What to know about the sex trafficking trial

– LIVE UPDATES – 

• A woman who is only being referred to by a pseudonym, “Mia,” who used to work as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ personal assistant for several years, testified yesterday accusing Combs of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.
• Today, Mia said she left Combs’ employment in 2017 after he shut down Revolt Films. She hired an employment attorney to work out severance. After nine months of back and forth, she ended up with a sum of $400,000, and took home $200,000 with attorneys taking the rest, she testified, adding that she now has PTSD following the experience.
• In cross-examination, the defense questioned Mia on her social media posts with Combs and on her communications with him in which she said “love you” and praised him as a “mentor and inspiration.” She defended the posts as showing the good parts of her life.
• Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied the allegations against him.

Court is in session

Court is now in session for day 13 of Combs’ racketeering and sex trafficking trial.

Defense wants more time with Combs; judge says there are limits

The defense continued its call for more time to meet with Combs outside courtroom hours and U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian appeared to say there might not be much more he can do to help.

The judge said he could have Combs available to his lawyers, in person, for up to 90 minutes in the morning following at 7 a.m. courthouse arrival and then for another 2½ hours after jurors are sent home.

Those hours are already maxing out the U.S. Marshals Service, the judge added.

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said his side can’t properly show Combs documents and exhibits in his holding space.

Subramanian said he appreciates Combs’ unique needs and will try to get more time and space for the defense. But at some point, the defense might have to accept it’s getting more time with Combs than almost any other federal defendant, the judge added.

‘Mia’ returns to the stand

Mia has returned to the stand, wearing a cream blouse and white jacket, for a second day of direct examination.

‘Mia’ testifies Combs made threats — to kill her and report her to HR

In an Oct. 26, 2015, WhatsApp chat between “Mia” and Combs’ then-chief of staff Kristina Khorram, the witness said Combs “doesn’t sound in his right mind.”

Combs was threatening to kill her and take her to HR, Mia testified.

The peculiar threat of both violence and taking formal employment measures could be one more piece of evidence for prosecutors seeking to show how Combs allegedly used his work as part of a criminal enterprise.

Failure to follow every one of Combs’ orders had a range of consequences, Mia said.

“I would have been in big trouble, gotten fired, lost my job, emotionally or possibly physically abused,” the witness said.

Witness testifies Combs left threatening texts and voicemails after he was caught cheating

Cassie Ventura had caught Combs cheating on her and was left “devastated” and stopped answering his calls when she was in South Africa shooting a movie and Combs was in Miami, “Mia” told the court.

Mia said she woke up to 48 missed calls and messages from Combs and others who worked for him.

‘Call me now’

The jury got a look at Combs’ alleged insatiable need for employees to respond immediately.

The government showed an odd text conversation between “Mia” and Combs with the defendant spouting off with seven consecutive lines of: “Call me now.”

‘Mia’ testifies Combs could explode in rage over anything

“Mia” testified about her recollection of a 2011 incident when she says Combs reacted violently after he asked her to bring him some workout clothes — and the defendant allegedly lost it when he disliked all options presented to him.

“He was just screaming and cursing at me and wouldn’t stop, and then something violent happened,” Mia said, though she couldn’t remember the exact details of this alleged violent act.

When James Cruz, a Bad Boy manager, emailed Mia that day asking who in the company was handling Kids’ Choice Awards ticket requests, the witness responded: “I’d totally help but I’m he is currently firing me at the moment.”

‘Mia’ testifies she stopped working for Combs in 2017 after he decided to shut down Revolt Films

In the fall of 2016, Combs no longer wanted to be involved in Revolt Films and wanted to end it, “Mia” testified. Revolt Films is a media company founded by Combs that Mia worked for as director of development and acquisition.

She said she felt betrayed, confused and rejected by the decision. She continued to work on a documentary project until spring of 2017. She testified she was “heartbroken” by the decision to close Revolt Films, meaning she’d lose her position, and avoided calls from Combs and staff. 

She eventually hired an employment attorney to work out severance, which hurt Combs. After nine months of back-and-forth, she ended up with a sum of $400,000, and took home $200,000 with attorneys taking the rest as compensation for bonuses owed, severance and overtime, she said.

Witness testifies Combs reached out to her after Ventura lawsuit

After Ventura filed her lawsuit against Combs, “Mia” testified the defendant reached out to her, but she said she steered clear of him.

The government showed a Feb. 7, 2024, email from Combs to Mia in which he used kind words in asking for a phone call to have “my memory jogged on a few things.”

But Mia said she didn’t respond.

“I was terrified,” she said. “I know this was a front.”

Mia said she’s believed Combs was fearful of her telling anyone what she’d seen the defendant do over the years.

“Puff wanted (Combs security guard) D-Roc to get to me and make sure I wasn’t a threat,” Mia told jurors.

‘Mia’ says she hasn’t been able to work due to PTSD

When asked under direct examination if she works now, “Mia” said she hasn’t been able to because “I suffer from severe complex PTSD” following her employment with Combs.

She explained that normal situations are “overwhelming” and she feels triggered when someone asks “Where are you?” or if someone says her name across the room.

Cross-examination is about to begin

The defense will now begin to question “Mia.”

Defense seeking to minimize ‘Mia’s’ testimony about abuse

Combs’ defense is clearly trying to undermine “Mia’s” gripping testimony by showing her — and jurors — pictures and social media posts between the two in less-fraught times.

Defense attorney Brian Steele had Mia go through a binder of material showing her and the defendant appearing to enjoy each other’s company.

One picture, which appeared to be from a Burning Man festival in 2013, included Mia, Ventura and Combs.

