Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Inside P. Diddy’s Freak-Offs With Stripper ‘The Punisher’

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

Sharay Hayes aka "Punisher" was an exotic dancer who got a call to put on a show in 2012 for a woman and her friends. The woman was Cassie Ventura and the meeting was actually a "freak off" involving Sean Combs, according to his testimony. Hayes detailed his meetings with the couple, how much he was paid and the baby oil placed around the hotel room. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through the testimony with defense attorney Paul Townsend in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code CRIMEFIX at https://www.oneskin.co #oneskinpodHost:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5Guest: Paul Townsend https://x.com/PaulRTownsendProducer:Jordan ChaconCRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law & Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Hello, history fans. I'm Ellis James. I'm Tom Crane. And I'm Chris Scull. And we're the hosts of Oh, What a Time, the history podcast which tries to answer the question, was the past as horrific as it seems? Each week, we tackle a brand new subject from life in Nelson's Navy to death in ancient Rome,

from maniacal monarchs to Soviet spies to the history of milk. And we ask the questions other history shows are too chicken to. How would you feel about consummating your marriage in front of your in-laws in medieval Britain? No thanks. How would your puny little arms fare as part of the crew on a Viking longboat? And would you be up for a night out to see a sapient pig

in Victorian London? This is Oh What A Time, the podcast that the Times newspaper described as very funny, if less scholarly than its rivals. Probably fair. This podcast is guaranteed to make your life better by reminding you that things in the past were so much worse.

That's all the time available every Monday and Tuesday on Wondry with two bonus episodes every month on Wondry Plus. A stripper known as The Punisher takes the stand in Sean Combs' sex trafficking trial and he details how he became a key player in Combs and Cassie Ventura's baby oil-soaked freak-offs. I'll tell you what he saw, what he did, and why his relationship with the couple ended, and we'll look at what his testimony could mean to the jury.

Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. He calls himself The Punisher, but his name is actually Sheree Hayes. And he was an exotic dancer who took a call from a woman back in 2012 and thought he was going to put on a show for a group of women. But that's not what ended up happening. Hayes, The Punisher, was working as an exotic dancer between 2012 and 2016. Now, before your mind goes absolutely wild with why Sharae Hayes was called the Punisher, I'll tell you why he was given that name. He said it came from his time playing basketball on West 4th Street in the cages. Hayes said he took part in more than one freak-off with Cassie Ventura and Sean Combs, Baby Oil and All, and he gave a lot of details.

More on those details shortly. Hayes said that Cassie Ventura reached out to him in 2012, but he didn't know the woman on the other end of the line by that name. She actually used the name Janet. Hayes testified, I was working at a club event. It was either Friday or Saturday night. And I got a call with a woman stating that it was her birthday, and her husband said that she can have a hired dancer. So she told me there was some—she had a get-together with some friends, and she wanted to hire me to do a show. Hayes said he went to Trump Tower on Central Park West for what he thought would be a striptease for a small group of women. But when Hayes arrived, he said there was only one woman there and she was in a bathroom. The woman, Hayes said, was wearing a bathrobe but was otherwise nude except for a wig,

Hayes said. We walked into the hotel suite area. I was expecting a crowd, but the room was, there was no guests there. I just stopped in front of a bathroom and just kind of asked, would you like me to change here? And she explained to me that she didn't want me to actually dance. She explained to me that her and her husband liked to create a sexy scene that consisted of me and her mutually applying baby oil, applying it to ourselves and to possibly each other, and to try to create a sexy environment that her husband would eventually come out to watch. Now, the woman was Cassie Ventura, but again, he didn't know that at the time. Hayes said the woman handed him $800. Hayes said, I was specifically told to not, not acknowledge her husband, try not to look at him, no communication or anything between me and him. He continued, the room was

