invited him to “hotel nights” because she knew Diddy would want an entertainer. She would suggest “Chef” because “he was familiar with me.” She testified she did not want to have sex with him but felt he was the safe option.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and his ex-girlfriend had “hotel nights” as recently as 2024, according to her testimony.
Jane, testifying under a pseudonym, said from May 2021 through October 2023 “hotel nights” were “often,” sometimes every week or every other week. She noted occasionally there were longer gaps.
By February of 2024, Jane said the “hotel nights” would take place at Diddy’s residence in Miami or Jane’s home in Los Angeles.
After February of 2024, the “hotel nights” did not take place in hotels.
In March 2024, Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided. According to Jane, “hotel nights” decreased.
Jane testified she does not know how many men she was paired with over the course of her relationship with Diddy.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend claimed she had sex with other men during “hotel nights” to keep the rapper happy.
Jane explained she also reached out to another entertainer herself named Anton. The jury was then shown a photo of Anton.
She said she contacted Anton one night when she and Diddy were watching porn. Diddy was allegedly encouraging it, so Jane messaged him via Instagram. They eventually got in touch over the phone. Jane said she invited Anton over.
She described meeting Anton, said he was sweet and cute. Jane claimed she did not want to have sex with him, but she was high “and this was what was happening.” She explained she contacted Anton because he was closer than the other male entertainer she had chosen, Kabrale, nicknamed “Chef.”
She told the jury she invited Anton over to keep her partner happy. She had sex with Anton and Diddy allegedly “watched and he was happy.”
Jane testified they met up with Anton many times, primarily in Los Angeles. She said she would give Anton money afterwards.
According to Jane, she would FaceTime Kabrale and Anton alone. Combs would allegedly watch on his TV. She told the entertainers she was alone “because I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable.”
Jane admitted she would text Kabrale or Anton for pics of their genitals. She claimed she would ask when she was with Diddy because the rapper allegedly “wanted to see explicit photos.”
She would occasionally get photos from Kabrale or Anton when she was not with Diddy. Jane clarified she was gracious, but not “horny” like when she was with the “Last Night” rapper.
Jane testified she did not ever see Kabrale or Anton without Combs.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Jane, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend testifying under a pseudonym, claimed she carried drugs for the rapper twice.
According to Jane, the first time was in 2022. She said she carried the drugs from Los Angeles to Miami. Diddy had allegedly asked her to pick up a package from his Beverly Hills residence and get it from security. Jane said she communicated with Diddy’s chief of staff, Kristina “KK” Khorram, via phone about the package.
Jane remembered asking KK if “this was safe and OK.” “It’s fine, I do it all the time. Just put it in your check in luggage,” KK allegedly told Jane at the time. Jane testified she was concerned and told the jury “It didn’t feel safe.” Jane said the package was in a white envelope, and she put it in her luggage and flew to Miami. Jane claimed she gave the package to Combs in his bathroom. She allegedly watched him open it and saw pill bottles with colorful pills inside. Jane said she took some of the pills to “start partying” for a “hotel night.” According to Jane, the pills were ecstasy.
On another occasion, Jane again brought a package from Los Angeles
to Miami. She again spoke with KK and security gave her the package. She said she put it in her luggage and took them to Miami. The package allegedly contained ecstasy.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
According to Sean “Diddy” Combs’
ex-girlfriend, the rapper’s assistants and security guards would often bring drugs to “hotel nights” if they ran out.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked Jane if the two ever ran out of drugs during “hotel nights.” Jane claimed this happened various times. She said Diddy would call an assistant or security to get more drugs.
The jury was shown a photo of a man named Brendan, Combs’ assistant.
Jane recalled Diddy calling Brendan various times when he ran out of drugs during “hotel nights.” Brendan would allegedly bring ecstasy and cocaine.
Jane also recalled Combs calling security in 2023 when he ran out of drugs. The security would often bring ecstasy, MDMA, cocaine and Xanax.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Jane, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex, testified she did drugs to get through “hotel nights” with the rapper.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked about the longest “hotel night.” Jane said one of the New Year’s ones she believed to be in 2022. She claimed the sex session lasted nearly four days. According to Jane, she did not sleep until the end.
She testified the shortest “hotel night” was about 12 hours. The average “hotel night” would allegedly last anywhere from 24-30 hours.
Jane said she did not sleep, claiming she often took ecstasy, drank coffee, water and ordered smoothies or protein shakes.
She testified she saw drugs in every hotel room including, ecstasy, molly, cocaine, pink powder, 2C, weed. Diddy allegedly gave her the drugs. She also said she saw Combs use the drugs. Jane never saw entertainers doing drugs because it was one of her rules. Jane didn’t allow the entertainers to take any drugs because she “didn’t know how they would be on drugs…”
“I didn’t want them out of control…” she told the court.