“You’re standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you?” Steele asked, drawing a “yes” from Mia.

Mia was also shown a YouTube comedy bit, directed by Andy Samberg, depicting her in a hospital gown giving birth with Combs acting as obstetrician.

Defense tries to corner ‘Mia’ on contradictions

The defense questioned “Mia” on her social media posts with Combs and on her communications with him in which she said “love you” and praised him as a “mentor and inspiration.”

She defended the posts as showing the good parts of her life. When asked why she promoted the person who stole her happiness, she said, “I had to support the things Puff supported. It was very confusing, ups and downs.”

The defense tried to call out contradictions in Mia’s testimony — where she said she was in constant fear of upsetting Combs, but would post about being his best friend. 

“It’s easy because the dynamic would shift. When things are good, I felt really safe, you almost forget about those things,” she said, referring to the bad memories. She later said: “It was psychological. I felt responsible for helping him. I felt bad for him. I don’t know how to describe it.” 

Defense wants to show the good times in Combs world

There were clearly some good times during “Mia’s” stint working for Combs and his side of the table wants jurors to see it.

Defense lawyers showed a video of Mia laughing in a comedy video with Rick Ross and images of her celebrating a birthday of Combs’ son Justin.

In her direct testimony, Mia didn’t deny there were some good times in Combs world — but made it clear that the highs were more than offset by the lows.

Party on anniversary of alleged sexual assault

The defense showed pictures of “Mia” at a party wishing Combs a happy birthday — on what would have been the 6-year anniversary of a sexual assault she testified he committed against her.

Mia said she just learned to “shut it down” for that moment.

“I tried to protect that night and shut it down and not think about it again,” she said.

 The defense made Mia read what she wrote about Combs on this birthday:  “Legend, rapper, actor, entrepreneur, an extraterrestrial was born, happy bday thank you for showing me the path to Pluto and beyond.”

Combs is the ‘coolest alien rockstar’ around, victim says

The defense is continuing its effort to minimize any bad acts by Combs, by citing previous kind words from “Mia.”

She effusively praised Combs in a social media posting with pictures of his birthday celebration in late 2016.

The caption Mia wrote and shown in court included a praising F-bomb: “You are the coolest alien rockstar unicorn pizza slice and we f—— lovvvve you!”

‘Mia’ acknowledges she posted Combs on Instagram often, but says all his staffers were expected to post

“Mia” is very engaged during the cross-examination and is confidently claiming ownership of her Instagram posts featuring and praising Combs, despite defense attorney Brian Steel’s attempt to show the disconnect between her claims of suffering at Combs’ hands and her glowing posts about him.

Mia doubled down saying that everyone who worked for Combs was expected to post. She reiterated that back then, people tended to post only about the high moments in life, not the lows.

Trump, asked about pardoning Combs, says he would ‘look at the facts’

Trump is not ruling out a pardon for Combs, telling reporters in the Oval Office this afternoon that he would “certainly look at the facts.”

Trump, asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy whether he would consider taking that step, said “nobody’s asked” but added that “people are thinking about it.”

Trump went on to say that he hasn’t seen or spoken to Combs in years, and that he hasn’t followed Combs’ trial closely.

In a 2012 episode of “The Apprentice,” Trump called Combs “a good friend of mine” and “a good guy.”

In his second term, Trump has issued pardons for various celebrities, including reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley; rapper NBA YoungBoy; and hip-hop star Lil Wayne.

Witness said blaming herself was a defense mechanism

“Mia” testified blaming herself for being the victim of sexual assault was her coping mechanism and shouldn’t interpreted as an excuse for the alleged perpetrator.

“I am a sexual assault victim, just survive,” she said during cross-examination. “I’m unraveling a lot of this now in therapy. Nobody told me, nobody was there to say the things that were happening were wrong.”

In Combs’ world, the victims were always made to feel at fault, she said.

“I was always in trouble and always finding a way not to be in trouble,” Mia explained.

Witness sticks to her allegations against Combs

In the most direct and pointed cross-examination yet, Combs’ defense lawyer Steel asked “Mia” if she was wrong — and that his client never had nonconsensual sex with her.

“What I said is true,” the unwavering witness said. “I have not lied to anyone at all.”

Steel asked Mia if she overestimated the number of times Combs might have inappropriately touched her.

“Everything I said in this courtroom is true,” she said.

‘Mia’ testifies she feared Combs would kill her

When asked point blank by the defense if “Mia” was afraid Combs would kill her, she answered “yes.”

She went on to explain that her “trauma brain” won over her “logic brain” and Combs’ behavior became normalized. Mia said she’s a “pleaser” and “rule follower” who “wanted to do my best and make everybody happy all the time.”

She explained that after something violent, she’d confront him and he’d admit to needing help.

“After something violent, if I was pushed to the edge I would confront him about things, he would say ‘I need help,'” she said.

Witness testifies she was crushed about being let go

“Mia” testified she was devastated about being let go from her job on Combs team, according to a Dec. 6, 2016, text conversation between the witness and the mogul’s chief of staff, Kristina Khorram.

“I’m going to kill myself, my life is over,” Mia wrote about no longer being with Combs. “I’m so heartbroken I can’t breathe.”

Khorram did her best to console the witness about this career setback, which could help the defense minimize or raise doubt about the abuse Mia said she suffered from Combs.

‘Mia’ will return to stand Monday

Judge Subramanian sent jurors home for the weekend, meaning “Mia” will have to come back for more testimony Monday.

The judge reminded jurors to not talk about this case with anyone and be hypervigilant for any trial talk on TV — and to immediately change the channel if Combs’ name is said.

“Have a good weekend,” the judge said.

S: NBC News