Making the Band’s Que - addressing the trial and finding healing from the pain

Summary

Podcast Summary: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial

Episode: Making the Band’s Que - Addressing the Trial and Finding Healing from the Pain
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Hosted By: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes
Special Guest: Aubrey O’Day

---

Introduction

In this poignant episode of Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present, Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes to delve deep into the highly publicized trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Drawing from her personal experiences as Diddy’s former protege and her time with the band Day26, Aubrey provides a unique and heartfelt perspective on the events that have shocked fans and the music industry alike.

---

Emotional Impact on Participants

The discussion opens with Aubrey O’Day and Q (Quanelle Mosley) sharing their immediate reactions to the unfolding trial proceedings.

• Aubrey O’Day (04:04): “I think this case is very disgusting to see and hear the things that went on in the relationship between Cassie and Diddy. I’m just overwhelmed.”
• Q (03:39): “This is some heavy stuff. You’re having to relive a lot of trauma.”

Both guests convey a profound sense of distress and emotional turmoil as they navigate the revelations of the trial.

---

The Relationship with Diddy

Aubrey elaborates on her professional and personal relationship with Diddy, highlighting underlying tensions and perceived intentions.

• Aubrey O’Day (05:00): “I call Diddy Mr. Mogul. I feel like he respected me being in Day26, but he didn’t respect that I was dating one of his artists.”
• Aubrey O’Day (05:26): “I felt like he didn’t want any other man. He wanted full control.”

These statements shed light on the complexities of her interactions with Diddy, suggesting a power dynamic fraught with manipulation.

---

Specific Incidents and Memories

Aubrey recounts a particularly unsettling experience in the Hamptons, illustrating the blurred lines between professional obligations and personal safety.

• Aubrey O’Day (07:38): “Diddy's energy just felt so weird... It was a friendly invitation to something.”
• Aubrey O’Day (08:15): “I took ecstasy and blacked out, waking up screaming in the basement. It felt very sacrificial.”

This incident underscores the traumatic events that have significantly impacted her mental health.

---

Mental Health Consequences

The guests discuss the severe mental health repercussions resulting from their experiences.

• Aubrey O’Day (09:38): “I felt scared and paranoid around him sometimes.”
• Aubrey O’Day (47:57): “I was dealing with paranoia... I was walking around with a screwdriver, thinking I was seeing dinosaurs.”

These admissions highlight the long-term psychological effects of the alleged abuse and manipulation.

---

Family Perspective: Nicole (Q’s Mother)

Nicole shares her heartbreaking experience witnessing her son's descent into mental health struggles, attributing a significant portion to Diddy's influence.

• Nicole (19:24): “I had to guide him right because he was so young.”
• Nicole (43:25): “No parent should have to see their child go through anything like what I’ve seen.”

Her testimony adds a familial dimension to the narrative, emphasizing the widespread impact of Diddy's actions.

---

Abuse, Manipulation, and Influence in "Making the Band"

Aubrey and Q discuss the broader patterns of control and abuse within the environment fostered by Diddy during their time on "Making the Band."

• Aubrey O’Day (22:35): “They come after the young, the oppressed, people they can manipulate.”
• Q (31:47): “You’re either on the side of the victims or you defend the bad guy.”

This segment delves into how Diddy's influence extended beyond professional boundaries, exploiting the vulnerability of young artists.

---

Balancing Victim and Accomplice Narratives

The conversation shifts to the complex dynamics of being both a victim and an unintended accomplice within Diddy's sphere of influence.

• Q (32:35): “As a woman, it's hard to think about being both a victim and being an accomplice.”
• Aubrey O’Day (29:26): “Don’t believe everything before you hear the truth. Be respectful of everyone's trauma.”

The guests grapple with societal perceptions and the difficulty in defining their roles amidst abuse and manipulation.

---

Conclusion: Path to Healing

The episode concludes with reflections on the ongoing journey towards healing and understanding the full extent of their experiences.

• Aubrey O’Day (48:19): “I am just healing. I’ve got better around 2020.”
• Nicole (45:53): “If I could give it all back, I would. No parent should have to see their child go through this.”

Both Aubrey and Nicole emphasize the importance of healing and the desire to move forward while acknowledging the lingering pain and unanswered questions.

---

Key Takeaways

• Personal Trauma: Both Aubrey O’Day and Q have endured significant emotional and psychological trauma due to their experiences with Diddy.
• Manipulative Influence: Diddy's control extended beyond professional mentorship, impacting personal relationships and mental health.
• Family Impact: Nicole’s testimony underscores the widespread effects of Diddy's actions on families and young individuals.
• Complex Narratives: The guests explore the nuanced positions of being both victims and unwitting participants in a manipulative environment.
• Healing and Recovery: Despite the harrowing experiences, both Aubrey and Nicole are on a path to healing, emphasizing resilience and the pursuit of truth.

---

Notable Quotes

• Aubrey O’Day (04:04): “I think this case is very disgusting to see and hear the things that went on in the relationship between Cassie and Diddy. I’m just overwhelmed.”
• Q (31:47): “You’re either on the side of the victims or you defend the bad guy.”
• Nicole (19:24): “I had to guide him right because he was so young.”

---

This episode offers a raw and unfiltered look into the personal toll of public trials and the hidden struggles faced by those within the entertainment industry's inner circles. By sharing their stories, Aubrey O’Day, Q, and Nicole aim to shed light on the pervasive issues of abuse and manipulation, advocating for greater understanding and support for victims.

