Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal assistant testified in court on Monday about why she didn’t come forward sooner with allegations of sexual assault against the music mogul, telling the court she was “terrified and brainwashed” (per Rolling Stone).
The assistant, known under the pseudonym “Mia,” returned to the stand for her third day of testimony, facing aggressive cross-examination from Combs‘ defence attorney Brian Steel. Throughout the questioning, Steel attempted to undermine Mia’s credibility by highlighting instances where she appeared supportive or affectionate towards Combs after the alleged abuse.
Mia explained the complex dynamics of working for someone who was both her alleged abuser and what she described as her “protector.” When Steel questioned her about supportive social media posts and text messages she sent to Combs, Mia responded that the mogul still had a psychological hold over her.
“I was always constantly seeking his approval. He was my authority figure, my only authority figure,” Mia testified.
Steel’s aggressive approach included suggesting Mia had joined “the #MeToo money grab,” which prompted objections from the prosecution. The judge frequently sided with the prosecution, sustaining approximately 10 objections in as many minutes at one point. Prosecutor Maurene Comey expressed concern that Steel’s tone would not be reflected in court transcripts and accused him of trying to “humiliate” Mia.
When questioned about why there was no documentation of the alleged abuse despite her constantly filming Combs and taking notes, Mia explained she “would not have been allowed to film that” and only captured “whatever he wanted me to film.” She added that documenting abuse would have been a “huge break of trust, loyalty, and confidentiality.”
Mia testified that she didn’t realise the full extent of the abuse while it was happening. “I wanted to continue following my dreams. I was finally making real stuff, and I had a separation from him,” she said when asked if she would have continued working for Combs if given the chance.
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The former assistant explained her motivation for testifying, saying, “Because I can’t look my niece and goddaughter in the eyes… in the future if they happen to be in this situation.”
During her previous testimony, Mia detailed eight years working for Combs between 2009 and 2017, describing how she fluctuated between feeling like his best friend and “a worthless piece of crap.” She alleged Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times, including on his 40th birthday at the Plaza Hotel, inside his bedroom closet, and on a staff bunk bed while she slept.
“I always thought that it was the last time, and if there ever was a next time, I would somehow be more prepared,” Mia testified. “We would have to get right back into work, and there was so much going on, I never processed it. I never thought it would happen again.”
Mia is identified as Victim-4 in the criminal indictment against Combs. Prosecutors accuse the mogul of using his wealth and business empire to fulfil his sexual desires through crimes including physical assault, threats, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the five felony counts against him.
Following Mia’s testimony, the jury briefly heard from Sylvia Oken, area director of sales and marketing at the Beverly Hills Hotel, who testified that Combs would often use aliases when booking hotel rooms, including “Frank Black” and “Phillip Pines.”