Jane described how she felt while on ecstasy as euphoric, positive energy and happy.
From May 2021 until October 2023, Jane said she felt like she had to take the drugs because when she didn’t “it felt too real.” Through tears, she said “It would make things easier.”
Jane tried to do “hotel nights” without drugs twice. First was with a male escort named Paul. Jane said the fantasy of it all wasn’t there and claimed it wasn’t easy. “It was too real this was happening,” she told the jury.
Jane said she ended up asking Combs for a pill and it made her feel better.
The next time she tried to do a “hotel night” without drugs was October 2023.
“I really wanted my partner to get sober,” she told the court. She began to cry and said she cares a lot about Diddy’s life and wanted him to get clean. Jane testified Combs said he would take 30 days and get sober, but wanted one more sobriety party. Jane claimed the party was “too long,” maybe around 12 to 18 hours.
Jane described the party. She recalled being with Diddy, the room was decorated. She said she was with the first guy, then a second. After the second, Jane claimed she went to the bathroom because she was not feeling well. She said she threw up and then the rapper came in and she told him she threw up. Diddy allegedly told her that’s good and she would feel better. He told her there was a third guy there.
Jane said “I hated it so much” when asked how it felt to do the sobriety party without drugs. She cried saying she was “disgusted” and “repulsed.” Jane confirmed she had sex with all three entertainers.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend claimed she told the rapper she wanted to stop having “hotel nights.”
Jane, testifying under a pseudonym, said she sent Diddy texts that she wanted to stop having “hotel nights.” She explained she didn’t like “hotel nights” because they were becoming the dynamic of their relationship.
According to Jane, she told Combs she didn’t want to have “hotel nights” in 2023.
The jury was shown a text dated Sept. 17, 2023 from
Jane to Diddy that she had opened Pandora’s box and hadn’t been able to close it.
“It’s the only reason you have me around and pay for the house…I don’t want to feel obligated to perform…” she wrote.
Jane was living in a house and Diddy was paying for the rent. She explained she started to feel obligated that she had to perform. According to Jane, she was afraid that if she failed to perform, “Sean would take the house away.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend testified that she tried to block out the “hotel nights” and be happy with the rapper.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked how Jane would feel after a typical hotel night. There was an objection from the defense and a sidebar.
Jane explained when she and Diddy would feel happy, she would try and block out what happened. She testified they would end “hotel nights”
together, typically going to his residence. According to Jane, she would make sure Combs was showered and clean then she would comfort him, massage him, put on his favorite show and then cuddle with him as they slept. Jane cried on the stand as she recalled this for the jury. She then wiped tears away.
Comey asked if there was any point of the “hotel nights” that she enjoyed. Jane testified just the part when she got to be with Combs.
Jane said she would text Diddy after “hotel nights” that she loved him and would text sexually explicit messages between the sex sessions to say how she was feeling. She claimed she was indicating she wanted to have sex with Combs.
Jane admitted she would send Diddy texts about wanting to have sex with someone else because it was part of Combs’ alleged fantasy.
Jane said she had convos with the “Gotta Move On” rapper where she said she wanted “a guy” and “play up on that.” She did this because “I thought it would turn him on…” She said Combs told her to be explicit and send these types of texts. She testified she did not want to have sex with other men but wanted to turn the rapper on.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym Jane, became emotional while recalling details of her “hotel nights” with the rapper.
Jane said every hotel night was different. Diddy would allegedly decide how many rounds and entertainers there would be.
Jane said she would get tired during these sex sessions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked who decided when they stopped. Jane began to cry on the stand and squeaked out “Sean.” Comey asked if she needed a break. Jane sniffled and said she needed a minute. Jane said, through sniffles, she would give subtle cues that she was tired. The clues she used were to say she was hungry, lay down, give little faces or small gestures. Jane claimed Combs would say, “You’re not getting tired on me are you? Let’s finish strong. End on a high note.”
Comey asked why she didn’t just stop. Jane broke down and said, “I don’t know.” Diddy would allegedly give her ecstasy to stay awake. She claimed the disgraced music mogul would give her “a lot.”
Jane recalled crying twice after hotel nights. The first time she thought it was a date night, just one on one. Diddy said there would be an entertainer for a little, something quick, but it turned into 18 hours, “3 rounds with this guy.” She testified she was so high “and lonely” and “sad.” She was crying and felt terrible Combs was going to leave her alone.
Jane broke down as she described this incident at the Waldorf in Beverly Hills early on in the relationship. She said Combs looked “almost disgusted” that she was crying. Jane said she remembered clinging to him and crying. According to Jane, Diddy said he would move things around with his family and bring her home. Jane sobbed throughout describing this incident with Diddy.