Transcript

[Carrie]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report Saks off 5th up to 70% off every day Spring is in full swing here at Saks.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Off fifth with so many exciting trends to try, from matching sets and floral dresses to wide leg jeans and chic accessories.

[Carrie]

Find all of the season's must have styles plus shop new designer arrivals weekly. Find Gucci, Valentino, Garavanni, Versace, Stuart Weitzman and more. Head to Saksaw5th.com or a Saks Off 5th store near you for for up to 70% off every day you see the world differently. Where others see empty lots, you see blueprints. Where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action, Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions.

[Justin Richmond]

This is Justin Richmond from Broken Record. Are you the kind of person who sets standards for themselves? Like personally, I told myself if the Lakers lose or do or die game five, I wouldn't let it impact my mood at home with family. The standard Lexus has set for themselves is to experience amazing Lexus measures success by the feelings and emotions evoked in a driver, like exhilaration and joy. Amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level. The standard of amazing results in machines that make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer.

[Nicole]

At California Psychics we know some people can't read the career warning signs like your boss still not knowing your name.

[Carrie]

You, Tina, Lisa, Sheila, whatever. Get that report to me by lunch, okay? It's Carrie, ma' am. Just get it done.

[Nicole]

Terry so talk to California psychics and receive the career guidance you need. We only connect you with the very best, so guarantee if your reading isn't life changing, it's free. California psychics visit californiapsychics.com today for limited time offers. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present.

[Carrie]

Aubrey O' Day covering the Diddy trial.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Is based on transcripts, sources and reporting from the courtroom.

[Justin Richmond]

As is obvious, Aubrey O.

[Carrie]

Day is not present in the courtroom during the proceedings. Amy and TJ presents Aubrey o' Day.

[Justin Richmond]

Covering the Diddy trial.

[Carrie]

Welcome, everyone, to this edition of Amy and TJ Presents. Aubrey o' Day covering the Diddy trial. Yes, we are talking all things Sean Diddy Combs while he is on trial here in Manhattan facing five federal counts and facing life in prison. And we've been speaking with Aubrey because, of course, she is. Well, she was one of his proteges in her band, Danity Kane. She knows him well. She certainly has been offering her perspective. But with us today, today, first of all, we have, well, he's known as Q. His actual name is Quanelle Mosley. He's an American singer. You may remember him from the band Day 26, also with making the band. So he and Aubrey go way back. Thank you all. How are you all doing? This is, this is some heavy stuff. You're having to relive a lot of trauma. How are each of you doing? Aubrey, we'll start with you.

[Q]

Oh, just that introduction alone just gave me, like, stomach flips. You feel that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's heavy right now.

[Justin Richmond]

I mean, it was a hell of a week. We've been talking to you for several days here and hanging out with you here in New York, but. Q. This is the first time we've gotten a chance to talk to you and get a reaction. What is your first reaction after the first week of full testimonies in the books?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Well, honestly, in my opinion, I think this case is, is, it's very disgusting to see and to hear the things that went on in the relationship between Cassie and Diddy. And I'm just like, like, I'm overwhelmed. Like, I try to avoid it, watching it on tv, but I click on the media and it's like right there.

[Q]

Why are you overwhelmed? Well, did you know those things were happening?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Honestly? Yes, I didn't know those things were happening as, not the freak offs, but as far as, like the abuse part, you know, I did hear about it and I was around certain, certain times when they were arguing on the phone and stuff. Yeah, I was very, very overwhelmed. Like, I don't want to see no more of this. Q.

[Carrie]

How would you describe your relationship with Diddy?

[Aubrey O'Day]

With Diddy? Okay. Well, I call Diddy Mr. Mogul. My relationship with him, I would say, as a Boss. I feel like he respected me being in day 26, but I feel like, honestly, Aubrey, he didn't respect the fact that I was dating one of his artists.

[Q]

Dating Don?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yes.

[Q]

He didn't respect that.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I don't think he did. I think he kind of was intimidated in a way. And even though he had all this money and he was powerful and had everything in the world, I felt like he was intimidated by me dating her.

[Q]

Why would he be intimidated by her?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Because he wanted to control and manipulate the situation. He wanted full control. He didn't want any other. I felt like he didn't want any other man.

[Q]

So you felt like he wanted full control of Dawn?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yes, I feel like that, yes.

[Justin Richmond]

You thought he was after her in a romantic way, or he just didn't like anybody. Any other man in a territory of his at all.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I felt like it was. The feelings I would get were like. Because I was dating her. So I felt like, does he like me sometimes? Does he not like me? Does he want me around and my being around? Because, you know, he doesn't want. Like, he doesn't want me around because, like. Like, I'll find out. Too much information. Like, I thought all.

[Q]

Were you finding out information.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah. I would see things, you know, I would. I would hear things and see things. Yes. And that I. I felt a little scared and paranoid around him sometimes, too. Like.

[Carrie]

Q, can you tell us what you heard and what you saw?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah. Well, I'll go back. I remember, okay, when it first started, when I got paranoid. We were in the Hamptons. We were in the studio in New York City, and I was with Dirty Money at this time. I was around Dirty Money for about a year while they were creating Last Train to Paris. And I guess I was around because I was dating Dawn. I just happened to be around. So Diddy's like. I think he was very, very high. He's like, we're gonna go to the Hamptons. He was like, we're gonna go stay the night there, and you guys want to come. And it felt very weird because he's never. This energy just felt so weird. You know what I mean? He. It was friendly high. You know what I'm saying? Like a friendly invitation to. To something.