very dimly lit. There were candles. I don't think there were actual candles, but maybe electronic candles that looked like regular candles, but they were electronic. All of the furniture was covered in sheets and there was an area pretty much set up for me to sit and her to sit across from me. And there were little bowls in the area with baby oil in them. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Foster asked, there were what bowls? Hayes responded, yeah, there were bowls of water, and then in the bowls of water, there were bottles of baby oil. Then Hayes said a man, Janet's husband, entered the room. Hayes said, what I recall is the man was nude,

but I could not see his face. There was like, I don't know what it was called. It was like what the Muslim women wear, where the face is covered completely in the veil, and you can only see the eyes. It was a nude male with one of those veils on. And I could see he had what I saw as a bottle of Astroglide he was carrying. Foster asked, Why did you believe he was carrying Astroglide? Hayes responded, I use Astroglide myself. I noticed it by the purple top, so that

is what I had associated it with. Hayes continued, at points he was, there was a table and a chair on the opposite side of the room. So he sat behind a table and chair and he kind of paced back and forth. And I noticed that at times he was masturbating. Foster asked, what, if anything, was he saying during the interaction? Hayes responded, he was speaking to Ms. Ventura directly, but it was mostly subtle directions. Things like, um, move the light to the side, maybe positioning her body a certain way. Similar suggestions in terms of the angles we sat, I guess for to get a better view.

Now, Hayes said the entire encounter lasted 25 to 35 minutes, maybe 45 minutes. He wasn't really counting. It ended, he said, when the man walked out of the room. Hayes testified, Ms. Ventura followed him out. I kind of sat there waiting on the couch and then she returned and she asked me if I wanted to finish. So finished, I interpreted as having an orgasm, which I declined at that point. I was trying to be as professional as possible. I know I was there to create what I

called a sexy scene. So I declined. I said I was good. As long as they were happy, I was happy. And she said, thank you. And that's, that's, you know, you were, you know, that's what we wanted. And I was handed additional monies. Foster asked, and did you count the money you were handed? Hayes said, yes, I didn't count it until after I got dressed. When I got to the elevator, I counted it. It was an additional $1,200. I want to tell you about OneSkin.

They are sponsoring today's episode of Crime Fix. Let's be honest, being on camera as much as I am, having the right skincare products matters a lot. Our skin changes as we get older. Dryness, deeper wrinkles, even crepiness can be frustrating, but there's a game changer out there and it's called OneSkin. OneSkin was founded by an all-woman team of scientists who developed the proprietary OS-01 peptide. This peptide targets cellular senescence, a key hallmark of aging. It's scientifically proven to decrease lines and wrinkles, boost hydration, and help with thinning skin. They have over 4,000 five-star reviews for their full line of face, body, sun,

and travel size products. One of the things I like most about OneSkin is how easy it is to integrate it into my daily routine. Just a few simple steps and I'm good to go. For a limited time, you can try OneSkin and get 15% off using the code CRIMEFIX when you check out at OneSkin.co. That's 15% off at OneSkin.co with the code CrimeFix. And remember to tell them we sent you when they ask you where you heard about them. Invest in the health and longevity of your skin with OneSkin, your future self will thank you. Trust me. Hayes again said he didn't know who the man was, but he would figure it out at later meetings when he met Combs and Ventura at another hotel and he was waiting for them and a welcome message came on

the TV for Sean Combs. Eventually, Combs lost the veil and would just wear a ball cap. Hayes said he estimated that he met with Combs and Ventura between 8 and 12 times. The meetings for the freak-offs were always the same. The Punisher, Hayes, would be contacted at night by phone and then text around 9 p.m. and then he would meet up with the couple at 2 a.m. or later. They always met at hotels in New York City. The freak-off meetups would happen sometimes over two days on weekends and were spaced out over a few months. Hayes said Combs always gave the instructions about what to do, not Cassie Ventura. And then there was the baby oil. Foster asked, across all these encounters,

