Sharay “Punisher” Hayes is a former professional dancer and author who found himself at the center of one of the year’s most high-profile cases — testifying in the civil trial against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. His journey from party performer to key witness pulls back the curtain on power, sex work, and what it means to get caught in a trap you didn’t even know was being set.

Follow Sharay on Instagram: @getpunished
Check out his new book: In Search of FREEZER MEAT — a raw and personal story about male mental health, erectile dysfunction, and the unexpected solution that changed his life.

 

Episode Description:

You saw the headlines. You might’ve followed the trial. But what really happened inside that Trump Tower suite?

In this episode, CSI Sheryl McCollum sits down with Sharay “Punisher” Hayes — a dancer turned key witness in the case against Sean “Diddy” Combs — to talk about the night he walked into a supposed birthday party... and stepped into something much darker. Baby oil. Covered furniture. Bathrobes. And a husband watching from the shadows.

This isn’t just about one night in a luxury suite. It’s about power, manipulation, and the moment you realize you might’ve broken the law — without even knowing it.

 

Show Notes: 

• (0:00) From male dancer to courtroom witness — Sharay Hayes opens up about the call that changed everything
• (1:10) An online ad, a flashy nickname, and a Trump Tower “birthday party” that seemed too good to pass up
• (5:00) The door opens — and standing there is one of the most beautiful women he’s ever seen
• (7:00) No crowd, no music, no party. Just candlelight, silence, and furniture covered in sheets
• (10:00) American Psycho” vibes and a quiet request involving baby oil and a towel
• (12:00) The awkward moment when a husband enters the room — and the cash hits Sharay’s hand
• (13:45) Was it prostitution? Sharay didn’t think so — until investigators showed up at his door
• (16:00) No direct talk of sex — just loopholes and “Would you like to finish?”
• (18:00) Code words in the industry: one-on-ones, massages, and the rise of wives hired out by their husbands
• (20:00) A hijab, a naked man, and the moment Sharay realizes who’s really behind the whole thing
• (21:30) Balancing self-protection with staying professional — and trying to get out safely
• (22:00) Sheryl reflects on what it means to “go to the source” — and why her phone contacts would terrify a rookie cop

Thanks for listening to another episode! If Zone 7 is part of your weekly routine, show us some love with a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more folks find the show—and helps us keep telling these stories.

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice and the founder/director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute — a collaboration between universities and the criminal justice community that advances techniques for solving unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

Social Links: 

• Email: [email protected] 

• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips 

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum 

• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast 

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