[Carrie]

He wasn't usually like that.

[Aubrey O'Day]

No, he's never invited all of us to one of his houses. So we get to the. Before we get to the Hamptons, they're, like, speeding in these black SUVs on the expressway, very, very fast. Like, they were in a rush to get to the Hamptons we get to the Hamptons, and we walk through the house, and we arrive in the backyard near the pool. And my ex at the time, which was dawn, and she gave me a ecstasy pill, and she said.

[Q]

Is that what she said it was?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, she said it was ecstasy, and she said it was from puff to give to me. And it was red, and I took it because I thought I was gonna get freaky with my girlfriend. You know, we tried ecstasy before, and I was. I trusted her that that's what it was. So I took it immediately. And she had one, too. He gave her two of them. I took mine. Within, like, 20 minutes. I knocked out and blacked out. I woke up in the twins bedroom in the basement, and I woke up out of my sleep screaming very, very loud.

[Q]

Who are the twins?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I don't know their names.

[Q]

You're talking about Diddy's twins.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Diddy's twins? Yeah, Diddy's twins. His girls. His girls? Yeah. I woke up in their bed, two cameras filming me, and they were laughing as I woke up out of my sleep screaming. And it felt like, I'm not gonna cry.

[Q]

Okay.

[Carrie]

Yeah. Take your time. It's okay. It's understandable that you're reliving this and emotion comes with it. There's just no way around it. So it's.

[Aubrey O'Day]

It felt very sacrificial. That's what I admit when I said I felt like they were trying to hurt me or Diddy was trying to maybe sacrifice me that night. I didn't say when I went on Vlad tv, I didn't say anything about finding a sacrificial email.

[Q]

Hold on. What he's discussing in regards to Vlad TV is that's one of the interviews that the boys did. He had to leave gaps within that interview, and they decided to fill those gaps. It's kind of what I've experienced this past week. As you guys know, we started this out and it was. You know, we all have this intention to. To talk our way through to the end of this trial and hopefully see justice for whatever we. Whatever is proven and whatever the jury decides. Even you. You had situations that were just made up out of nowhere. So did I. Last week. He was discussing one in which he couldn't say certain things because he's honoring a contract. And within that, people decided to fill in the blank. So he discussed an email. He had tears. People put it together that he's crying over an email. And what it, like, basically tried to, like, suggest that he's not a man and he's boohooing over an email and so on and so forth.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Boozy says something crazy. I don't mean to stop you.

[Q]

Boozy said you have to explain who everybody is.

[Aubrey O'Day]

So little Boozy is a rapper. And respectfully, I want to say to him, like. Like, that's not. You shouldn't have said that. I wanted to get effed by Diddy or. Or that's possibly the reason why I'm crying. You know what I mean? That's messed up. You don't know me at all, Mr. Boosie. And you know, you didn't hear that. The story that I just told. And if you would have heard that, maybe you would have had a different, like, reaction. And into Chopper and to Stevie J. Who also responded, like, respectfully.

[Q]

So basically, these are all people. They are all colleagues of Q's in the. In the industry.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah. I just want to say respectfully to them, just, like, don't believe everything before you actually hear the truth. Because people edit things and I don't have nothing bad to say about them at all. I just want them to just understand that, you know, be respectful to everyone's trauma. You don't know when a person is still healing and going through the process of healing.

[Q]

Yes.

[Aubrey O'Day]

And you can add. You don't know if I'm still thinking, like, I want to hurt myself or I'm scared and thinking someone's gonna. All those mental thoughts. You don't know what I'm going through for you to say those mean things to just add on to my mental health.

[Justin Richmond]

I know there are some details about the incident you described maybe you don't want to get into and.

[Aubrey O'Day]

No, let's get into it. Okay.

[Justin Richmond]

We can. Can I go with how I know you? You can be open about how it made you feel. Right. So you're saying after this particular incident, you. You left there feeling. You called it sacrificial, but did you felt as if they were going to.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Hurt me in my sleep because I woke up screaming. I woke up out of my sleep screaming. So what I mean by it felt like sacrificial. It felt like someone was trying to hurt me or take me out because I possibly couldn't have woke up out of my sleep that night.

[Carrie]

Do you know what happened to you?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I woke up screaming like a girl to the top of my lungs on a high pitch.

[Q]

Well, did you have clothes on?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I think I was in my shorts because I remember jumping into a swimming pool.

[Carrie]

But do you believe that some of what happened to you was recorded on one or many of these iPhones.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Oh, yeah, I. I saw phones and lights. It wasn't a video camera. It was a phone camera light.

[Carrie]

So there are people who do know what happened to you, and there's a reason you believe why they're not telling you.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yes.

[Justin Richmond]

Well, say it again.

[Nicole]

To protect themselves, of course. That's what I feel.

[Justin Richmond]

It seems like after talking to you, you all are in the same position. And as this might be typical at this point, but you all were young folks around this high powered guy in this high powered environment, and you all sitting here 20 years later. Do I have it right? Are in the same boat of trying to still figure out what happened to.

[Q]

You both without all of those pieces put together. You just spend every single hour of every single day, unless you find a way to distract yourself, trying to figure out what you were.

[Carrie]

In Q, you say, now I'm wondering.

[Q]

What my group was.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Right, right, right.

