Who the F*** Were We Working For?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial Episode: Who the F* Were We Working For?** Release Date: June 4, 2025

In this compelling episode of the iHeartPodcasts series Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, hosts Amy Robach and TJ Holmes delve deep into the ongoing trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Joined by Aubrey O'Day—a television personality, former member of Danity Kane, and Diddy's former protege—the trio provides an insider's perspective on the proceedings that have captured national attention.

Introduction to the Episode

The episode titled "Who the F*** Were We Working For?" sets the stage by highlighting the severity and shocking nature of the testimonies presented during the trial's fourth week. From the outset, Aubrey emphasizes the horrifying details emerging from the courtroom.

Aubrey O'Day [00:11]: "And we are now in the first or the, the full fourth week of this trial and every day it's something horrific."

Unveiling Patterns of Abuse

Aubrey O'Day discusses Mia's pivotal testimony, which shed light on a consistent pattern of sexual abuse that contrasts with previous narratives surrounding the case.

Aubrey O'Day [00:43]: "Mia was such a game changer because she established a pattern of sexual abuse that wasn't the way then in which it's been spoken about pretty consistently so far."

She elaborates on the coercive environment Mia described, including forced living conditions and lack of privacy:

Aubrey O'Day [00:52]: "They were just alleged rapes occurring while she was packing a bag when she was asked to. Not asked, basically forced for her job's sake to live in his home and not have locks on her doors, etc."

Testimony of Derek Ferguson

The conversation shifts to Derek Ferguson, Diddy's Chief Financial Officer, whose testimony reveals intricate financial operations and possible misconduct within Diddy's enterprise.

Amy Robach [01:34]: "And right now as we're recording this on the stand is Derek Ferguson who had a lot of different titles throughout Diddy's enterprise..."

Aubrey shares insights into Ferguson's role and the obscured financial flows:

Aubrey O'Day [02:07]: "He was also leading up all of the fashion brands. He did the film stuff. He was overseeing his portfolio basically so doing the day-to-day operations."

Defensive Maneuvers and Cross-Examination

The hosts discuss the aggressive cross-examination tactics employed by the defense lawyer, particularly targeting Mia's credibility.

Aubrey O'Day [06:08]: "He said, are you making it all up? To me, that's going way too far. That means you don't have much for this girl. You have your smoke is very little because are you making it all up?"

Aubrey criticizes the defense's approach as victim-shaming, which she believes undermines Mia's credibility without substantive evidence.

Aubrey O'Day [07:11]: "I think they kept her on the stand too long. And I think that the defense should have wanted her to get off immediately to that point."

Courtroom Incidents and Public Outrage

The episode highlights a dramatic incident where a Diddy supporter caused a disturbance in the courtroom, reflecting the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the trial.

Amy Robach [07:42]: "A woman jumping up in support of Diddy started shouting... she was removed from court and taken out and told she could not return as well."

Comparisons are drawn to the highly publicized Amber Heard and Johnny Depp case, emphasizing the intense societal divisions and social media frenzies.

TJ Holmes [08:11]: "I compare it to the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. To where everybody publicly was kind of taking sides."

The Role of NDAs and Immunity

Aubrey addresses the impact of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and witness immunity on the trial's integrity and transparency.

Aubrey O'Day [16:45]: "The NDAs basically silence you and there's a lot of money at the entail of them if you happen to slip up."

She argues that NDAs and immunity deals can prevent the full truth from emerging, potentially skewing the jury's perception.

Societal Reflections and Personal Impact

Aubrey shares her personal reflections on the trial, expressing frustration and disbelief over how Diddy's behavior was able to persist unchecked within powerful circles.

Aubrey O'Day [24:25]: "I was raised in very, like, pivotal years of my life in that environment with those guys. But there was a part of me that just felt like this really needs to be fair."

She emphasizes the complexity of human relationships, acknowledging that Diddy's victims could still harbor conflicting emotions towards him despite the abuse.

Aubrey O'Day [25:34]: "There is this good side of him, there is a side that you can love... It doesn't mean that everything that's going on isn't very criminal."

Expectations for Future Testimonies

Looking ahead, Aubrey anticipates the appearance of more witnesses, including another alleged victim operating under the alias Jane Doe. She predicts that additional testimonies will further expose systemic issues within Diddy's operations.

Aubrey O'Day [23:47]: "Everything is just coerced. Everything is showing force, everything is showing intimidation."

Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode wraps up with a call to listeners to engage with the podcast through a dedicated hotline, encouraging them to share their thoughts and questions about the trial.

Amy Robach [38:11]: "If you have a comment, a question, something you'd like us to talk about, you can get in contact with us if you reach out on this number, you can send us your comments..."

Aubrey reinforces the importance of focusing on evidence rather than succumbing to public sentiment or misinformation.

Aubrey O'Day [38:49]: "Go right ahead. I dare you. We got smoke for you, too."

Final Thoughts

Throughout the episode, Aubrey O'Day provides a nuanced perspective, balancing her past association with Diddy against the mounting evidence of his misconduct. Her insights offer listeners a deeper understanding of the trial's complexities and the broader implications for those involved.

As the trial progresses, listeners can anticipate further in-depth analyses and firsthand accounts in upcoming episodes, continuing to shed light on one of the most talked-about legal battles in recent history.

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Notable Quotes:

• Aubrey O'Day [00:11]: "Every day it's something horrific."
• Aubrey O'Day [00:43]: "Mia was such a game changer because she established a pattern of sexual abuse..."
• Amy Robach [01:34]: "Derek Ferguson who had a lot of different titles throughout Diddy's enterprise..."
• Aubrey O'Day [06:08]: "He said, are you making it all up? To me, that's going way too far."
• Aubrey O'Day [25:34]: "There is this good side of him, there is a side that you can love..."

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Contact Information: Listeners are encouraged to reach out with their thoughts and questions at 844-427-5877.

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This summary provides an overview of the key discussions and insights shared during the episode, capturing the essence of the trial's developments and the personal reflections of Aubrey O'Day.

Transcript

[Aubrey O'Day]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Amy Robach]

Amy and TJ presents Aubrey o' Day.

[TJ Holmes]

Covering the Diddy trial.

[Amy Robach]

Welcome everyone to the Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey o' Day covering the Diddy Trial podcast. And we are now in the first or the, the full fourth week of this trial and every day it's something horrific.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Horrific.

[Amy Robach]

Jaw dropping, combative.

[TJ Holmes]

Go ahead, Aubrey.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Why?

[TJ Holmes]

Why is horrific? Your word after the last day and a half I guess we've seen of testimony. Why horrific?

[Aubrey O'Day]

So I, I just think Mia was such a game changer because she established a pattern of sexual abuse that wasn't the way then in which it's been spoken about pretty consistently so far. Which are these freak offs. There were just alleged rapes occurring while she was packing a bag when she was asked to. Not asked, basically forced for her job's sake to live in his home and not have locks on her doors, et cetera. There was just all of this established behavior that is a bit new for us to hear. So we're learning now a broader scheme. We're also seeing somebody that was just an employee. She didn't want to be his girlfriend, she didn't want to be in lovers with him. And now you're starting to get to hear from more of the enterprise, basically.

[Amy Robach]

That's right. And right now as we're recording this on the stand is Derek Ferguson who had a lot of different titles throughout Diddy's enterprise, but executive titles including chief financial officer. And you worked adjacent to him, around him, you saw him around the building or at least around the areas where you guys worked.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Let me be clear, Amy. If he was in charge of finance, which we know he was, I would likely not know him because I didn't see a dollar.

[Amy Robach]

I set you right up for that, Aubrey.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, I know, but I'm bummed you did it. You killed it. Listen, he was also leading up all of the fashion brands. He did the film stuff. He was overseeing his portfolio basically so doing the day to day oper. But yeah, on the money side, none of the artists probably would ever know him. He might be the least known person to any of us over at Bad Boy because the money was never coming to us, the artists.

[TJ Holmes]

But what are we talking about? Potentially how damaging could it be? This is a guy who knows about.

[Aubrey O'Day]

All the money, all the money and where the payments were going. You know, like Cassie established in the beginning, she was an artist that was signed to release 10 albums. There is a paycheck that goes alongside that and they recoup things Obviously, but you get consistent paychecks. She made it very clear early on her full time job became doing these sex parties and these freak offs and recovering. So she was still getting paid as a bad boy employee. Though. As we saw these things going on while Danity Kane was still there, I remember there were a lot of feelings of why do we have a platinum album at this point? We had one, this was before our second one. And we would sit there and kind of see a lot of very luxurious things happening and wondering why are we the ones that have the platinum albums and we're still sitting on the floor wearing Forever 21, writing songs like Mad Women and weren't carrying the bags that Cassie had or arriving in the cars that Cassie was in. I mean, it was like almost this unfair feeling. But she was so sweet to us. It wasn't necessarily toward her, but there was always questions of like it was very, it was always, we were always very curious as to wear them. Money is going and where we're seeing it going versus who's actually earning it and keeping the whole place afloat. But also in regards to Derek, he will probably get into the whole financial structure. I'm sure he was paying allegedly many people off. There's a lot of DNAs going on. I'm sorry, DNA, NDAs. There's a lot of NDAs go, I haven't had my coffee yet, guys.