The next time she cried was in the middle of their relationship. Jane said was in the shower. She admitted her memory is spotty. She recalled being in Combs’ house and then being at a hotel. She remembered being so high and embracing the butler. She claimed she had sex with “Paul.” Then she recalled being in the shower with Diddy and crying. He allegedly told her “Don’t do that right now, I’m f—— high…” She said she stopped crying. Jane claimed she had been taking ecstasy. She sobbed throughout this story too.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend testified she’s still trying to process why she felt she needed permission to wear a condom from the rapper.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked why Jane felt she needed permission from Diddy for the entertainer, who was having sex with her body, to wear a condom. Jane told the prosecutor she’s still trying to process. Comey asked why she’s still trying to process.
There was an objection from the defense and a brief sidebar.
Comey then asked why Jane didn’t insist Don wear a condom. Jane said, “because I didn’t want to disappoint my partner.” She claimed she didn’t want to make Diddy unhappy or agitated toward her.
According to Jane, intercourse with an entertainer would end with him “finishing on me” meaning ejaculating on her body. Then Jane and Combs would allegedly have sex without cleaning up the ejaculate because that’s what the rapper wanted.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend testified the rapper wouldn’t let her use protection when having sex with other people.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked if Jane and the entertainer used protection during the 2023 Las Vegas trip. Jane said “none” because “that was my partner’s preference.” She said she asked Combs if the entertainer could use condoms twice before. Jane claimed Combs was dismissive and “almost…in a sense guilt-tripped me out of it. It wasn’t something he wanted to see.” According to Jane, Diddy was condescending and it wasn’t going to happen, so she stopped asking. The “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper allegedly “didn’t want to see a rubber while he was watching.”
Jane remembered asking a couple of times when she was sober and not in a hotel room early on in the relationship, around 2021, if the entertainer could use condoms.
Jane confirmed there is a recording of a conversation between her and Diddy about an entertainer wearing a condom. She was speaking with a man named Don about wearing a condom and then the rapper came in the room. Jane said an iPhone was recording her and the entertainer.
Comey played the audio for the jury in the courtroom. The sound was difficult to make out.
Jane told Comey that the people heard in the recording are her, Don and Combs. Jane said she asked Don to wear a condom and the entertainer started to look for one. Combs then came in and said, “What are you guys doing?” Don said, “She’s looking for a condom.” Later Jane said, “You promised.”
Jane said she was referring to an earlier convo because she preferred to wear condoms. Diddy had previously told her they could wear condoms, she told the courtroom.
“I think they’re in the chair,” Jane could be heard saying in the audio recording. She said she was referring to condoms.
Combs then said, “You had just taken that d—.” Jane explained he meant sex had already happened without a condom.
The request for the condom was denied, Jane testified.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym Jane, took the stand around 9:15am ET on Friday.
After resuming her testimony, Jane told the jury about taking trips to Las Vegas with Diddy. Jane recalled one trip in 2023. They allegedly took Combs’ plane and stayed two nights. She claimed Diddy was performing, hosting an event. They stayed at a hotel. “Sean wanted entertainment for the night…,” Jane said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey
asked Jane about phrases Diddy used with her while they were dating.
“Going off the grid” was a phrase meant to be “free” and “carefree,” according to Jane. She said Diddy also used “freak” to describe Jane like “he wants his freak.” Jane testified the rapper wanted her “to be wild and sexual.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team in his federal trial for sex crimes is made up of eight lawyers, including Marc Agnifilo, Teny Giragos, Brian Steel, Alexandra Shapiro, Xavier R. Donaldson, Nicole Westmoreland, Jason Driscoll and Mark Geragos.
Among them is also Anna Estevao, who has a background in defending individuals and organizations facing high-profile white-collar charges.
Having graduated from New York University School of Law in 2015, Estevao gathered work experience for a few years before spending seven years as counsel at Sher Tremonte LLP, according to her LinkedIn. Five months after getting promoted to partner in January 2025, she transitioned to Harris Trzaskoma LLP, where she has been since May.
Estevao has been the one to cross-examine Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. During the cross-examination, Estevao read through messages exchanged between Cassie and Diddy, in which he allegedly attempted to schedule “freak offs.”
The trial, which began on May 5 with jury selection, is expected to last eight weeks. Combs however, has been in jail since his arrest in September 2024, after his Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided by law enforcement.
Cassie Ventura’s friend, Bryana Bongolan, completed her testimony Thursday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
While Bongolan’s testimony was important to prove Diddy was allegedly running a criminal enterprise using violence and threats, inconsistencies in her allegations pose a problem for the prosecution, according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani.
Bongolan claimed Diddy held her off a 17-story balcony during a violent outburst in 2016. She also told the jury the “Last Night” rapper allegedly threw a knife off a balcony. However, Bongolan admitted during cross-examination that she couldn’t remember multiple details of the alleged incident.
