Introduction to the Case
The assistant, who uses the pseudonym "Mia", testified that she was repeatedly attacked by Sean "Diddy" Combs from 2009 to 2017 and was forced into sexual acts. Mia claimed that she was treated like she was walking on eggshells, trying to please Combs in the middle of his alleged cases of sexual attacks, all while working tirelessly without getting paid for overtime.
The Alleged Abuse
According to Mia, the first time she was sexually attacked was a few months into her employment, when she was at the Plaza Hotel in New York. At that time, Combs had just met the 19-year-old singer and soon-to-be girlfriend Cassie Ventura and hired Mia to work on a 10-album deal with his Bad Boy Records. Mia described the therapy she underwent as part of her recovery from the post-traumatic stress of her time with Combs, which was marked by hot and cold treatment, control, and verbal abuse.
The End of Her Employment
In 2016, after eight years of working for Combs, Mia was finally released from her job. However, Combs did not tell her directly that she was let go. Instead, she was informed by another manager that Revolt Films, the company she was working for, was being shut down. Mia described the devastation she felt when the carpet was pulled from under her, and the only world she knew was suddenly taken away.
The Court Proceedings
During the court proceedings, Mia’s testimony was cross-examined by Combs’ defense attorney, Brian Steel. Steel questioned Mia about why she continued to work for Combs despite the alleged abuse and why she often went above and beyond her job responsibilities to create homemade gifts for him. Mia replied that she was a loving person and was trying to please Combs, but Steel quickly countered, "To her rapist? To the man who sexually attacked her?"
Defense Strategy
The defense strategy was to discredit Mia’s allegations of sexual assault and reduce the impact of the alleged abuse by showing moments when she was friendly and affectionate with Combs, especially on his birthdays. Steel asked Mia how she could post happy birthday messages to someone who had allegedly attacked her, and she replied that it was expected of her as his assistant.
Key Testimony
At one point during the cross-examination, Steel asked Mia point-blank, "Mr. Combs never had non-consensual, non-mutual sexual contact with you, did he?" Mia replied, "What I said in this courtroom is true. I have not lied to anyone at all." After being released from her job, Mia hired a lawyer and sought a settlement, eventually receiving $400,000, which she said was reduced to $200,000 after legal fees.
Ongoing Proceedings
The cross-examination continues, with the trial set to resume on Monday. In a related development, President Trump commented on the case, saying that he would "look at the facts" if Combs was found guilty and that he hadn’t seen or spoken to Combs in years.