[TJ Holmes]

No, you were right about the DNA.

[Amy Robach]

There's a lot of DNA left behind in hotel rooms and blood and urine and other things.

[Aubrey O'Day]

It's all over. You'll get that one light and turn off the. Go to the dark Lord Jesus. But, but no, there's. There's a lot of NDA talk going on on the stand and in general, I was even given a NDA when I left and it said certain things that I could never do if I wanted to be let out of my contract. I think he's going to be able to understand a lot of the contracts, the money, the movement, and then also he was given a lead position over at Revolt. So he also is likely going to be able to talk about Mia and what he experienced working with her and what he potentially heard, saw or knows to be true in regards to any of her testimony. Brian's last cross, he started off his cross with Mia. I thought he, you know, we're really talking one of the best defense criminal lawyers you could probably have. Definitely incredible on cross. His cross was like one of the worst crosses I've seen in this test in this trial so far. And this one this morning was a bit better. However, if you don't have anything to go on, you don't have any other choice than to victim shame. Basically, you have one direction. If they had any real material to discredit her, they would have used it. She was a strong witness. She was credible and she was consistent. And so he had to be strong with her, unfortunately. I mean, the strong was strong. He asked her direct questions. The questions, I took note of them because they were like so, so strong.

[Amy Robach]

Well, the prosecution went so far as to say that they were he defender were harassing.

[Aubrey O'Day]

He said, are you making it all up? To me, that's going way too far. That means you don't have much for this girl. You have your smoke is very little because are you making it all up? Is he. It's a. It's noise. It's noise for the jury to get lost in. He also straight up asked her numerous times if she was on the me too money train. A bit tone deaf. I hope that he just carries that type of ideology and language in the courtroom and doesn't take it home to his family, because that's a bit much, but basically just a lot of noise. And at the. At the redirect, they were clear. Are you making any money? Are you going after him with a lawsuit? Are you trying to get money from this man? The answer was no. So at the end of the day, I think they kept her on the stand too long. And I think that the defense should have wanted her to get off immediately to that point.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah, they said they ran over with this witness where they had to change the order of upcoming witnesses because they went over on this one. I want to go back. We're gonna to the one who testified after Mia. So I'm getting everybody caught up to most current time. So we're sitting here on Tuesday as we record this. And the first witness up today, before the first witness even got up this morning, we had a disturbance. You read about this More. More than I did. But somebody had to be taken out of court.

[Amy Robach]

Whoever that was, they just said a man who used it on his YouTube channel has been banned from the courtroom. So that happened. And then there was an outburst in court. A woman jumping up in support of Diddy started shouting, you know what? They're lying about you. They're saying things about you. She said she wanted him to hear that there were supporters in the room who were behind him and frustrated at what they were hearing in the courtroom. But she was removed from court and taken out and Told she could not return as well. So two big moments even before the jury was seated this morning.

[TJ Holmes]

So what's your take on. The only thing I compare it to is the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp. To where everybody publicly was kind of taking sides. And it got really intense on social media to hear about this outburst in court. What are you noticing? I know you keep your, your finger kind of on the heartbeat of what's going on online, but what, what are you seeing in terms of that? Does that type of outburst surprise you?

[Aubrey O'Day]

No. I mean, outside the courtroom, it's a shit show. I mean, there's literally people out there wearing bras saying, I want to be in a freak off. Like, it's getting really hectic outside. That is going to show, you know, what we've been discussing this entire time. This, like, iconic status, this mass appeal. And then there really is this strong understanding in our society that if a woman at all ever, like in the case of Mia, if they ever just said I love you or happy birthday or observed them in any type of positive way even after their abuse, that they're just liars and everybody's going for a me too money grab. And it's just not the way the psychology works. It's not the way coercion works. It's not the way influence and control work. It's just a very hard thing to get people to sit down and read psychology books. If we were doing that, I think we'd be in a much different place politically right now. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's easy to brainwash people into believing things.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. And Aubrey, I'm. We're curious what you, the listener, is thinking as you're hearing about what's going on in the courtroom. Because so many people do have strong opinions, whether you are believing these witnesses, if you're supporting Diddy, if you're wanting to see him go down. We actually created a hotline and so we wanted to let you all know now where you can call us, you can send us your comments, your questions, anything you'd like us to even discuss or talk about.