[Q]

I know things to not make sense. You know, I experienced that a lot. But. But to hear the levels of, like, I don't know, it sounds. That sounds like orchestration almost, you know, like, have him explode into these, like, narratives about me that I had to carry. You know, Puff left it on. You're being fired for being raunchy, promiscuous, bad for business. None of those things were accurate to me, are accurate to me, were or are accurate to me. And yet I had to then come up from under that. Like, you guys understand what it's like to come up from under something. It's damn near impossible. I don't know that you ever do. I'm waiting for the day. Yeah, I still can't. As of this week, even when we announced the podcast, it was. She's testifying. We love her. Now she's doing a podcast and she's refusing to take the stand. As if I have any ability to take a stand. As if I can walk up to the court, jump on in the stand and say, hey, everybody, Aubrey's here. I even see sites saying that I'm. I'm supporting Diddy. I know. Like, I knew when Q was coming on, like, he really wanted to address what a specific outlet was, like, the narratives that they were pushing on him because he couldn't open up and talk about his full story. And I know how frustrating that is because it builds and builds and builds and. And you. You start to feel like you're, like, sinking.

[Carrie]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

In the way that they twisted things. You know what I mean? The way that they twisted.

[Q]

What is it like to watch it from your perspective as his mom.

[Nicole]

Okay, so as a mom.

[Q]

Hold on, wait, let us get a mic.

[Nicole]

Just to relive things. Watching my son come back from.

[Q]

It's okay.

[Nicole]

Just, just watching my son come back from being around Don and him when this incident happened and him coming home and we not understanding what happened here. I have my son, young, 18, 19, never seen him in this state before. And I'm like, what happened? He went away. He comes home and he's locked in his room, he's talking crazy. I'm like, what is going on? To have him admitted into a hospital and for them thinking that maybe he.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Was on, what is it, K2, K2.

[Nicole]

Or something like that. And they said, well, whatever it is, we don't know what it is. And I think if I wasn't there for my son, I think that they would have sucked him in to something more foreign.

[Carrie]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99 of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. You see the world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action. Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions at California Psychics.

[Nicole]

We know some people can't read the career warning signs like your boss still not knowing your name.

[Carrie]

You, Tina, Lisa, Sheila, whatever. Get that report to me by lunch, okay? It's Carrie, ma' am. Just get it done, Terry.

[Nicole]

So talk to California Psychics and receive the career guidance you need. We only connect you with the very best. So guarantee if your reading isn't life changing, it's free. California psychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics.com today for limited time offers.

[Justin Richmond]

This is Justin Richmond from Broken Record. Are you the kind of person who sets standards for themselves? Like personally, I told myself if the Lakers lose their do or die game five, I wouldn't let it impact my mood at home with family. The standard Lexus has set for themselves is to experience amazing. Lexus measures success by the feelings and emotions evoked in a driver, like exhilaration and joy. Amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level. The standard of amazing results in machines that make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing. Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer.

[Carrie]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well I don't know about you but like I never liked being told, oh wow, you look so good for your age. Like why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about.

[Q]

We create products that make you feel.

[Carrie]

Confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty.

[Q]

Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com.

[Carrie]

Nicole can you describe your son before he started with this band, with Diddy, with this whole world?

[Nicole]

Who was he before he was so energetic? He was so, I mean he was fans favorite, everybody loved him. He was, he aced the dancing, he vocals, all of that, you know. And then it just turned around like somebody had did something that we just got, could not put our finger on.

[Justin Richmond]

Where is your anger and level of blame that goes toward Sean Diddy Combs?

[Nicole]

Well, when it comes to Diddy, I think the fact that he orchestrated, he was part of the orchestration as far as like producing the pills or whatever, things like that. Aubrey, remember this? I, you know, for mom me taking him to the hospital and stuff like that we later found there, there were things that was found in him, in the system, it's in his medical. So it, like I said, you know, this wasn't something that just, you know what I mean, something that's hereditary.

[Q]

You're saying like a substance was found in there but in the, but they.

[Nicole]

Couldn'T determine exactly what it was is what I'm saying. At the time they, like I said they thought it was HK2K2 but what.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I wanted to say was with you guys, after my mental health I was healing. I finally admitted it in my records that I felt like Diddy was trying to. In my mental records that I felt like Diddy was trying to hurt me or come get me. So like a couple of years later, not in the beginning, but as you read on my mental records, as I was admitted into the hospital, because it wasn't just once, it was numerous of times, like towards the middle, I started being honest and it was like, I feel like Diddy is trying to come after me and hurt me. I started like speaking up.

[Justin Richmond]

How many people have stories like that? Not that, I mean, how would you all get. You all were 18, 19 year old kids around this. How many people do you all believe? And you might even know, but give us an idea. Have stories somewhere like that that are silent, that we might even never know about that it's not just a matter of Diddy, but Diddy, this person that worked. It's just his circle. You think a lot of people have a story like yours?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, I believe they do. I believe a lot of young people around my age. I started off when I was 18, 19, I think a lot of young. Because that's what they do. They come after the young minded, the oppressed, you know, the people they can manipulate. It's hard to manipulate somebody your age, but it's very easy to manipulate someone younger because of your influence. You know, people with influence can manipulate, can control. And it's because of their influence. And it makes us. It makes the person that, that like the people like me like going after their dreams and having to endure and encounter compromising situations. What I'm trying to say, that's what they usually do to young people because they can put young people in compromising situations because a young person will basically do whatever they have to do to. So in most cases, which aligns with.

