Sean Combs: Victim-4 takes the stand.

Summary

Dateline NBC Podcast Summary: Sean Combs - Victim-4 Takes the Stand

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Podcast Information:

• Title: Dateline NBC
• Host/Author: NBC News
• Episode: Sean Combs: Victim-4 takes the stand
• Release Date: May 30, 2025
• Description: Current and classic episodes featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries, and in-depth investigations.

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Introduction

In the gripping episode of Dateline NBC titled "Sean Combs: Victim-4 Takes the Stand," host Andrea Canning delves into the high-stakes courtroom drama surrounding Sean "Diddy" Combs. This installment is part of the special series "On Trial," which offers daily coverage of Combs' racketeering trial. The episode, released on May 30, 2025, provides an in-depth look into the testimonies, allegations, and legal strategies shaping the case.

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Background of the Case

Sean Combs, a prominent figure in the music and entertainment industry, faces multiple charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The prosecution alleges that Combs engaged in a series of illegal activities, including sexual assault and forced labor, implicating him in a broader criminal enterprise.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, setting the stage for a contentious trial where both sides present compelling arguments and evidence.

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Mia's Testimony: A Central Focus

Introduction to Mia

At the heart of the prosecution's case is the testimony of Mia, a pseudonymous witness who alleges she was another victim of Sean Combs. Mia's testimony is particularly harrowing, as she details both sexual assault and a toxic work environment under Combs' employment.

Andrea Canning [01:33]: "Mia alleges that Combs sexually assaulted her. She also described what it was like working for him, accusing Combs of keeping her awake for literally days at a time and living in fear."

Protecting Mia's Identity

Given the sensitive nature of her allegations, Mia has chosen to testify under a pseudonym to protect her identity. The judge emphasized that the jury should not consider the use of a pseudonym as a factor in assessing her credibility.

Andrea Canning [01:51]: "Prosecutors sent a letter to the judge stating that Mia is so fearful that her identity getting out could irreparably damage her professionally."

Employment History with Combs

Mia's employment with Sean Combs spanned from 2009 to 2017, during which she rose from a personal assistant to an executive overseeing film and television projects. However, her professional ascension was marred by increasingly exploitative and abusive working conditions.

Lester Holt [03:10]: "She was a personal assistant for most of that time, but her dream was film and television. And ultimately he made her an executive at his. She was able to help him with film and TV projects."

Allegations of Abuse and Exploitation

Mia provided a detailed account of her tumultuous experience working for Combs, highlighting both emotional and physical abuse. She described instances where Combs exhibited violent behavior, including throwing objects and physically assaulting her.

Andrea Canning [03:41]: "As she's talking about all of these things, she's shaking, she's crying, she's looking down, her voice is trembling."

Lester Holt [05:05]: "She wasn't allowed to lock her door because Combs said that this is my house... she wasn't allowed to leave, not even so much as to run errands for herself or to see any of her friends."

Mia also recounted extreme working hours, where she was kept awake for up to five days straight, leading to physical and mental breakdowns.

Lester Holt [04:33]: "She testified about one time staying up for five days straight in Las Vegas, and that her body started to have a physical breakdown... she had temporary hearing and vision loss."

Impact on Mia's Life

The grueling work conditions took a severe toll on Mia's health and personal life. She felt trapped, manipulating her loyalty to Combs as a reason for not reporting the abuse, despite the harassment and physical violence she endured.

Andrea Canning [13:35]: "She said that she was desperate, terrified and trapped, that this was her fault. And she actually said that she never planned to ever tell anybody about this. She said, 'I was going to die with this. I didn't want anyone to know ever.'"

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Connections to Combs' Relationship with Cassie

Mia's testimony also shed light on Sean Combs' tumultuous relationship with Cassie Ventura, highlighting a broader pattern of controlling and abusive behavior.

Andrea Canning [08:28]: "Mia's employment overlapped with Combs' relationship with Cassie. And Mia testified that one of her duties was to keep track of Cassie for Sean Combs."

She described scenarios where she was tasked with monitoring Cassie, including an incident where Cassie and Mia attempted to escape from Combs during a vacation in Turks and Caicos. Their escape led to a dramatic confrontation involving paddleboards and a chase across the ocean.

