Inside The Diddy Trial: “Freak-Offs,” Baby Oil, And Explosive Allegations Unfold In Court

On Day 24 of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial in New York City, a key witness took the stand to unravel the behind-the-scenes logistics of the music mogul’s alleged secret world of drug-fueled sex parties.

Ananya Sankar, a paralegal specialist with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, testified on Monday, June 16, about her role in compiling and reviewing hundreds of pages of evidence tied to the prosecution’s claims. This evidence includes text messages, audio recordings, and travel logs that allegedly expose a pattern of coercion, manipulation, and trafficking masked as personal relationships.

One striking piece of evidence was a December 2019 text exchange between Diddy’s former assistant Ryan Lopez and his then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram. Lopez mentioned seeing a male escort—dubbed “one of the cowboys”—in a hotel lobby. Khorram responded with four laughing emojis, asking, “How long is he going to stay awake?”

Jurors also listened to a recorded phone call from January 30, 2023, between Khorram and another ex-assistant, Dave Shirley. They were heard discussing preparations for a night at the Four Seasons Hotel. “Heads up, he’s about to do wild king tonight,” Khorram warned. Shirley replied about picking up cash and “reupping on baby oil”—a now-familiar detail in testimony regarding these so-called “freak-offs.” Khorram also texted a reminder to “ask them if they can bring up 15 bath towels.”

Further evidence included travel coordination and hotel bookings for “Jane,” a former girlfriend of Combs testifying under a pseudonym. Texts between Diddy, Khorram, and Jane revealed concerns over repeated damage fees at hotels and the transportation of large amounts of cash—details prosecutors say support their case that these weren’t ordinary getaways but organized sex sessions with escorts and staff.

Prosecutors allege these events—dubbed “freak-offs”—were elaborate, recurring gatherings involving Diddy, his girlfriends, and male sex workers. Testimony suggests assistants were regularly tasked with stocking rooms with candles, baby oil, towels, and other specific items. In a May session, a hotel manager described the condition of Diddy’s suites as requiring deep cleaning due to “spilled candle wax” and “excessive amounts of oil.”

Adding to the disturbing claims, jurors were shown a December 2023 message in which Jane alleged Diddy had threatened to leak sex tapes. “He said that he would expose me and send them to my child’s father,” the message read. A similar accusation had earlier come from Regina Ventura, mother of singer Cassie Ventura, who claimed Diddy had made the same threat against her daughter.

Monday also saw a shake-up in the courtroom: Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed Juror Number 6 after inconsistencies were discovered in their reported address. The juror was swiftly replaced by an alternate—a 57-year-old married resident of Westchester County with two children.

Diddy continues to deny all allegations against him. The high-profile trial remains ongoing.