[Q]

What Cassie is saying on the stand, she is saying she was very young. There was such a presence and a power to him. I mean, if you look at all of the making the band seasons, he was able to manipulate all of us to do all kinds of ridiculous shit. So there is this power and this presence with him that maybe, you know, an average show would just not understand how it just sucks all of the air out of the room when he's in it. It's just all consuming. I don't know how else to explain the way in which his power dominates a room. Q. You did tell me an interesting story about. We had a president at bad boy named Harv Pierre. He's been mentioned during this trial. His face was on the boards the first day like mine was. They. You had a story with him that you told me that I thought was like shocking because Harv is like the one of the heads of the organization, right? So he was always like very superior. And we always had to kind of like look up to this guy. He was always running with puff everywhere. And you told me a story about.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Oh yeah, okay. So I'm making the band 4. On the last season when you weren't there.

[Q]

Yeah, I wasn't there.

[Aubrey O'Day]

So they made it seem like I was going crazy. And da, da, da, da. And I was really talking about management. And then Puff was like, like, I'm gonna send you home with your family because you've been acting crazy and stuff. Whatever. Fighting, fighting and everybody. And I didn't go home. Well, I went to the. The super bowl with him, Don and Cassie and his. His team. And the super bowl was in Tampa Bay. And well, after we went to the club, and he was getting ready to get inside his suv. Harv was in his suv. And he made Harv Pierre get out of the suv. And he asked, could me and Don sit in the back seat next to Cassie? He was in the front seat. So that was kind of weird. That was like, I'm making the band for when I didn't really know him. And he asked me, like, where was I from? So that was a weird introduction. You know, that's kind of probably was like, what my mom was trying to say.

[Nicole]

She was grooming.

[Aubrey O'Day]

She was grooming me, maybe for. Or Diddy. For Diddy. You know what I'm saying?

[Carrie]

Like, did he want to get a look at you as she was bringing him to me?

[Q]

It just felt so weird. You would never tell Harv to get out and let two artists get in the car. That he doesn't even pay us, let alone me. Yet weird when he said that, it stood out to me. Like, I couldn't even imagine him telling Harv to get out the car. Like, that would. That sounds unlooked like what he was like.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Huh.

[Nicole]

And I used to. You know, Q and I are very close. So, you know, I think that being that Don knew that how close we were, I think that that stopped a lot. I really. I think that she could. They couldn't get him the way that they really want it because I really inserted myself a lot. I. This is my only son. So I. I mean, we. And we're still very close to this day. You know what I mean? But there's some things that, you know, you take to the grave with you just, like, hearing some of these things just a few minutes ago.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah. I told my band members young. I did to. My band members tell me not to. I just go into details. I went details with you.

[Carrie]

Q. When you got into that car with. With Diddy and Dawn, what happened in that car?

[Aubrey O'Day]

And Cassie.

[Carrie]

And Cassie, what happened in that car? What was Talked about what was said, was it. What was the mood like?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah. So when I got in the car with. With Diddy and Cassie in Tampa Bay, they seemed like they had a couple of drinks, but it wasn't. It wasn't nothing uncomfortable. Nobody crossed the line or anything. There. He was just asking questions. Cassie. Cassie was very quiet. She was just sitting there, like. And she seemed like she didn't want to go through with whatever he was getting ready to orchestrate. She seemed like she was uncomfortable. Like, no, these are. I don't want to do this with. With Q and dawn or whatever, the past, whatever he was orchestrating. But he was asking questions like, where are you from? I think he actually was my name.

[Q]

Well, you were in the band. He chose you in the band. He didn't know your fucking name.

[Aubrey O'Day]

He was high. I think he was very high. I think, you know, he's always. He's always high on ecstasy. That's his. That's his main drug.

[Nicole]

I remember dawn telling me, because, you know, I used to have conversations.

[Q]

What else did he ask you? Sorry.

[Aubrey O'Day]

That's all I could remember, to be honest.

[Nicole]

And that they used to fake like they. They were given pills when they went to different occasions, different things, studio, stuff like that. And Q was telling me that how her, Q and Dawn. Because, remember, dawn would come to our house and spend, like, days, like, with Q and stuff like that, and she would say, oh, well, you know, we would go to these parties and we would take the pills and put them in our pocket, but we would have to act like, you know, that they were on whatever the people at the parties were on.

[Carrie]

Wow.

[Justin Richmond]

Wow.

[Nicole]

And I would say, I used to tell qq, that's smart. But all along, I think Q was lying to me because he was actually taking the pills. Because, remember, he was 18, 19 years old, and he knew that I was doing like, what are you doing? You know, and. And I would have said those things to him, like, what are you doing? You don't listen some. I'm not taking nothing. I'm not gonna take nothing because I don't want to. I don't even want to know what's going to happen. I mean, I hear stories about people sniffing cocaine in their heart. Buster something, you know what I mean? Just. Just different things. I don't want to be in that situation. So I probably would have said that to my son, like, what are you doing? This is not what you're here for. But I get it now that when you're a celebrity and you. You got Cameras following you when you leave out of the hotel or you're, you know, whatever on the streets you're running and you're just subjected to being in a hotel. So what else can we do? What else can we do but pop pills and, you know, just do things? And so I kind of understood why he did do things because it's. You guys lives were different from other people's lives. You couldn't do normal things. You understand what I'm saying? Outside of you, do you guys get.