[Aubrey O'Day]

All the tea. We want all the smoke, all the smoke and all the tea. Call in.

[Amy Robach]

So the numbers, hopefully pretty easy. It's eight, four, four, four, ask us. Q. Right. That's cute. But here are the numbers. 8, 4, 4, 4 2, 7 5, 8, 7, 7. And we'll do it again at the end of the podcast in case you didn't have time to write it down. But we would absolutely Love to hear from you because you're seeing all of the interest and all of the vocalizations or presentations that are happening outside the courtroom and even inside the courtroom. So I'm sure so many of you also would like to weigh in as well. And we love to hear.

[TJ Holmes]

And Aubrey, Eddie Garcia on the stand, the security guard from the hotel.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah.

[TJ Holmes]

Testify that Diddy brought in 100 grand in a paper bag to give him and another security guard to be quiet and to give him that video of him beating Cassie. Is that in line? Did you ever see things like that? Or is that something common or I guess just in line with what you knew about Diddy, Offer a ride.

[Aubrey O'Day]

It was always very common for people to come in and clean up after his messes. Yes, absolutely. What's interesting in that piece of testimony, because we know about the video. We've watched it 15 times. They slowed it down, rewind it, chopped and screwed and swerved it. We know what the video is. What's interesting in his testimony that stood out was we heard that KK name again. KK came and gave him a visit. KK told him, hey, he was really out of it. He was, like, super drunk. I forgot exactly the words that she used. Intoxicated were the words that she used and that he didn't recall it. But what I thought was interesting when he said that is. Hmm. When the video first came out, he said my behavior was disgusting. I went back and watched it to see if there was any type of recalling in his little statement that he made. And then I started looking through the transcripts and realized they came forward and their answer to this video originally was Cassie stole his phone. It wasn't about a freak off. There was no such sexual situation. He was pissed because she took off with his property. He shouldn't have behaved that way. But she stole something of his that was suggested and thrown out there as something that could maybe stick. Well, if you recall that she took your cell phone, then certainly you have to be able to recall everything else. And so what KK then said to what Eddie Garcia testified to would then be have been allegedly not true. And if he was intoxicated and didn't remember any of it, then I don't think KK would have been sent over to make sure that everything was handled with the video because he wouldn't have remembered it.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. And his name was saved in her phone as Eddie. My angel, I believe. But I thought some of the details that Garcia testified to were so fascinating.

[Aubrey O'Day]

KK's getting on this stand Y' all, I keep saying it. She about to come on this stand.

[Amy Robach]

Well, and just so our listeners know, KK is Christina Coram. Is that how you corum. How you pronounce her last name? And she was Diddy's chief of staff.

[Aubrey O'Day]

She, she. She's known in the industry to be the person that you go to if you need to get to Diddy, period.

[Amy Robach]

Foreign. I thought just in terms of what the case the state is trying to build against Diddy. Garcia said that he, after, like, while they were working this out, while he was giving him this money, he had him text photos to Diddy of his driver's license, as well as ideas for his boss and the other security officer who got paid so that they all could be, quote, unquote, on the same page. Meaning, I know who you are, I know where you live, and if any video gets out, I know where to come find you.

[Aubrey O'Day]