Lester Holt [11:00]: "They ran out on the beach and Combs was chasing them and they were running towards the ocean and then they got on some paddle boards and they sort of just paddling out as far as they could into the ocean to try to get away from him."

Despite these terrifying experiences, Mia revealed that she never reported the assaults or the abuse to the authorities, further complicating the prosecution's case.

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Legal Implications and Defense Strategies

The prosecution aims to leverage Mia's testimony to demonstrate a pattern of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violations, specifically citing forced labor and slavery as outlined under RICO statutes.

Lester Holt [04:56]: "She said that she has ADHD, so she had a prescription for Adderall, and that she took that, and that's what also helped her stay awake."

The defense, represented by criminal attorney Tenn Garagos, may counter these allegations by portraying the work environment as a high-stress job typical for high-profile individuals. They might argue that the accusations are exaggerated or constitute personal disputes rather than organized criminal activity.

Andrea Canning [07:45]: "The defense tomorrow is going to say, okay, we've agreed he was a jerk and he was violent. They said that in their opening statement. But that these employees agreed to this arrangement, that these were like trade-offs..."

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Conclusion and Future Proceedings

As the trial progresses, Mia's testimony remains a critical component of the prosecution's case against Sean Combs. Her detailed accounts of abuse, exploitation, and sexual assault present a harrowing narrative that underscores the severity of the allegations.

The episode concludes with anticipation for Mia's continued testimony and the forthcoming defense cross-examination, setting the stage for further revelations and legal maneuvers in this high-profile trial.

Andrea Canning [15:37]: "Mia. Yes. So we're expecting her to be back on the stand in the morning for prosecutors to continue their direct questioning. And then things could get pretty heated in the afternoon when cross-examination begins with Diddy's criminal defense attorneys."

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Notable Quotes:

• Andrea Canning [01:33]: "Mia alleges that Combs sexually assaulted her. She also described what it was like working for him, accusing Combs of keeping her awake for literally days at a time and living in fear."

• Lester Holt [04:33]: "She testified about one time staying up for five days straight in Las Vegas, and that her body started to have a physical breakdown, that she had temporary hearing and vision loss, and that finally Diddy was like, okay, now you can go to bed."

• Andrea Canning [07:45]: "The defense tomorrow is going to say, okay, we've agreed he was a jerk and he was violent. They said that in their opening statement. But that these employees agreed to this arrangement, that these were like trade-offs..."

• Andrea Canning [13:35]: "She said that she was desperate, terrified and trapped, that this was her fault. And she actually said that she never planned to ever tell anybody about this. She said, 'I was going to die with this. I didn't want anyone to know ever.'"

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Production Credits:

• Produced by: Franny Kelly
• Senior Producers: Alison Orr and Liz Brown
• Original Music: Jesse McGinty
• Executive Producer: Paul Ryan
• Senior Executive Producer: Liz Cole

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For those interested in following the latest developments and in-depth analysis from the courtroom, subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content at DatelinePremium.com. Stay informed with ongoing coverage of this landmark case as it unfolds.

Transcript

[Andrea Canning]

The NBC Nightly News legacy isn't handed.

[Tom Brokaw]

Down or NBC News. I'm Tom Brokaw.

[Andrea Canning]

We hope to see you back here.

[Lester Holt]

I'm Lester Holt.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's carried forward.

[Lester Holt]

Tom Yamas is there for us.

[Tom Brokaw]

Firefighters are still working around the clock. As the world changes, we look for what endures. We are coming on the air with breaking news. Right now. We look for a constant and from.

[Lester Holt]

One era to the next, trust is.

[Tom Brokaw]

The anchor For NBC Nightly News. I'm Tom Yamas. A new chapter begins NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas starting Monday on NBC.

