"I was really remorseful" — Exotic dancer who testified in Diddy's trial offers apology to Cassie

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Sean "Diddy" Combs Cassie Ventura at the premiere of Lionsgate's The Perfect Match (Image via Getty)

Exotic male dancer Sharay Hayes, who testified on May 20 in Diddy's racketeering, sex trafficking, and prostitution trial, recently appeared in an interview with CNN. The dancer, popularly known as "The Punisher," claimed in his testimony that Diddy hired him to create an "erotic scene" with Ventura in 2012 at Trump Tower.

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As per CNN, in his testimony, during the cross-examination, Hayes said that while creating the "enjoyable" sexy scenes with Ventura at Diddy's direction, he didn't notice any discomfort from her. In his recent interview with CNN published on May 28, host Laura Coates asked the exotic dancer about his views now after listening to Cassie's experience at the "freak offs." Replying to the question, Hayes apologized to Cassie Ventura.

"So just me knowing that as a man, you know, being raised by a single mom and a grandma, you know, just the thought of partaking in a scenario where a woman is possibly being abused is, is tough to hear. So, you know, I would just apologize to her and, you know, tell her I was really remorseful and regret if I contributed to a bad experience for her," he said.
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Hayes also said that he regretted becoming a part of a situation that possibly furthered Ventura's suffering.

"I would apologize because I had no idea, or no indication what she was going through. And if, you know, obviously my involvement kind of furthered her suffering," he said.

What did "The Punisher" say in his testimony in Diddy's trial?

As per ABC News, in his testimony, Sharay Hayes gave a description of his first meeting with Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. He said that he was hired to create a "sexy exotic scene" with Ventura while Diddy, who was nude, watched from the corner.

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As per the outlet, Hayes met Ventura and Combs for the first time in a hotel room in Trump Tower, where Ventura greeted him donning a bathrobe. In his description, Hayes said that the room's furniture was covered in sheets, and there were bowls with baby oil in the area.

The outlet also reported that Hayes testified that he was told not to acknowledge Diddy's presence in the room, who was wearing a veil. However, he recalled that when he switched on the TV, the screen read "Welcome Sean Combs," which made him realize who the masked man was.

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According to a People magazine report, Hayes testified that Ventura asked him to "create a sexy scene of me and her applying baby oil on each other and create a sexy environment that her husband would come upon."

As per CNN, he further testified that Ventura handed him $800 in cash to perform in front of Diddy. He also claimed that he had eight to 12 such encounters where Combs gave directions to have sex. Hayes said that he also joined Diddy's "freak-off" sessions at Essex House in New York.

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As per The Washington Post, Hayes, in his testimony, said that Ventura seemed to take "cues" from Combs and at times "winced" or "sighed" in response. The same report also stated that during the cross-examination, prosecutor Meredith Foster asked Hayes if Ventura was "enjoying herself" during the incident in question.

"What made you think Ms. Ventura was enjoying herself?" she asked.

According to The Washington Post, Hayes gave an account of where he performed oral sex on Ventura, and she scooted over to ask for permission from Diddy, who gave his consent.

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"I assumed it was an enjoyable moment," Hayes testified.

However, in contrast to his earlier notions, Sharay Hayes has now apologized to Ventura after listening to her experience during her testimony in the court.

Edited by Ankita Barat
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