She also admitted the sexual assault claim included in her civil complaint version of the alleged incident was untrue. Bongolan was questioned extensively about what she told prosecutors and Diddy’s defense team accused her of lying.
“The inconsistencies are a problem,” Rahmani explained. “The prosecution tried to get some of them out on direct to take the sting out of cross, but the defense raised even more inconsistencies later this afternoon. Maybe it was the drug use or the amount of time that had passed, but between Ventura and Bongolan, there were different accounts of where it happened, what was said, and who was there. That’s not good for the government.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in the courtroom Friday morning as his ex-girlfriend is set to resume her testimony under the pseudonym Jane.
Diddy was seen standing at the defense table conferring with one of his attorneys, Teny Geragos, before court began this morning.
Jane testified Thursday she had been in a relationship with Diddy from 2021 until he was arrested in 2024. She became emotional recalling the first time she had sex with another person in front of the rapper.
According to Jane, Diddy requested “hotel nights” where she would be required to have sex with another man in front of the rapper. These nights would allegedly last multiple days.
Jane is expected to continue her testimony through Monday before Diddy’s defense begins cross-examination.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Maurene Ryan Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecution team in the federal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The eight person team also includes lawyers Emily Anne Johnson, Madison Reddick Smyser, Mary Christine Slavik, Meredith Foster, Mitzi Steiner, Matthew Raffi Shahabian and Olga Zverovich.
Maurene joined the prosecution in December, three months after Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The high-profile lawyer has been leading the direct examination of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, who is testifying under the pseudonym “Jane.”
This is far from Maurene’s first high-profile trial, as she was the lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in sexually exploiting and abusing minor girls with late-financier, Jeffery Epstein.
Maurene was also one of the lead prosecutors working on the case against Epstein before he died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial.
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs would threaten Dawn Richard for intervening his relationship with Cassie Ventura, the former Danity Kane singer testified on May 19.
Richard claimed she told Cassie that she should leave Diddy after witnessing the rapper’s violent behavior towards his girlfriend. According to Richard, Cassie was torn. The singer testified that Cassie would listen, but she could see the fear.
Diddy allegedly didn’t like Richard talking to Cassie. Richard claimed Diddy would tell her, “I would pay for it” and “stay the f— outta my relationship.” Richard claimed Combs told them if they didn’t stay in line, there would be consequences.
Richard testified that Diddy would be “loud, angry, violent…it was mean.” The “Making the Band” star explained she tried to be as kind as possible to Diddy and tried to “approach Mr. Combs with softness…”
Richard admitted that she ultimately made the decision to stay out of the relationship because she didn’t think Cassie was ready to do anything.
Richard testified that she witnessed Diddy attack Cassie “frequently.”
The singer, who appeared on “Making the Band,” testified that she witnessed Diddy choke, punch and kick Cassie.
According to Richard, the attacks could be random or occurred when Cassie would speak up for herself. Richard claimed Cassie was normally quiet, but when she spoke up for herself, Diddy would allegedly hurt her.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
David James, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal assistant, testified about a run-in with Suge Knight during his testimony on May 20.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik asked James about going to a diner with Diddy’s security guard, D-Roc. According to James, after a late night at the studio, he and D-Roc went to the diner to get food for the staff. James claimed he drove, and when they pulled into the parking lot, D-Roc noticed Suge Knight. The musician is widely known as one of Diddy’s competitors. D-Roc allegedly went up to Knight and described himself as “Biggie’s Boy.”
While waiting for food, they noticed four black SUVs pull into the parking lot. Knight was in the middle of the parking lot with a gun, according to James. D-Roc said they had to go and they allegedly went back to Diddy’s home, where Combs and Cassie were. James testified that it looked like they had been fighting. Cassie looked upset and was crying.
James said he drove D-Roc and Diddy back to the diner. Combs was allegedly in the back seat with three handguns in his lap. However, they did not see Knight at the diner and Combs told James to drive around the block.
The former personal assistant testified that he was “really shook up by it” and it was the first time working for Diddy where he thought his life was in danger.
During cross-examination, James testified he consulted a lawyer before telling prosecutors about the alleged run-in with Knight.
Diddy’s defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked what role James had in the alleged incident. James claimed, “I was there to drive the car.”
Agnifilio commented that James was in a car with two other men and three guns to confront someone else. He then asked why James went.
James replied, “I don’t think I had an option.”
Agnifilo asked why James didn’t share the second part of the story regarding the alleged run-in with Knight at his first meeting with the prosecution. James claimed he told the government after seeking legal counsel. The former personal assistant confirmed he was given a proffer agreement, which typically allows the individual to share information about a crime in exchange for certain benefits.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.