Sean “Diddy” Combs’s former assistant “Mia” returned to the witness stand on Monday, kicking off the fourth week of testimony in the music mogul’s sex trafficking trial.
Mia, who was given a pseudonym to protect her identity, testified that she did not report Combs’s sexual abuse because she was “terrified and brainwashed” by him. Her testimony comes after Combs’s attorney Brian Steel asked her if she told the truth when she testified last week that Combs sexually assaulted her.
"I would not lie in this courtroom," Mia responded. "I never lied in this courtroom. Everything I have said is true."
The day ended with brief testimony from Sylvia Oken, director of sales and marketing at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Documents from her hotel revealed Combs booked rooms under the name “Frank Black.” The jury also saw a $500 bill from the hotel, which included charges for “oil damage.”
The high-profile trial in New York has attracted significant attention, including from President Donald Trump, who has not ruled out a potential pardon for Combs if the rap star is convicted.
“Nobody’s asked, but I know people are thinking about it,” Trump said last week.
Combs is facing five federal courts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Key points
- Recap: Mia faces cross-examination
- Mia testifies she was 'terrified and brainwashed'
- 'He used to like me a lot': Trump speculates over Diddy's trial
- Key moments from week three of trial
Jury dismissed
20:14 , Katie HawkinsonJudge Arun Subramanian has dismissed the jury for the day.
Testimony will continue tomorrow morning at Manhattan federal court.
Key moments from week three of trial
10:37 , Rachel ClunAhead of the trial resuming today, here are some of the key moments from the last week of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
- Combs’ former personal assistant “Mia” testified the music mogul repeatedly slammed a bathroom door on her arm and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
- She said part of her job was to “keep tabs on” Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend, whom she witnessed being abused by Diddy multiple times
- Capricorn Clark, another former assistant to Diddy, told his trial the rapper allegedly kidnapped her in 2011, and set out to kill Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi.
- Diddy’s former stylist was keen for the court to know that he allegedly played matchmaker for Cassie Ventura and Hollywood A-lister Michael B Jordan.
'He used to like me a lot': Trump speculates over Diddy's trial
10:44 , Rachel ClunPresident Donald Trump mused about Sean “Diddy” Comb’s sex trafficking trial last week, and said people were “thinking about” asking him to pardon the music mogul, should he be convicted.
“Nobody’s asked, but I know people are thinking about it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, during an unrelated press conference.
In terms of a potential pardon, Trump said, “I think some people have been very close to asking. First of all, I’d look at what’s happening, and I haven’t been watching it too closely…I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him in years.”
The president added, “He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics, sort of, that relationship busted up from what I read…you become a much different person when you run for politics and you do what’s right…our country’s doing really well because of what we’re doing.”
Trump speculates about possible Diddy pardon as rap mogul’s trial continues
'Mia' expected to resume testimony
11:00 , Rachel ClunSean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant “Mia”, who was given a pseudonym to protect her identity, is expected to reappear in the witness box in the New York trial today.
Last week, she testified that Combs subjected her to physical abuse and sexual assault while she worked for him, in a job that kept her up at all hours - including one stint of working around the clock for five days straight.
“It was chaotic. It was toxic,” she said of the work environment last week. “It could be exciting. The highs were really high and the lows were really low.”
She was aggressively cross examined by Combs’s lawyers last week. At one point, Brian Steel accused Mia of lying about being sexually assaulted by the rapper.
Celebrities are reportedly hiring lawyers to avoid testifying at Diddy’s trial
10:42 , Rachel ClunIn the three weeks of the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, some celebrities have already been called to testify and many more have been mentioned.
Now, several high-profile celebrities are apparently so nervous they might be called to testify that they’ve hired lawyers, according to reports.
"I have heard that there are some celebrities worried about being called to testify and have even lawyered up trying to fight that," TMZ founder Harvey Levin told Fox News Digital.
Read the full report below:
Celebrities are reportedly hiring lawyers to avoid testifying at Diddy’s trial
50 Cent claims he will intervene with Trump to stop any Diddy pardon
11:35 , Rachel ClunRapper 50 Cent has vowed to make Donald Trump “aware” of his thoughts about Sean “Diddy” Combs, days after the president mused about a potential pardon for the music mogul.