you mentioned you would use baby oil. Is that right? Hayes said, yes. Foster asked, and how much? Hayes responded, a considerable amount. It was preferred to keep our bodies, I guess, covered for, I guess, the look of it to shine or whatever was the preference. Foster asked, and who gave directions about applying baby oil? Hayes said, initially, I was told to do it by Ms. Ventura upon starting the session. That was my original, but during the acts, it would kind of be suggested or I would follow her lead in terms of grabbing more, putting more on. It was kind of implied and known by me to keep the bodies as covered in baby oil as possible. Foster asked Hayes whether Cassie Ventura during these encounters

appeared to be enjoying herself. Hayes responded, I don't have a full, I can't rely on, I don't have a thought process to her enjoyment level. I just, my understanding was we were creating a scene, like a sexy scene that was enjoyable for her partner. Foster asked, can you explain what you mean by that? Hayes said, it appeared to me at some point that this was, appeared like a fetish type thing. That comment about Combs appearing to have a fetish drew an objection from his attorneys. Hayes continued to answer questions, saying that Cassie Ventura would sometimes wince and sigh at Combs' directions, but she never went against his instructions. Then the questioning turned to drugs and whether they were used during the freak-offs.

Hayes said, I was always offered either alcohol or would I be interested in anything. At times there were marijuana. I'm not a marijuana smoker. I call it a Bill Clinton. I do recall being handed marijuana. I act like I take smoker. I call it a Bill Clinton. I do recall being handed marijuana. I act like I take a puff. I don't inhale. I'm not a drug user to that degree. So I was never under the influence at all in any of the encounters. Hayes then discussed how he would sometimes have

problems performing sexually during the sexual encounters because having sex with a woman in front of her partner was out of the norm for him. He's an exotic dancer. Hayes said there was one time when he couldn't finish the job that he was hired to do, and that was the last time that Combs and Ventura ever called him. Since that time, he's written a book about how he overcame his erectile dysfunction with an implant. And guess what? Combs' attorney, Xavier Donaldson, actually started his cross-examination by congratulating him on his book. You can't really make this stuff up. So here's what Donaldson said. First,

congratulations on your book. Hayes responded, thank you. Donaldson says, good job, good job. That's hard to do. What's the title again? Hayes said, in search of freezer meat. Donaldson responded, freezer M-E-A-T. Hayes responded, yeah, like you put meat in the freezer, freezer meat. Donaldson responded, in search of freezer as in hard meat. Hayes responded, what's harder than freezer meat? The Punisher met Cassian Combs through his entertainment agency, Honka Mania, as a male dancer. And now he's one of the owners. Hayes is actually coming up on a work anniversary.

So Donaldson offers more congratulations. Donaldson said, and you've been doing this for 25 years, correct? Hayes said, I started it in 1995, Labor Day of 1995. Donaldson responded, congratulations, 30 years. Hayes responded, yeah, coming up on a big anniversary. Now, Donaldson moves on to discuss his professionalism in the business and how it's pretty standard to try not to develop romantic feelings for the person paying for a show because it's just another show. It's a job. But this was the kind of

show that apparently Cassie Ventura had experience with. Donaldson asked, and I think you said earlier that you and Cassie, though, on these eight or 10 times you all met, you all had personal conversations, correct? Hayes responded, yeah, like cordial. I wouldn't say I was a personal friend to her or anything like that, but it would be a typical check-in. She would always ask how's business, how's work, that type of banter before any interactions. Donaldson asked, so to set the stages, she would call you, correct? Hayes says, yes. Donaldson asked, you would go to a hotel, correct?

