A sex worker known as "The Punisher" said he may have inadvertently helped music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs with his courtroom testimony, expressing confusion over why he was called to testify in the first place.
The Punisher, whose real name is Sharay Hayes, told Fox News Digital that he expected to support the prosecution in the high-profile civil case against Combs. However, he believes his statements may have benefited the defense instead.
"Honestly, going into the courtroom... I thought I was prepared for it, but it was extremely nerve-wracking," Hayes said as quoted by AllHipHop. "You can't really prepare yourself, and I had no idea it was going to be that many people, that many rows and tables. So I wanna say, for about half of the testimony, I couldn't even locate where he was. It was a really intense atmosphere."
Hayes was brought in to testify about his involvement in private sex parties, referred to as "freak-offs," allegedly organized by Combs and his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.
He said he was first contacted in 2012 to perform what he assumed would be a standard striptease.
Instead, he arrived at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York and was greeted by Ventura in a bathrobe and wig.
During his testimony, Hayes described participating in 8 to 12 intimate encounters over a two-and-a-half-year span, some of which involved Combs wearing a hijab to conceal his identity and the mutual use of baby oil.
Notably, Hayes said he never saw Combs use drugs or appear intoxicated—testimony that seems to contradict Ventura's previous claims that drugs were frequently involved in the encounters.
He also said he never witnessed any signs of discomfort from Ventura during the events.
"I really thought my testimony, because there was nothing negative, nothing whatever, I really thought it was something that the defense would benefit from," Hayes said.
Prosecutors used Hayes' testimony in an attempt to establish a pattern of behavior in support of claims that Combs exerted control and influence over those involved in his inner circle.
But Hayes said he still doesn't understand how he factored into their legal strategy.
"I'm not a legal analyst or anything, but sometimes I said, well, maybe the prosecution just wants to question me and have everything in case the defense calls me," he said. "Because I really couldn't understand how I was significant to their case. But there's probably something there that I'm just unaware of."
Combs has faced multiple legal challenges in recent months, including lawsuits alleging sexual assault, trafficking, and abuse, all of which he has denied.
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