Last week when asked about potentially granting Combs clemency, Trump said: “Nobody’s asked, but I know people are thinking about it.”
Later, 50 Cent voiced his opinion, saying on Instagram: “He said some really bad things about Trump. it’s not ok. Im gonna reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy.”
The rapper doubled down on that position on Saturday.
“Donald doesn’t take well to disrespect, and doesn’t forget who chooses to go against him. while working tirelessly to make America great again there is no room for distraction,” he wrote on the social media platform.
Read the full report below:
50 Cent claims he will personally intervene with Trump to stop any pardon of Diddy
Former assistant stunned into silence as Diddy's defense team accuse her of making up rape claim
11:54 , Rachel ClunDuring her testimony last week, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs was stunned into silence after being accused by the mogul’s lawyers of fabricating her allegations of rape.
The assistant, who is being referred to by the pseudonym “Mia,” appeared so taken aback with the question that she went silent, stuttering occasionally while processing the line of questioning. “Everything I’ve said in this courtroom is true,” she said.
Mia was aggressively cross-examined by Combs’ defense lawyers on Friday, one day after bombshell allegation that she was once raped by the mogul at his Los Angeles home.
Her cross examination is expected to continue today.
Diddy assistant stunned into silence as defense accuses her of making up rape claim
Bill Maher sparks backlash over Cassie and Diddy comments
12:12 , Rachel ClunBill Maher has ignited fury over his latest comments about the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial.
To close out Friday night’s Real Time With Bill Maher episode, the host delivered a monologue about the music mogul’s ongoing trial and his thoughts on abuse and stardom.
Read his comments and the backlash to them in the full report below:
Bill Maher sparks backlash over Cassie and Diddy comments as trial continues
Watch; Trump speculates about possible Diddy pardon
12:30 , Rachel ClunThe celebrities mentioned during Diddy’s sex trafficking trial
12:49 , Rachel ClunThe sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs continues in Manhattan federal court, where jurors heard testimony that mentioned a few A-list stars.
Read who has been named during the proceedings below:
The celebrities mentioned during Diddy’s sex trafficking trial
Sunny morning as week four of the trial begins
13:11 , Ariana BaioAriana Baio reports from New York:
I’m back at the federal court for the continuation of cross-examination of “Mia”, a former Combs employee who has testified about witnessing and experiencing his abuse.
It’s a sunny but cool morning here in Manhattan.
On Friday, we left off in cross-examination with Brian Steel, a defense attorney for Combs, questioning “Mia’s” testimony using old social media posts she made praising Combs.
Steel accused “Mia” of lying about her recount of sexual abuse at the hands of Combs - insinuating it was not unwanted.
A recap of Diddy's ex-assistant's recent testimony
13:31 , Rachel Clun
Diddy employee ‘Mia’ says music mogul repeatedly slammed her arm in bathroom door
Watch: Everything to know about the Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial
13:53 , Rachel ClunWho will testify after Mia?
14:07 , Katie HawkinsonProsecutors named four witnesses they will call after Sean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-assistant Mia finishes testifying.
The list included Eddie Garcia, who worked in security at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Video footage released last year shows Combs beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the hotel in 2016.
Forensic video expert Frank Piazza and a hotel custodian are also expected to testify soon.
Mia on the stand
14:25Sean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-assistant, who is testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” is back on the stand as the defense continues their cross-examination.
Catch up on the beginning of her cross-examination as court resumes:
Diddy assistant stunned into silence as defense accuses her of making up rape claim
Defense points out Mia's work history
14:39 , Katie HawkinsonSean “Diddy” Combs’s defense attorney asked Mia about her resume and work history before she assisted the music mogul.
Mia’s resume says she worked for comedian Mike Myers from 2008 to 2009.
Defense reads Mia's texts to Diddy
15:01Sean “Diddy” Combs’s defense attorney is reading out texts Mia sent to the music mogul.
Around Christmas 2018, Mia texted Combs, “Merry Christmas love you so so much.” Mia testified she had just seen Combs at Kim Porter’s funeral. Porter, who had three kids with Combs, died in November 2018.
In January 2019, Mia texted Combs that she was thinking about him after she had a dream that he saved her from being trapped in an elevator with R. Kelly. Two months later, Mia wrote to Combs, “all the love in the world.”