Hayes said, yes, that's correct. Donaldson asked, she would let you in, correct? Hayes said, yes, that's correct. Donaldson asked, she would let you in, correct? Hayes said, that is correct. Donaldson asked, and you and her would sit down and talk and have light conversation about your work, how you're doing and things like that. Hayes responded, that is correct. Donaldson asked, at some point in time, you would start baby oiling her or she would start baby oiling you. Is that right? Hayes said yes. But when Donaldson suggests that Hayes actually developed feelings for Cassie, he quickly pushes back. Donaldson asks, and after these eight to 12 occasions, it's fair to say you began to have feelings for Cassie, correct? Hayes said that is incorrect. Donaldson asked,

at some point after these eight to 12 meetings, you agree to believe that you were the only person that Cassie was doing this with, correct? Hayes said, that is correct. Donaldson asked, fair to say that you felt special that you thought you were Cassie's only person, correct? Hayes said, that is correct. Donaldson asked, and you felt special because you had met with her eight to 12 times, correct? Hayes said that is correct. Donaldson asked, and you felt special because you had met with her eight to 12 times, correct? Hayes said, yes, my original arrival, it was a birthday, and this was something special she was doing with her husband. I actually aligned with that understanding.

So I did feel special that out of all of the options, I was the person being chosen for this interaction. Xavier Donaldson then pushes a little harder. He's implying that the Punisher's performance issues were really rooted in a connection that he had with Cassie. Hayes fires back, admitting this was not a typical client or a typical show. This was the Punisher's first freak-off experience. Donaldson asks, while you were oiling her down, you were using your 25 years of experience to make the scene exotic, correct?

Hayes responded, I wouldn't. This scene is completely different than anything I did as a male dancer. So whatever I acquired skills in terms of putting on a show didn't really apply in this scenario. This was nuance that was different than what I had done for my typical work. Donaldson asked, It was nuanced and different because you both were completely naked at this time, correct? Hayes responded, yeah. And also as a male dancer, my focus specifically is more fun. Most of the things that I do, you're going to laugh more than

try to create an erotic sexual connection. I'm at bachelorette parties. Ladies are about to get married. I'm not trying to turn anybody on. I'm trying to get a funny move with a mom or a grandma or aunt, something memorable in that way. So this was very sexually natured. So it was different than my exotic dancing performance. Donaldson asked, so that's what I'm saying. This was very sexually natured. Hayes said, yes. Donaldson asked, and it was different than what you normally do. Hayes said yes. So the Punisher said he actually thrives on creating a funny, lighthearted environment. So doing something sexual is not something that was normal for him. It was a challenge. Donaldson takes that and changes his angle, leaning into why these interactions were so comfortable. And

the Punisher falls right into it. Donaldson asks, let's start there. You didn't get any cues that there was a discomfort with the sexual interactions between you and Cassie, correct? I did not, Hayes said. Donaldson asks, because if you had got some cues or some kind of discomfort, you would not have done that, correct?

Hayes responded, that is correct. Donaldson asks, so when you were having these sexual encounters with Cassie, eight to 12 times, no cues about any discomfort, correct? Hayes responded, that's correct. Donaldson then asks, and Cassie is showing you that she's engaged in the sexual intercourse, correct? Hayes responded, yes, it seemed like it was consented as far as I was concerned. Donaldson responded, seemed like it was mutual and she was having a good time and you were having a

good time, correct? Hayes said, well, I can only speak for myself, but it seemed like the scenario I was there to create the scene or whatever, that it was going well. That was my goal. I really looked at it as a job. And in those moments, I would feel I was doing what I was there to do. So we'll stop there because Donaldson's point was made. He gave a visual to the jury that Sean Combs was basically the director of this live movie where Cassie and the Punisher were the actors. Donaldson asks, so when you were performing oral sex on Cassie, it appeared that she was enjoying it before the money came, correct? Hayes said yes. Donaldson then asks, and was enjoying it before the money came, correct? Hayes said yes. Donaldson then asks, and the money came and it shocked you, correct? Hayes said yes. So this was referencing a time when Sean Combs threw money on the bed next to both Ventura and Sean Combs.

