Popular sketch artist​ Jane Rosenberg​ was 'accused' of drawing koala bears, dogs in courtroom

In a courtroom where words weigh heavily and justice hangs in the balance, artist Jane Rosenberg’s pencil has found a different kind of spotlight—one that's often unintentionally funny, sometimes tender, and always human.

While the trials she covers deal with serious allegations—from civil fraud to sex trafficking—it’s her courtroom sketches that sometimes lighten the mood, drawing comparisons not just to people, but to pets, cartoon animals, and, yes, even koalas.This week, that lighter moment came during a break in the federal sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. According to a report from Reuters, Combs turned to Rosenberg, seated in the front row, and made a polite but pointed request: "Soften me up a bit, you're making me look like a koala bear."Combs, 55, who has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, appeared in court wearing sweaters, his hair graying, and his goatee giving him a softer look—one that, at least in his view, had crossed into marsupial territory under Rosenberg’s pencil.

Sketches that stir reactions

Rosenberg, a veteran courtroom sketch artist, is one of the most recognizable names in the field. With cameras banned in many U.S.

courtrooms, her artwork becomes the public’s only visual access to high-profile legal proceedings.In Sean "Diddy" Combs’s federal trial, cameras are not allowed because it’s a federal court case, and Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53 prohibits electronic media coverage. To provide the public with a visual representation of the proceedings, Reuters and other news outlets are using courtroom sketch artists like Rosenberg to illustrate the events.

But Sean Combs is far from the first to joke about her portrayals.Earlier this year, Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, had his own reaction after seeing Rosenberg’s depiction of him during a civil case tied to his false claims about the 2020 election. "You made me look like my dog," Giuliani reportedly told her. He didn’t specify which dog, but the comparison was memorable enough to go viral.Then there was Donald Trump Jr.

in 2023. During a civil fraud trial involving the Trump family real estate empire, he too offered some unsolicited feedback. According to Rosenberg, he told her, "Make me look sexy."

It’s moments like these that show how courtroom art—intended to be neutral and documentary in nature—can stir up vanity, humor, and even affection. While Rosenberg maintains a professional tone and consistent artistic style, the reactions of her subjects often turn her drawings into unintentional conversation pieces.

Art in the midst of seriousness

These human touches don't take away from the gravity of the cases. Sean Combs, for instance, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. Still, throughout the proceedings, he has occasionally lightened the mood with hand gestures—forming a heart with his hands toward family seated in the gallery.That said, levity can sometimes push boundaries. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian rebuked Combs for nodding at the jury during his lawyer’s cross-examination. The judge called it "unacceptable" and warned he would remove Combs from the courtroom if it happened again.