[Andrea Canning]

This is On Trial, a special series from DATELINE True Crime Weekly bringing you daily coverage from the Sean Combs racketeering trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. I'm Andrea Canning. And it's Thursday, May 29th. Just a heads up in this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter today. The prosecution called a woman to the stand they allege is another victim of Combs and we do not know her name. She is testifying under a pseudonym, which is Mia. And at times she seemed so overwhelmed by what she was telling the jury that she started to hyperventilate like Cassie Ventura. Mia alleges that Combs sexually assaulted her. She also described what it was like working for him, accusing Combs of keeping her awake for literally days at a time and living in fear. Those allegations could put him directly in the crosshairs of the RICO statute. NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss is back outside of the federal courthouse to tell us more. Hey, Chloe.

[Lester Holt]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so big day in court today. Before Mia started her testimony, the judge gave a clear instruction to the jury not to put any weight on the fact that she was testifying using a pseudonym. Do we know why exactly she has chosen not to use her name?

[Lester Holt]

We know based on a letter that prosecutors sent the judge in April, Andrea, that she is just so fearful as to her identity getting out there that it could hurt her with her job professionally. It would just cause irreparable damage. We were mandated by the judge not to even describe her appearance. So I can't even tell you what she was wearing. I can't tell you the color of her hair, what she looked like. I mean, we have to be really, really careful in abiding by these rules.

[Andrea Canning]

Chloe, give us a background on Mia. Who is she and and how did she get into Sean Combs world?

[Lester Holt]

So she had briefly worked as a personal assistant for the actor Mike Myers. You might remember him from movies Like Austin Powers. And she said that job was like a 10 to 6 job and that if she ever worked on the weekends for Mike Myers, that she would only be, like, watching his dog. So then she got this job interview to work for Sean Diddy Combs. And she thought that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. And she was told that she would only be working about 40 hours a week. And she said that very quickly. And even on her first day, she realized that this was not the case. She actually said, Andrea, that on her first day, she didn't get to go home until 1pm the next day. So right off the bat, she said that things were toxic and that there would be high highs and incredibly low lows.

[Andrea Canning]

She worked for him from 2009 to 2017, and she was promoted along the way.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. So she was a personal assistant for most of that time, but her dream was film and television. And ultimately he made her an executive at his. She was able to help him with film and TV projects.

[Andrea Canning]

So, Chloe, aside from, you know, working these long hours, she has a lot of allegations that she has made against him about what it was like working for him.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. And as she's talking about all of these things, she's shaking, she's crying, she's looking down, her voice is trembling. And she says that Diddy threw things at her, threw her against a. A wall, threw into a pool, that he threw an ice bucket at her, that he threw a laptop that narrowly missed her head one time.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's just bring all these things you just talked about into the actual, you know, charges in this case. So Danny Savalos, our legal expert, explained yesterday, to get a conviction on the racketeering charge, the prosecution has to show that some of the illegal acts that allegedly Combs engaged in are on a list of RICO crimes. One of the crimes on the list is slavery or forced labor. Those are the terms. Is the prosecution saying that there was some form of that with how he was treating his employees?

[Lester Holt]

Absolutely. She testified about one time staying up for five days straight in Las Vegas, and that her body started to have a physical breakdown, that she had temporary hearing and vision loss, and that finally Diddy was like, okay, now you can go to bed. She also said that she has adhd, so she had a prescription for Adderall, and that she took that, and that's what also helped her stay awake.

[Andrea Canning]

Mia on the stand said that Combs made her move into his house so she could be near him at all times, and she needed permission to leave.

[Lester Holt]

She wasn't allowed to lock her door because Combs said that this is my house, but that other employees of his could. And that she wasn't allowed to leave, not even so much as to run errands for herself or to see any of her friends, that she was always on the clock. And that one time she left his house, she snuck out around 2am after he had fallen asleep because she was desperate to see some friends and that he sent security to go find her. So, yeah, she felt like she couldn't leave. I mean, she talked about things that were so extreme, like she couldn't even change her tampon because he wouldn't let her out of his sight. These are just insane stories to hear.

[Andrea Canning]

If true, very hard to hear. And again, this is Mia's testimony. This is her account under oath. What did Mia say she was doing for all those hours? Like, what were her. What was her job description? I'm sure, you know, when you work. I worked for a celebrity. When you work for a celebrity, there's many hats that you wear.