Now, this was obviously a relationship that Cassie and Combs paid to sustain, literally. There was another question from Donaldson. He asked, there was an relationship that Cassie and Combs paid to sustain, literally. There was another question from Donaldson. He asked, there was an occasion where Cassie called you and you arrived at the hotel and nothing happened, correct? Hayes responded, yes. And when you arrived at the hotel, Cassie opened the door and provided you money, correct? Hayes responded, yes. Donaldson asked, she provided you approximately $500. Hayes said it was $500. Donaldson said, so on that occasion, you actually got paid for doing nothing, correct? Hayes said, that is correct. Donaldson said, so it would be fair for some time you're getting

paid for your time, correct? Hayes said, yeah, it was a quick day. For some reason, she had to cancel the last minute, so she gave me the $500 for coming out. Hayes said, yeah, it was a quick day. For some reason, she had to cancel the last minute, so she gave me the 500 for coming out. Hayes said in all of the time he spent with the couple, he did not observe any illegal behavior as the government claims. Donaldson asked, and you said that when you observed Mr. Combs, he never appeared to be intoxicated, correct?

Hayes said, that is correct. Donaldson asked, they didn't ask you when you observed Ms. Ventura, she never appeared to be intoxicated, correct? Hayes responded, that is correct. Donaldson asked, they didn't ask you when you observed Ms. Ventura, she never appeared to be intoxicated, correct? Hayes responded, she did not. Donaldson asked, and when you observed Ms. Ventura, she never appeared to be under the influence of any drugs, correct? Hayes responded, not that I would recognize, no. Donaldson asked, you wouldn't have sexual intercourse with a woman who you believe to be under the influence of drugs, would you? Hayes said, I would not. Donaldson asked, because that would be bad, right? Meredith Foster says, objection. The court says that's overruled. Donaldson asked, that would be

bad, right? Hayes says, absolutely. On redirect, though, Hayes admitted that he doesn't really have a lot of experience being around people who are intoxicated. OK, so to go over everything the punisher said, I want to bring in Paul Townsend. He's a criminal defense attorney who practices in federal court, and he actually went up against Maureen Comey once during a trial. She is leading the prosecution team in this case. Paul, what are your thoughts, your gut reaction, your first reaction to the testimony of the punisher? So my first reaction to it was that I understood in theory why the prosecution wanted to call a witness like this to kind of really lay out what are called the means and methods of any kind of racketeering conspiracy or organization.

They need to put on people that can explain how the RICO actually took place and put Combs as kind of the head of it. What I think the problem here was is that had this really been vetted exceptionally thoroughly, they would have found out that the Punisher doesn't really corroborate the parts of their case that they really needed him to. Yes, he does testify to the fact that Combs is present during the freak-offs, he's in the corner, but he's really directing everything, he's really in charge of everything. But on cross, I think Xavier Donaldson did a very, very good job of presenting a compelling case that this was all very consensual activity. I mean, he went so far as to say that if he even felt that Cassie Ventura was uncomfortable with any of the sexual escapades, that he would not have done it. So I think that it was, it wasn't really as useful for the

prosecution as they had hoped. And I think the defense did a pretty good job of kind of transforming him almost into a defense witness. That's really interesting. You point that out. He said that she would at times wince and sigh and on redirect, Meredith Foster brought that up again, when she would wince and sigh at Combs' directions. But other than that, Hayes made it sound like this was a consensual thing. She was the one calling him. She would set these things up via phone call, and then there would be some text messages. She was the one handing over the money with the exception there was one time where Combs threw some money on the bed and said, I like this, SH, you know what, how to finish that word. And that was the only time he threw money down. He gave the directions, but said that Cassie