Mia testified she sent these texts because she was still under Combs’s grip “psychologically,” even though she didn’t work for him anymore.
Mia says she saw Diddy as her 'protector'
15:14 , Katie HawkinsonMia testified that she saw Sean “Diddy” Combs as her “protector” while being cross-examined today.
Her statement came after the defense asked her about a 2019 text she sent to Combs. In the text, Mia said she was thinking about him after she had a dream that he saved her from being trapped in an elevator with R. Kelly.
Mia says she didn't record Diddy's outbursts
15:16 , Katie HawkinsonMia testified that she never filmed Sean “Diddy” Combs’s outbursts because it would be a “huge break of trust, loyalty and confidentiality.”
“I would not have been allowed to film that,” Mia testified. “I was filming whatever he wanted me to film.”
Mia also said she never texted a friend about Combs’s alleged violence.
Defense tries to discredit Mia's claims of sexual abuse
15:23 , Katie HawkinsonSean “Diddy” Combs’s defense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia if she was telling the truth when she testified last week that Combs sexually assaulted her.
"I would not lie in this courtroom," Mia responded. "I never lied in this courtroom. Everything I have said is true."
Steel asked a similar question when he began cross-examining Mia on Friday.
Steel also asked Mia if she ever wrote to “a friend, family member, police officer, anybody” telling them she was assaulted.
“No, the only time I reached out for help was very subtly to people in the office, but not disclosing things that other people hadn’t witnessed,” Mia responded. “No, I would never.”
Earlier today, Steel showed the jury several texts Mia sent to Combs from 2018 to 2020.
Mia testifies she was brainwashed
15:27 , Katie HawkinsonMia testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs brainwashed her and that she was seeking his approval constantly.
“I was always constantly seeking his approval,” she said. “He was my authority figure, my only authority figure.”
Mia says Combs's alleged abuse forced her to internalize 'blame and shame'
15:42 , Katie HawkinsonMia said Sean “Diddy” Combs’s alleged abuse forced her to internalize “blame and shame.”
“Nobody acted like what was happening to me was wrong, and his threats about that he was going to tell Cassie about what happened made me internalize blame and shame,” Mia testified.
Jury shown video of Combs's birthday party
15:52 , Katie HawkinsonThe defense showed the jury a video from Sean “Diddy” Combs’s 44th birthday party in 2013.
In the video, Mia said she’s blessed to call Combs a friend and thanked him for “being one of the biggest inspirations in my life.”
Mia says she was 'scared of' Combs 'when he was scary'
15:59 , Katie HawkinsonDefense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia if she was scared of Sean “Diddy” Combs the entire time she knew him.
"I was scared of him when he was scary, yes," she responded.
Court paused as judge warned defense about line of questioning
16:19 , Katie HawkinsonCourt briefly paused this morning as Judge Arun Subramanian told Sean “Diddy” Combs’s attorney Brian Steel that he had asked improper argumentative questions.
The remark came after prosecutors accused Steel of yelling at Mia and posing argumentative questions.
Subramanian said he didn’t hear any yelling or sarcasm, but warned Steel not to ask questions he knows will get struck from the record just so the jury can hear them.
Court has since resumed and Mia is back on the stand.
Mia says Diddy tracked Cassie's car
16:39 , Katie HawkinsonMia testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs placed a tracker on Cassie Ventura’s car.
She added that Combs often stole her and Ventura’s phones.
“He has stolen my phone many times, he has stolen Cassie’s phone many times, he has put tracking devices on her car,” Mia testified.
Mia says she couldn't tell Cassie Ventura 'the truth about a lot of things'
16:48 , Katie HawkinsonMia testified she was close to Sean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, but that she wasn’t “allowed to tell her the truth about a lot of things.”
Mia said she didn’t tell Ventura that Combs assaulted her. She also hid his whereabouts from Ventura.
"I remember covering for him and feeling terrible about it," she testified.
“One of the worst parts was being put in the middle and having to cover up for Puff to Cass, which he forced me to do constantly,” she added.
Mia testified she never told Ventura to leave Combs, but that she wished she had.
Mia asked Combs for $10 million after leaving employment
16:57 , Katie HawkinsonMia said she asked Sean “Diddy” Combs for $10 million in mediation over her severance after she stopped working for him.