[Carrie]

Yeah, I know, yeah.

[Nicole]

So as a mom, I kind of understood it, but I was still angry with him as to what, what are you guys doing? But when he. I felt safer when he, when him and Don said, oh no, we used to put the pills in our pockets. We used to pretend, you know, they're bopping around or whatever.

[Q]

Is it possible that she was a victim too, to it? Like how?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I'm not saying she's not a victim because I'm not here to, to judge her story or whatever she's saying. I'm not here to say she's not a victim, but what I'm saying is she's not innocent as far as.

[Q]

It'S kind of what Cassie's kind of saying on the stand when they were cross examining her like, well, there are some text messages that suggest that she wanted an even wilder freak off than the last time or whatever. When they read a lot of the text messages, there was some admission to at least some of them being, you know, there being an awareness of some of them. You know, it's hard when you get into this topic because when you groom people and they understand to express themselves and to get attention from you, they need to be sexual. You can write a sexual message, but really just mean, I want to be with, spend time with you. You know, so it's like to me, when I was hearing it, I just kept leaving that, that lit. That space in there where I know survivors live, which is just like, you can't take those moments and turn them into this person wanted it all. Because a lot of times those messages come from a place that you're trained to understand. It makes you most attractive to that person.

[Carrie]

But where is the line between being a victim and being an accomplice?

[Q]

And that is that right there, Amy, is what I'm having a very hard time with, with all of this. That's why I wanted to, you know, do this. I've been sitting here with stories like cues, like many back and forth and back and forth. I switch over to sides daily wondering. You know, I try to put like, Q went on for much longer with the dirty money people. You know, I was fired. So I was living a completely different life. I wasn't exposed to any of the drugs or any of the things that were going on like that. So when I hear these things, I'm like, I always just try to, like, know what I know, know what I saw, know what I think could be possible from what I saw, know what I am shocked by. And I try to, like, make sense of it all. But it sounds like from like, the point where I am checked out, moving forward, that it got that drugs were a very common, constant state. From the testimony and from people that were living there that are speaking with us, it just sounds like that is something that was getting very out of control.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, I agree.

[Justin Richmond]

It's possible. You just said it, but how do you find a balance? Isn't it possible that everybody in his world that's a part of this is legitimately a victim and some are legitimately accomplices? Like, can't they be?

[Q]

And that's a very.

[Justin Richmond]

That's tough.

[Q]

This is, for me, as a woman, I find it very hard to think that. Because you're either on the side of the victims or you defend the bad guy. Right. And as women, we don't get a lot of. We don't get a lot of rope to say, well, I believe these four things that the person said, these two. I saw some things where I know that those two are probably not fully the truth. And I could believe this, but she could be lying too. Like, I'm never given the grace of being able to dissect and anybody like that. I just have to make a blanket statement because I feel as a woman, especially in the celebrity world, you're either with women or you aren't. And we kind of have to be in these lanes. And it makes dissecting things a bit difficult. And also because there are so many headlines and journalists being so irresponsible, you almost fear that the one thing you say that is a dissection gets carried off into the sunset. When you dissected it properly and then you're on this side or you're on that. I'm being told that I'm on sides that I haven't even dissected yet. I'm scared to dissect. But I could. I could absolutely dissect and I could absolutely pick all kinds of things apart. I do it every day since. Since all of this started. But. But I don't I. I don't feel like there's any room to do that. And that's a problem I think we really need to figure out as a society because that's why there's such extreme palpable reactions to this case. There are some people that are just blanket saying Cassie is lying, that are celebrities, that are people that are known in the industry that we're around and they're just suggesting that then there are people that are fully with her. Like there's a lot of really palpable feelings toward it because it seems like according to her testimony there's proof that there was days that they were, you know, okay, or that maybe that somehow in the messages it suggests that there was an agreement on certain days and then on certain days it seems like it got out of control and it was not wanted at all.

[Carrie]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. You see the world differently. Where others see empty lots, you see blueprints. Where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action. Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions at California Psychics.

[Nicole]

We know some people can't read the career warning signs like your boss still not knowing your name.

[Carrie]

You, Tina, Lisa, Sheila, whatever. Get that report to me by lunch, okay? It's Carrie, ma' am. Just get it done, Terry.

[Nicole]

So talk to California Psychics and receive the career guidance you need. We only connect you with the very best. So guarantee if your reading isn't life changing, it's free. California psychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics.com today for limited time offers.

[Justin Richmond]

This is Justin Richmond from Broken Record. Are you the kind of person who sets standards for themselves? Like personally, I told myself if the Lakers lose or do or die game five, I wouldn't let it impact my mood at home with family. The standard Lexus has set for themselves is to experience amazing. Lexus measures success by the feelings and emotions evoked in a driver, like exhilaration and joy. Amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level. The standard of amazing results in machines that make you feel more human. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing. Experience amazing at your Lexus dealer.

[Carrie]

Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. Its melon leaf stem cells and cactus encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the Amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that available@meaningful beauty.com Q I'm curious because you sounds like what Q Saying I was like you did see a lot more and were involved a lot more in that other side of things. From what you've heard and read of Cassie's testimony, is she telling the truth?

[Aubrey O'Day]

In my opinion, yes, I believe she is. She's selling the truth. And. And they're talking about like this might not be trafficking. Now I believe like trafficking is like when you force there has to be.