And if you, if you read a lot of the motions that came in early on in this trial, there was much of that behavior. They were trying to get a lot of things taken out on the prosecution side because allegedly, in front of a lot of these freak offs, Diddy would make a statement. Everyone here is happy to and willing to be here. Right? There were alleged comments being made that there were communications that were told to be sent to people after these events occurred, saying, had a great night. So glad we all did that consensually. There was a lot of cleanups. There was a lot of making sure everyone is on the same page, allegedly. And there were a lot of things. What I think is just insane is the man that I knew when I worked there was just so. The behavior was so erratic. It was giving allegedly a bipolar type of feeling. It was bouncing around, chaotic. So much like one minute is somber, the next one is, we're going to Bali. You know, it was just like every which way. And for somebody that was moving that quickly, he sure did pay a lot of attention to make sure to have everyone else calling the escorts, choosing the escorts, showing him the photos, getting what he wanted, selecting. But them calling, handing them the money, but them paying, having people say afterwards, I had a good time. That's all coercion. That's all force. That is all somebody. And so to me, what's super damning about all this, that everyone's missing in all of the noise and distraction. He's been very aware, in my opinion, allegedly, that this behavior is illegal because he's been passing it off to other people to handle for a very long while. Now you, you don't do that when you know what you're doing is legal. I don't question what I do when I do it. If I've ever in my life sent anyone in to deal with it. On our end, I mean, we don't do things like criminally, but on our end, if you don't want a network to hate you, you'll have your manager or agent go and say what needs to be said and you'll cuss and yell at your agent and manager like, how dare they talk and treat me like this? You know, that's the type of thing though is we know not to go to the network and directly get at them because at the end of the day, that will directly affect our jobs and our careers. So he just. There was such an awareness for such a long period of time that he needed to hand over all of the burden to other people to clean up.

[TJ Holmes]

Aubrey, who's his first call if he needs an nd, hey, it looks like almost he. They were ready on standby, right?

[Aubrey O'Day]

They have different folders, allegedly, probably for the different types of things.

[TJ Holmes]

Yeah. But for Diddy, if he's in trouble and he needs an NDA, right? Like how. What is that process? He emails this person and then a lawyer is involved. How would that possibly even work?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I mean, in my setting it was you're out and I'm in a 360 situation and I cannot do anything from television to movies to writing a book to an interview to anything. 360 means no, never work in the industry again. We own you. Those deals is a whole nother podcast that needs to be discussed and dismantled industry wise. But the NDAs basically silence you and there's a lot of money at the entail of them if you happen to slip up. I believe allegedly, that's why we didn't necessarily necessarily hear everything I was hoping Capricorn would say, because if you don't break it and there's a payment, you likely could still receive the payment if you don't break it. Now, obviously on a federal stand, you can break anything you want to break because there's no rules there and you can say whatever you need to say. But it could have been just smart maneuvering because she deserves it. She went through hell. I don't know.

[Amy Robach]

That's all alleged lawyers at his beckon call that also could potentially be testifying here just who was making these deals for him. Because whoever was making these deals, obviously one could assume, knew about why it's.

[Aubrey O'Day]

A nasty job I couldn't do it. And so it makes me question the integrity of somebody that could talk a.

[Amy Robach]

Little bit about more about who we're going to see on the stand. And Derek, obviously, is on right now the, the cfo. And by the way, we should mention kind of to what you were saying, he told the jury he's testifying under a subpoena. We know that Eddie Garcia was given immunity for him. So anyone who's testifying right now isn't there because they want to. And some of them concerned that if they didn't get that immunity, they'd be indemnifying themselves as well, or at least making themselves legally in jeopardy. So these are people who wouldn't have testified otherwise.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Right. Well, you have to remember that, like, people can look at immunity and think, oh, they just wanted to get off and they had something on them. Those things are technically true. But also when you're asking to establish something like rico, an organization of people that are helping commit crimes for somebody, everybody's committing crimes. And so somebody's got to be able to get some type of immunity in order to be able to end the enterprise from existing and continuing on doing what they're doing. So you are going to see people that have been a part of business practices that are, you know, a criminal potentially or that can provide some type of trail to basically just give info on the internal, internal business practices as he witnessed them to be. He obviously is going to say something damning or he wouldn't have been on the prosecution's list.

[TJ Holmes]