Mia said they eventually settled on $400,000, which her lawyers retained half of.
She testified she did not mention her claims of sexual abuse during the mediation.
Defense asks Mia when she told prosecutors about her sexual assault claims
17:08 , Katie HawkinsonDefense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia when she told prosecutors that Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her.
Mia said she doesn’t remember, but that she didn’t tell them until she retained a lawyer. Mia said the reason she waited is “privileged.”
Steel suggested it took Mia seven or eight months to tell prosecutors about her claims.
Court breaks for lunch
17:15 , Katie HawkinsonJudge Arun Subramanian has dismissed the jury for a lunch break.
Defense attorney Brian Steel will continue cross-examining Mia after the break.
Mid-day recap: Defense cross-examines Mia
18:11 , Ariana Baio, Katie HawkinsonDefense attorney Brian Steel continued his cross-examination of Sean “Diddy” Combs’s former assistant, Mia.
Steel seemed to start questioning Mia about her retention of Shawn Crowley, an attorney who previously represented E. Jean Carroll in Carroll v. Trump.
Steel also asked Mia if she wanted to be a part of the case to participate in the “Me Too money grab,” which the witness scoffed at. Steel was referring to #MeToo, a social movement that drew attention to sexual abuse and harassment.
After Steel began asking Mia questions about her “loving” text messages to Combs between 2018 and 2023, Combs could also be seen nodding his head in agreement.
When asked why she never told friends or family about the abuse she endured, Mia said didn’t have time and she was ashamed.
Steel then pointed out that there were various moments she was with friends and family.
“I was never outside of his grip,” Mia said, referring to Combs.
Mia has the same demeanor as last week: timid, head down most of the time and often unsure of her answers.
Mia reveals she once worked for Madonna
18:31 , Katie HawkinsonMia, Sean “Diddy” Combs’s former assistant who is testifying under a pseudonym, said she worked for Madonna in 2017.
Mia took the job after she stopped working for Combs.
Defense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia if she was let go from Combs’s company over alcohol abuse, to which she replied, “Absolutely not.”
Mia says her 'entire world' was gone when Diddy's company shut down
18:55 , Katie HawkinsonMia said her “entire world” was “ripped away” when Sean “Diddy” Combs’s company, Revolt Films, shut down.
Mia had worked at the company for several years.
“My entire world was being ripped away from me immediately,” Mia testified. “And even if in hindsight that world was awful, I didn’t know it at the time.”
“I wanted to continue following my dreams. I was finally making real stuff, and I had a separation from him,” she said of Combs.
Last week, Steel showed text messages to the jury that Mia sent about the company’s closure.
"I'm going to kill myself, my life is over," Mia wrote in the 2016 text. "I'm so heartbroken I can't breathe."
If you or someone you know is in distress, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988 or by visiting 988lifeline.org.
Diddy told Cassie they were exclusive, Mia testifies
19:09Sean “Diddy” Combs’s former assistant Mia testified that Cassie Ventura believed her relationship with the music mogul was exclusive.
“He presented to her that they were exclusive,” Mia said.
But Mia said she didn’t recall Ventura being jealous of Kim Porter, who had three kids with Combs.
Mia says she didn't consider reporting Diddy's abuse
19:22 , Katie HawkinsonMia said she did not consider reporting Sean “Diddy” Combs’s alleged sexual abuse, or even doing so anonymously.
Mia previously testified that she didn’t report the abuse because she was scared for her life. Today, she reiterated that she Combs threatened her life and physically assaulted her.
Earlier today, Mia also said she didn’t report the abuse because she was “terrified and brainwashed.”
Defense ends cross-examination
19:32Defense attorney Brian Steel has finished cross-examining Mia.
The prosecution is now questioning Sean “Diddy” Combs’s former assistant on re-direct examination.
Prosecutors ask Mia about working for Diddy
19:46 , Katie HawkinsonProsecutor Madison Smyser questioned Mia further about her experience working for Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Mia said she was scared of getting “screamed” at if she didn’t do her job well.
“I would be screamed at, humiliated, made fun of, and my job would be threatened,” Mia said.
Mia testified she felt like she couldn’t leave her job.