[Q]

Force and coercion force, right.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I believe because of his influence he is forcing people to be under his control and under his rule. Like a serpent, like a sorceress person, you know what I mean? I believe he is forcing.

[Q]

We see force as such a action word. But when I think of it in the making the band context, I just did what he said. I don't feel like anyone was giving me an action. But when he said go run Central park till somebody drops, that's just what we did. We just had to. We just knew you had to. That's what you had to do. When I think of it now, that was. There was force in that. There was coercion in that. That wasn't something I wanted to do, you know, like, there was. There were those elements there. But when you're young and because of the way we define these words, it's very difficult to understand that force factor and to. To verbalize it clearly to people. Because you're not looking at it like that when you're in that environment. It's just. That environment is so far from anyone's healthy natural state that when you're in it. And like I said, when it's good, you feel like, oh, my God, I'm living in this cool place that nobody understands.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Right, Right.

[Nicole]

Everybody wants fame.

[Q]

It's not even fame. I've seen fame at all levels. There's a lot of fame. That's completely normal. This is something else. This was like a. This was like they did. The life over on that side is just in extremes. I remember at one point being on, like, Scott Storch's, like, that yacht that they had seized at one point. This, like, gigantic. It's on the Internet. It's this gigantic, shiny yacht that's got every bell and whistle on it.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Is that in Miami?

[Q]

Yeah.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah.

[Q]

And we had, like, been in his home recording, and then we were all out on the yacht with Puff. And I remember after that, we had gotten sent home for a while, and I went home to my sorority, and I was like, wow, everybody over here is real boring, and this is real stale. And I want to go back over there where everything was like, yeah, it's the lifestyle. And it's not just a wealthy lifestyle. It's, like, extravagant. And at a drop of a dime, Diddy will stand up and suggest that everybody goes somewhere. And that's just what we do. Like, it was just very intoxicating. Yeah. Without even being on drugs, especially if.

[Aubrey O'Day]

You'Re young, you, like, I'll do anything to get my feelings.

[Q]

I didn't feel that way.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Not anything. But you're the influence of someone that has the power to make you. Your dreams come true. You're like, oh, my gosh. Whatever. I have to do. Like, as far as, like, walking to get cheesecake, like, the things you were giving examples of, or running 30 miles around the fucking.

[Q]

What I'm learning as I talk to more people is the degrees of that are different. Right. Like, what you're willing to do, it depends on how you grew up. It depends on your experiences that you saw as a child. It depends on what you've normalized in Life versus what you haven't. I was always known to, like, talk back to him. That's not necessarily a natural state for anyone else in my group to have done that, and they did. Everybody's got different circumstances that we were raised in, so the levels in which we fought that I'll do anything. Card is different, but we're not. We're not different in regards to being under the blanket of being victims to it and experiencing the overall understanding of it. However, the levels to which people will go, as we're dissecting, even within my own band, it sounds like there are levels to which some, you know, one of my band members may have gone, that I just are foreign to me. I would never.

[Nicole]

Well, we come from. I. I actually had Q when I was very young.

[Q]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I was 16. People come from different lifestyles.

[Q]

Yes.

[Nicole]

And unfortunately, you. You can come from a lifestyle where, you know, you. You're.

[Aubrey O'Day]

You.

[Nicole]

You know, you. You're around this big, big person, and, oh, wow, you know what I mean? What can. What can I do to make sure that I stay at that level, you know, and, you know, those type of things?

[Q]

And remember, he's iconic in a culture as well. He's. He's a huge, iconic figure.

[Nicole]

Correct. And I mean, like, we probably grew up different. I probably grew up different from how you were raised with your parents. You probably had a bigger house and so forth on.

[Q]

You'd be surprised.

[Nicole]

And we come out of a neighborhood where, oh, my God, Q made the band. You. You understand what I'm saying is. Is totally different. So we come from different lifestyles, you know, so.

[Justin Richmond]

I get what you're saying, Mama. Look, that. That was what. This comes the great line from Christopher Wallace, the great poet. Right. It's you either selling crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot. Sometimes we don't have the same.

[Nicole]

I can tell you that I. I am a protector. I have three children, and I love my kids. And I'm still hurt to this day from a lot of things. Still trying to understand because that's a common thread. Know your kids. And I know whatever happened to my son, it happened during the years of him making that band. And that's where it all started. And if I could give that all back for my son just to be in college, I would. No parent. No parent should have to see their child go through anything, such as what I've seen, whether it's Cassie or anybody else. But I also know that they have choices. And I'm not making excuses for my son at his age, because he. He was taught right and wrong. He knows that if it. I'm not going to do this. My mom said, this is not right. He had a choice. But when you love someone so hard and you put all your trust in them and you think, okay, I love this person so much that they're not going to hurt me. And they turn around and they do that, it's not right. It's not right.

[Justin Richmond]

Mom, do you deal with and do you have moments along the way? And I was very impressed that I'm sure there are a lot of kids that were in Diddy's world who didn't have a mom as involved as you clearly were. And you said you were.