So to wrap up here on. On Mia, who finished her cross examination yesterday, and again, the defense went after her pretty tough. How effective? And again, I know you have your opinions about how they did it, but they only need one person on that jury to go, wait a second. So they really went after her credibility. And it's tough for us on the inside, on the outside, who've never gone through or had somebody go through being abused and what that does to you psychologically. But for a lot of folks to see that years after this rape and abuse happened, she's writing messages. I love you so much. I'll always be here for you. I love you with all my heart. I'm here for you forever. All of those things. Do you think still, was it effective, even if it was a little icky how he went after her?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Same thing we could say about Cassie. I mean, these are just the patterns of the people that he abused. And like I said, the first day, you know, when I read them, I immediately Was like, I had, like, a visceral response. And then I thought to myself, I've told Diddy I loved him and he was abusive toward me. And there were things that were going on that weren't okay. I don't know to what extent yet, but I could see I have loved my abuser in life even after they abused me. It's very possible. And also when you can go back to somebody who, if you, if you were in that abuse and it took you into a state of shock, sometimes being able to revisit it and in a way where everything is okay now can provide a bit of, like, comfort and it can bring back the normalcy that you felt with that person. I mean, not everybody is out here trying to get in everybody's pockets and manipulate and lie. If this were just isolated events, then maybe we'd have to dig into them further and really dissect someone's character with multiple people, you know, or a really great cross examination that does something else. But say, didn't you just want to rack out on me too? Isn't. Aren't you just lying about everything? I mean, guys, do you have anything that you actually can say that's credible that's going to make me think twice? These text messages are as a pattern of everybody, Capricorn, Cassie, even the first guy that came forward and was saying, you know, I still write him happy birthday on his birthdays, but I had to quit because the beating was too crazy for me to observe. You still feel like, how I can still feel sympathy for him and God, through this past two years, I've had days where I was like, this is so unfair to Diddy. And I can't even believe I'm saying that now, especially after all the testimony. But I had days where I felt.

[TJ Holmes]

That way still during the trial. Aubrey, you've had those days.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Not during the trial. I've been doing it for two years prior to this trial. In those times when I didn't see it all laid out like this, there were days where I was like, man, he's getting piled up on. And I feel some kind of way about a black man being piled up on in this society. I really do. And. And maybe it's because I was raised in very, like, pivotal years of my life in that environment with those guys. But there was a part of me that just felt like this really needs to be fair and it doesn't need to be about anything other than the criminal behavior and whether it's true or not and can be proven.

[Amy Robach]

Aubrey, I'm curious because obviously Mia now has wrapped up and we saw and learned a lot. Another highly anticipated witness who is, we believe, will be taking the stand this week, maybe even as early as Wednesday, is another victim who are alleged victim of ditties who is going by the moniker Jane for Jane Doe. But you know who Jane is potentially.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Basically, everything is just cooperate. Everything is showing force, everything is showing intimidation, everything is showing coercion, everything is reinforcing everything. Every single time someone gets up there, whether they were a male worker, a female worker, an employee, a lover, it's all just going back to the same types of behavior. I mean, we're well past the threshold for all five charges, period, in my opinion.

[Amy Robach]

But you did say that. I know we talked about Mia, but you did work alongside the real Mia.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Mia came in in a tiny bit of a crossover window, but she's been very present in the industry in multiple different positions. And so, yes, there was crossover with Mia there.

[Amy Robach]

Aubrey, I'm, I'm curious because you, you, you described the testimony, and I think most people would agree as horrific. And, and yet it's so interesting to hear you say before the trial you had periods of sympathy for him. You felt like maybe people were piling on or jumping onto the, the bandwagon. But now that you've heard some of this incredible testimony, are you even shocked, even given what you. We started out speaking to you and, and you had, have had your experiences, you're doing your exploration and your investigation, but even someone who was around him for as much as you were and thought you knew the good and the bad and the ugly, what has been your level of shock at least, or what's been your reaction to what you're hearing versus what you thought you were going to hear?

[Aubrey O'Day]

No, I have the same type of feeling that everyone on the stand continues to say, which is, there is this good side of him, there is a side that you can love. That side is so palpable that people will still write him after their abuse with loving messages or thoughts or feelings. It doesn't mean that everything that's going on isn't very criminal. It just means that this is very complex and layered. And to suggest that there is nothing good about this person is a very bold thing to suggest. And that's kind of what 80 civil suits were giving. On top, top, on top, on top of each other for years, year and a half, or, and, and then, you know, as it's starting to be put together, there are days that I drive home and call People that also were around during that time. Not my band members, but people in the industry. And we just like sit in silence, pull up to wherever we're going and say, who the fuck were. Were we working for? Who is he? What were we in? How. How were we put with this person? Like, why? How. How could, how could this have gone so unchecked by so many very high level corporate people that gave him branding deals and TV shows and platforms to take young impressionable artists and, and have them be exploited in ways that are just so degrading and humiliating that. I don't know, I just. It's just being discussed in so many circles is just being so known to people. Suge Knight has said it a few times. Everybody knew what Puff was on. Everybody knew this was going on. Even I said everyone knew there was behaviors. Like everybody knew the sex parties. Everybody knows. I know all kinds of little tea that I could drop it legally, I wouldn't, because it turns you into a gossip versus somebody that's reporting on actual events that are occurring in this trial. And I'm not interested in being Wendy Williams, even though I do love her. But for me, I'm just trying. I was trying to find if there was a soul in there somewhere, if there's something redeemable even, and if he serves all the time that he should, because I believe that they've hit the threshold on all five charges. Will he be able to find himself when he. If he is charged? Like, I don't know there. It's almost like somebody that really locked into your soul. You kind of always still think about them. My entire life was changed because I met this person for better or worse. The way that he was able to psychologically get inside my head and the way he groomed me at too young of an age to throw those boundaries down and say no. It had to have affected everyone I've dated, the way I positioned myself to them, the way I saw myself as a woman, the way that I thought my value was as a woman, and so on and so forth. I mean, it's just very, very, very complex and, and the abuse is just too horrific and the system that's propping it up is just too knowledgeable of so much of this.