“I would’ve been stripped of any credibility, wouldn’t have been able to get a job in the same or any industry that I wanted and would’ve lost anything I knew,” she testified.
She also said Combs would make her seem “crazy” if she reported his abuse.
“I wouldn’t be believed,” Mia testified. “I would be wiped out, I would be abused, fired, and somehow made out to look like I was, I was a crazy person making everything up.”
Mia finishes testifying
19:49 , Katie HawkinsonProsecutors have finished their re-direct examination of Mia. She has now finished testifying.
'Worst thing I have ever had to talk about': Mia describes testifying about Diddy's abuse
19:56 , Katie HawkinsonBefore she was dismissed, a prosecutor asked Mia if she had ever been able to talk about Sean “Diddy” Combs’s alleged abuse without looking down.
Mia responded that discussing the alleged abuse was “the worst thing I have ever had to talk about in my life.”
Prosecutors call hotel employee to the stand
19:58 , Katie HawkinsonProsecutors called Sylvia Oken, director of sales and marketing at the Beverly Hills Hotel, to the stand.
Oken will serve as a custodial witness, meaning she will testify about the authenticity of certain hotel records that have been submitted as evidence.
Jury sees hotel documents from Diddy and Cassie's stays
20:11 , Katie HawkinsonProsecutors are showing the jury documents from the Beverly Hills Hotel related to Sean “Diddy” Combs’s stays there.
Witness Sylvia Oken testified that she made a reservation for Sean “Diddy” Combs under the name “Frank Black.” The reservation, which was shown to the jury, lists Cassie Ventura as an accompanying guest who could make changes to the booking.
The jury also saw a $500 bill from the hotel to Combs, which included charges for “oil damage.”
Recap: Mia faces cross-examination
20:44 , Katie Hawkinson, Ariana BaioSean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-assistant Mia faced cross-examination from his attorney Brian Steel as she finished testifying today.
Mia, who is testifying under a pseudonym, testified last week that Combs sexually assaulted her. Today, she told his defense attorneys she didn’t report the abuse because she was “terrified and brainwashed.”
Mia added that the alleged abuse she faced forced her to internalize “blame and shame.”
“Nobody acted like what was happening to me was wrong, and his threats about that he was going to tell Cassie about what happened made me internalize blame and shame,” Mia testified.
Mia also discussed her career, noting she worked for comedian Mike Myers before working for Combs. She then worked for Madonna after leaving Combs’s company.
During re-direct examination, prosecutors asked Mia why she kept her head down for most of her testimony.
She responded that “it’s the worst thing I’ve ever had to talk about in my life.”
Mia added that she chose to speak out about the alleged abuse because of her family.
"Because I can’t look my niece or my goddaughters in the eyes…in the future if they happen to be in this situation,” she testified.
The day ended with brief testimony from Sylvia Oken, director of sales and marketing at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Documents from her hotel revealed Combs booked rooms under the name “Frank Black.” The jury also saw a $500 bill from the hotel, which included charges for “oil damage.”
Tomorrow, the prosecution is expected to call Eddie Garcia, who worked in security at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Video footage released last year shows Combs beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the hotel in 2016.
Garcia received an immunity order, which means he can’t be prosecuted for what he says on the stand. However, this doesn’t apply to perjury, meaning he’s still required to tell the truth.
Who is expected to testify on Tuesday?
20:47 , Katie Hawkinson, Ariana BaioProsecutors are expected to call Eddie Garcia to the stand tomorrow morning. He worked in security at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles.
Video footage released last year shows Combs beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the hotel in 2016.
Garcia received an immunity order, which means he can’t be prosecuted for what he says on the stand. However, this doesn’t apply to perjury, meaning he’s still required to tell the truth.
Prosecutors are also expected to call forensic video expert Frank Piazza and a witness going by the pseudonym “Jane.”
Jamie Foxx says Black community has lost a ‘hero’ in Diddy
20:48 , Kevin E G PerryJamie Foxx has said the Black community lost a “hero” after the public downfall of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The comedian and actor, 57, was appearing at a Netflix event at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood to discuss his recent special What Had Happened Was... ahead of Emmy voting season.
Combs is currently in court in New York as his sex trafficking trial enters the fourth week of testimony.
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