[Nicole]

Making the band was on they Ate Me Alive on the Internet. But what I'm saying when I say they ate me alive, meaning I actually quit my job when Q made the ban. And because he asked his family to move to Virginia, because that's what his manager, Screwface, wanted us to do. Oh, we got a house down here. You can set up your job down here. I just wanted to be next to my son to make sure that he was. Because he was so young, I wanted to make sure that he was guided right. And so I did all those things, and I. To move. And while they were on the show, we get. Pack up this truck or whatever, we're on the road, and we get a call from Screwface. Oh, the house fell through. We couldn't. We couldn't move in. And so Q at the time was taping. And so he gets on there. He's like, I'm just worried about my family. My family, my family. And people kept. They. They chewed me alive. Why would she quit her job for someone that just made the ban at age 18? And do you know how bad I wanted to go on there and say, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. And you don't either. Q says, mama, you can't do that. Did you see Beyonce's mom do that?

[Q]

You know how much she probably felt that, though?

[Nicole]

And I don't like it. So that's why you hardly ever heard of Q's mom ever saying anything online. When all these things, you know, just him being on, you know, different podcasts and stuff. Like today, it was the day that I felt that somebody needed to hear my voice, how I feel about everything. I can't blame Diddy, but I know he's not innocent. Why can't you only blame the people that were around me and my child? Because My son put so much into who he loved that I can only blame her because she was, what, eight years older than Q? She had a lot of influence on him. And all he knew was that that was my girl. Mom, you couldn't. You can't tell me nothing about her.

[Aubrey O'Day]

My mom couldn't tell me nothing. I mean, you know, I said, q have a child all along, I kept telling him.

[Nicole]

All along, I kept telling him, q, this don't sound right. I don't know. I don't trust her. Then this. It's just.

[Carrie]

It's a mom's worst nightmare.

[Nicole]

And if I could give it all back, I would. I wouldn't just wanted my son to stay in college and just do the right thing. I didn't. And I keep saying that days and nights. I look at all his accomplishments. When my son would walk down the street and I would just go on Facebook or anything like that, and people say, did you see that boy, q from day 26, looking crazy, walking around.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Rochester, New York, with a screwdriver, thinking that Diddy was coming to kill me. So I was just comparing myself. Just a mess, mentally. This is a mental health problem, though, going to.

[Nicole]

You know, people knew who he was. I'm admitting them into the Halloween.

[Q]

Yeah. It's just you. You.

[Nicole]

I've never dealt with anything like this.

[Q]

You do.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I was dealing with paranoia. Yeah.

[Q]

And you're paranoid of somebody. They. If you have. If you have that in you, you're gonna be paranoid.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I was walking around with a screwdriver, like, stabbing up trees.

[Nicole]

It was a mess.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I was thinking I was seeing Diddy, and I would go up to the tree and just start doing. I know. Taekwondo a little bit. So I would do. I would do my little punch thing on the tree with the screwdriver. When I literally, like, you're not gonna hurt me. Saying to myself, when I literally tell.

[Q]

You the trauma is severe.

[Nicole]

When I literally tell you we didn't understand anything and I was embarrassed. Then I had to think about it and said, this is my second son. People will call me. Did you see Q walking up the street? Or he's at the park sitting in a tree or something, just out of his mind or. You guys can't even imagine what I went through as a mom. And all I used to do was get on my knees and pray. I would look at all his accomplishments. Accomplishments, BET awards, all those plaques and key to the city. And I said, lord, what has happened to my child? What is going on? I didn't have any answers. I didn't have anybody to turn to because we weren't really getting exact answers from Q.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Because the pill that he had given me had broken me down to where he had, and he's just getting it had broken all the way back to the beginning to where I was like drawings. I thought I was seeing dinosaurs.

[Carrie]

I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's devastating to the point where I believe TJ and I are almost speechless at this point because it's hard to even get your head around what that must be like, what that must be like for you, Mama. And I'm curious. Q, you said you're getting back. How are you now? How are you today? How long has this road been for you to get where you are?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I am just healing. I've, I've got better around 2020 and.

[Carrie]

There is so much more to unpack here. So stick around because we will be back with Aubrey Q and his mom, Nicole saks off fifth up to 70% off every day Spring is in full swing here at Saks off fifth with.

[Aubrey O'Day]

So many exciting trends to try, from matching sets and floral dresses to wide leg jeans and chic accessories.

[Carrie]

Find all of the season's must have styles. Plus shop new designer arrivals weekly. Find Gucci, Valentino, Garavanni, Versace, Stuart Weitzman and more. Head to saksaw fifth.com or a Saks Off Fifth store near you for up to 70% off every day. You see the world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University today. Build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action. Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build champions at California Psychics.

[Nicole]

We know that sometimes you can wake up thinking, oh, I don't know if.

[Carrie]

I'm in the right career, ew or the right relationship.

[Nicole]

But whatever your life dilemma at California Psychics will give you the guidance you need to feel certain about your life choices. And because we only connect you with the very best, we guarantee if your reading isn't life changing, it's free. California psychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics. Visit CaliforniaPsychics.com today for limited time offers.

[Carrie]

Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families with greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance and keep an eye on what your kids are spending. With real time notifications. Kids learn to earn, save and spend wisely and parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money with guardrails in place. Try Greenlight Risk free [e-mail] iheart this.

[Justin Richmond]

Is Justin Richmond from Broken Record. Are you the kind of person who sets standards for themselves? Like personally, I told myself if the Lakers lose their do or die game five, I wouldn't let it impact my mood at home with family. The standard Lexus has set for themselves is to experience amazing. Lexus measures success by the feelings and emotions evoked in a driver, like exhilaration and joy. Amazing can only be achieved by knowing people on a deeper level. The standard of amazing results in machines that make you feel more human because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing experience. Amazing at your Lexus dealer.