[TJ Holmes]

Aubrey, would you say when you first met him and started working with him, he was the guy that's being described in court, or he was still years away from developing into what is being described as a monster?

[Aubrey O'Day]

I think he lost the plot. I think he had some of the plot when I was still There. But you know, it's so hard because technology really changed the game. You know, like you can't just do all your stuff anymore without there being. I mean if someone dies, you have 80 cameras going up before people call 91 1. Everybody is documenting and everybody is selling the documents of everything. It's a very, very like movable part of our culture ingrained in us now back then in the 90s, I mean people saw Freaknik on you on Hulu and we're like, huh, what? What?

[Amy Robach]

Who?

[Aubrey O'Day]

Where? Like, you know, every different, different cultures had different reactions. But that was really shocking for people back then. That was just what it was. There's just, I've been through this evolution of this is just what it is over this way and all the way to. No, this should never be where it is in any way. And certainly if this is just a lavish lifestyle, everybody that's allowing the money to continue rolling in for this lavish lifestyle that are attending the events of this lavish lifestyle have got to come inside their homes at night and question would I want my daughter doing this? Would I want my daughter dating this, Being involved in this? Like, I guess when it's not happening to yours and your own, maybe you just don't do the oversights properly. But this is a very big, very, very big problem and a lot of very big people. I would like to see accountability on so many levels.

[Amy Robach]

I think that's been one of the most shocking things, at least to me, is to see how many people knew, how many people knew and how many people facilitated and how many people allowed it to continue. That, that's been mind blowing to me.

[Aubrey O'Day]

It's. It's the facilitated and allowed to continue. And I want the higher levels on down to the people that were wrangling for him. We've talked to people where we've heard stories of that that being alleged, you know what I'm saying? Like I want to see all of that. I think people that were in the know, I don't know, I knew things and I tried telling people and no one was listening and I got to see the results of it. Maybe other people didn't want to see those results. The results aren't pretty. They're humiliating and embarrassing. You don't really get to become what you wanted to become or could have become in life anymore.

[TJ Holmes]

Where are you leaning? I think I've asked you this a couple of times in the past couple of weeks, Aubrey, but here we are, fourth full week of testimony. Where are you leaning? How do you think the Trial is going for the prosecution and for the defense.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I just, I think that they've proved, I mean, I was speaking with an attorney the other day about the thresholds on all five charges. We've just seen them. I asked if everything's been met and in their opinion as an attorney, they said yes on all five. I feel the same. Obviously, I'm not an attorney, but I'm yes on all five here and now today, if they brought on a bodyguard and kk, I probably just would go to sleep for the defense because it's under the jail wrap type of a situation. If a bodyguard and KK go up there, if any of the bodyguard, if any of the bodyguards that I maybe allegedly know that maybe have allegedly committed any federal crimes with him, if they were to have been given immunity, allegedly, and they take the stand and they allege to things that they did that would be damning. So in, in, in the attorney I spoke to his opinion, Emily Simpson, she felt like she would love to see a bodyguard and an executive from the, the system, which Harv Pierre's name has been thrown around a lot in that courtroom and in civil suits. And that was my boss.

[Amy Robach]

All right, so it sounds like obviously there's going to be several people testifying this week, but if we see Jane, if we see Christina Coram or KK as you like to call her.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Oh, girl, I don't like to call her anything. I don't call her and I don't like to call her. That is just what they call her. And I'm going with the days on that one. I don't have her in my phone and nor do I ever want.