Ventura seemed to be into it or whatever. So you feel the defense benefited more from his testimony than the government? Yeah, I think with the exception of that one kind of spontaneous cash throw on the bed that you referenced, being able to point out that Cassie Ventura was the one initiating the contact through the phone calls and text messages, that she was the one in charge of the financial transactions. When so much of the prosecution's case is predicated on this idea that she was under duress, that this was non-consensual, that her actions were forced, that really is harmed by claims that she is the one initiating. Now, obviously, people under

duress can be coerced into reaching out and doing these things. But the Punisher's testimony certainly gave the defense a real shot in the arm for the argument that Cassie Ventura is an opportunist who is, you know, trying to get something out of this and is kind of really embellishing the extent to which she was not willing to participate in these actions, because his testimony was that she certainly seemed to be enjoying the sex, you know, the eight to 12 times that he was called in to these freak offs, and that he never got any indication that it was anything other than a purely consensual escapade. So I think Xavier Donaldson's cross-examination was pretty effective in damaging the credibility of Cassie, who claimed that these were really done because she was forced to and she had no choice. That's not the story that the Punisher presented. He said there was no violence, but obviously there's other testimony about violence in this relationship. You know, the defense concedes that, that there was violence,

that Sean Combs is a domestic abuser, you know, that this was a relationship with domestic violence. How do they get over that hump, though? How does the government get over the hump and take this from domestic violence to sex trafficking? So there are lines that you have to connect and dots that you have to connect using those lines when you are alleging either a RICO or sex trafficking, any type of case that involves an organization or a conspiracy that has a scheme or a plot. Part of what the government has to prove is how that scheme or plot was carried out. In this particular case, the government's theory is that violence was a tool used by Combs and by extension Combs' organization, the RICO organization,

to coerce people into doing what the organization wanted them to do, these racketeering acts, one of which is obviously sex trafficking, because that's what's being charged. So they're not claiming that Combs is on trial for domestic violence, but what they are claiming is that domestic violence is how Combs was able to run his RICO organization, how he was able to enforce his sex trafficking. And in that sense, the domestic violence does become relevant. And it does become a critical part of what the government is trying to prove here. Let's go back to the Punisher really quickly. You thought it was a mistake that they kind of focused on his book. He wrote this book in 2022. It's called Freezer Meat.

He said it was about how he overcame erectile dysfunction. It's something that many, many men, most men will eventually deal with at some point in their life. He said that that was a problem during this whole thing. And he wasn't called back eventually because he had problems performing sexually. He was upfront about it. It's kind of interesting to me. He posted on his Instagram story, the link to his book before he took the stand. But, you know, they, you know, the defense could try to say this guy's an opportunist too. This case is full of opportunists, you know, I think that they, we will hear in their closing argument that, hey, once the floodgates were opened with this, everybody came out of the woodwork and wanted to

be a part of this case. So that is an interesting point. And that's why the defense would bring out something like the book to claim this guy's an opportunist. He's only here testifying to raise awareness. The reason that I thought that it might not have been the best move is that calling somebody an opportunist, why do you do that? You do that to impugn their credibility, to tell the jury this isn't somebody who's worthy of belief because they have an ulterior motive in testifying. But what does the defense really want here? They want the jury to believe this guy because this guy says, I never saw any violence. Cassie was always consenting. Cassie's the one who reached out to me. Cassie's the one who paid me. They want the punisher to be a credible witness. So bringing up the book and kind of showcasing that this guy might have ulterior

motives for being here, I don't think is the best cause of action. Now, had the punisher testified that he witnessed violence, and Cassie really seemed uncomfortable or reluctant, and Combs was kind of egging her on and almost forcing her, then you might want to bring up the book to say, well, that's the reason you're really here, and try and show that he has an ulterior motive to testify. But I think Xavier Donaldson did such a good job in pointing out that his testimony is not really all that beneficial to the prosecution that then turning around and giving some credence to the fact that he might have ulterior motives to testify is not really necessarily the best move. I mean, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I did think Donaldson did an exceptionally good job with the Punisher on cross. Yeah, it was a good cross. I agree. Well, we'll see where it goes from here.

Thank you so much, Paul Townsend, for your time. Thank you for having me on. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.