[TJ Holmes]

But if you did have her, what would you. Her name? She would be saved as what?

[Amy Robach]

Nah, I was wondering what your name would have been saved as in her phone since Eddie was Eddie my Angel. Aubrey, my problem.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Eddie my Eddie my angel was how Puff had him saved. Who had him saved like that?

[Amy Robach]

Oh, yeah, that's how KK had it spelled right. In the phone of Sean Combs, chief of staff. KK misspelled as Eddie, my Angel.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, Eddie my angel. Interesting, Interesting. You know, it's funny, in my phone, I would get people reaching out to me when all of this first started. And you know, some numbers, I don't know a lot of them I did. And then shockingly, and it's been so many years that I didn't even know that I had people in my phone still stored in this. But there was Puffs Girl 1, Puffs Girl, Purple Shoes, Puff girls missing a diamond in her bracelet. Puff Girl 3. There I went to. And then when it came up, I was like, this girl is high profile and she's this and that and just saying puffs girl where. And I guess at the time I was just saving anyone that was around that puff would maybe need to pass on to talk to somebody while something's going on or whatever. However, whatever. Allegedly I thought I knew at the time that's how I was saving people. And I tend to save people that I'm not going to be close with, but that I'm needing to have a moment with to move on from like that so I can get out of it. And there was a lot of Puffs girls in my phone. It was. It was pretty hectic.

[TJ Holmes]

Last thing for me, Aubrey, here is just, have you. Have you heard from people? And maybe not even people you work with, but unexpectedly, since this trial has been going on, reaching out to maybe ask you something or tell you something. Just give it. If. Even if you don't want to get into specifics, which we encourage you to do so. But just in general idea, I'm just curious how maybe folks might be coming out of the woodworks.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Yeah, everybody. There's been people that have hit me up that want to come talk on the show that are victims, allegedly. There are people that were only around during family times that have a hard time even seeing him like this. There are people that only saw him like this. There are days where I just get like, this guy's the fucking devil. And those are like, those are feelings that come that happen for people. I mean, I don't want to discredit any of it. I just want to make sure that we're always going back to the evidence and that we're always. That I personally am always taking my biases out and making sure that, like, if Brian Steele had killed this cross, I would be good. I would be telling you. I really would. I'm impressed with him. As a lawyer, he's a big deal. I just really wish I heard a lot of big deal shit coming out of his mouth instead of like, weren't you just on the me too train? Aren't you just lying about everything? That's just. Just noise. It's noise that. That everybody. That anybody that's been around lawyers or has studied the law knows that that's utilized. And he's a. He was effective. I think everybody can probably say he went. She got the hardest cross. Oh, yeah, he was. He was brutal and that brutality was because she was such a good, strong, consistent witness. When they're good and strong, you have to be good and strong. I think, though, it's not going to work in his favor. I think it's victim shaming. It's going to come off as. I think it's going to come off as victim shaming to the jury, and I think that might backfire. It just might backfire. But I have people watching the jury. There's one person that is a little concerning for me who I don't know if we should get into this right now or later on or when, if it should be an episode or what.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, we'll hold.

[Amy Robach]

That's a good. For the next episode.

[Aubrey O'Day]

I've had people watching the jury from the very beginning because in my opinion, the most important day that this trial had was when they chose the jury.

[Amy Robach]

Okay. All right. So we will absolutely get into jury watching.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[Amy Robach]

Facial expression, etcetera, in the next podcast. But Aubrey, as always, just, we so appreciate your perspective and your insight and, and what you can tell us about these, some of these folks who are coming up and taking the stand and what it means to the trial and, and again, for anyone listening, we want to throw out that hotline again. If you have a comment, a question, something you'd like us to talk about, you can get in contact with us if you reach out on this number, 844-4-ASK USQ or 844-427-5877. We can't wait to hear from you.

[Aubrey O'Day]

And if anyone wants to ask me, Amy or tj, about any fake headlines that we could clear up for you, go right ahead. I dare you. We got smoke for you, too.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, my God. Stop with the smoke. Don't bring us into your little smoke fights on the street.

[Aubrey O'Day]

Okay, I'll take all the smoke for everybody. I got it.

[TJ Holmes]

Thank you. Please. All right, folks, we appreciate you all listening. As always, continue to keep an eye on this feed. We will continue to update as this trial goes on. Thanks so much for listening.

[Aubrey O'Day]

This is an iHeart podcast.