[Lester Holt]

I mean, look, I worked for someone pretty tough in my 20s as well, and I worked crazy hours and I worked on the weekends and I remember crying a lot. I would get screamed at. And sometimes in certain industries, you feel like that's a rite of passage. But what Mia is describing just moves the goalpost even further. I mean, she says that at one time she would be doing, metaphorically 17,000 things. Everything from doing his taxes, reading movie scripts, anticipating his moods, checking the weather if it's going to be raining, making sure to grab an umbrella, making sure that she was there at his house before he woke up, and staying with him until he went to bed, which we know could be like 4am and she even had to like crack his knuckles. I mean, the whole thing is just. It's just a wild litany of things that she claims she had to do.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, you can't pay me enough to crack someone's knuckles. Wow.

[Lester Holt]

Same here.

[Andrea Canning]

So unpredictable hours, nonstop responsibilities. But could the defense argue that this is just a high stress job for a high profile person, not a crime?

[Lester Holt]

She said that she was constantly humiliated, that he would question her intelligence, he would threaten her job, that she would be suspended without pay for the most random of things that would upset him. And she also said that it wasn't just her as the personal assistant, that there were other PAs that worked for him, but she felt like she would get the brunt of everything and that if somebody messed up, that ultimately somehow it would be her fault.

[Andrea Canning]

We should say that like other employees of Combs that we've heard testify already, there were parts of the job that Mia said she loved.

[Lester Holt]

She said that she begged him for years to stop being a personal assistant and to pursue her true passion, which was film, and that ultimately he allowed her to do that, helping procure films that he could star in or films that they could invest in. She said, even though I had this insane assistant situation, the joy that you would get out of doing TV and film was overwhelmingly awesome. And, you know, I think that the defense tomorrow is going to say, okay, we've agreed he was a jerk and he was violent. They said that in their opening statement. But that these employees agreed to this arrangement, that these were like trade offs and perhaps they might have text messages and emails that paint a very different picture.

[Andrea Canning]

Mia's employment overlapped with Combs relationship with Cassie. And Mia testified that one of her duties was to keep track of Cassie for Sean Combs.

[Lester Holt]

That's right. I mean, she said that she interacted with Cassie a lot and that she would be sent over to Cassie's apartment and sort of monitor her, almost babysit her. And there's this story of this party at Prince's house in which they actually snuck out. And Combs was so upset that they had snuck out and gone to this party in LA that he showed up and ended up chasing Cassie down and started to physically beat her until Princess security intervened and that after that, Diddy actually suspended Mia's pay.

[Andrea Canning]

When we come back, we'll have more of her testimony, including what she says happened the day she and Cassie tried to escape. Combs on a paddleboard. Plus Mia's own story of being sexually assaulted by Sean Combs after the break.

[Tom Brokaw]

Now they had the final answer. Or did they? Nothing has more suspense than a Dateline mystery. And no one wants to wait to find out what happens next. That's why everyone needs Dateline Premium, where listening is always ad free. You get the whole story and nothing but the story. Or do you? Yes, actually, you do. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Dateline premium dot com. Hey, everybody, I'm Al Roker from the Today Show. Let's kickstart your wellness journey with the all new Start Today app. Everything you need for a healthier you. All in one place. Fitness challenges for all levels. Meal plans that are easy and delicious and so much more. It's built to fit your lifestyle and our experts will guide you every step of the way. Come on, let's do this. To subscribe, download. Start today from the App Store on your Apple device. Now terms apply. Cancel anytime through Apple under profile settings. Hey guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with the one and only Hugh Grant to talk about his chilling film Heretic and a four decade run of unforgettable movies. You can find our conversation now for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Andrea Canning]

So Mia described a number of times when she says Combs got violent with Cassie.

[Lester Holt]

Yes. So she said that she saw Diddy beat Cassie up multiple times.

[Andrea Canning]

Mia gave a description of the sounds that she heard, thuds, things hitting walls that she believes is violence between Combs and Cassie.

[Lester Holt]

It's similar to what we heard from Dawn Richard, who was in the girl group Danity Kane, who testified about being around Cassie and Diddy and also hearing things happen in different rooms. We also previously heard from a male escort who said that he saw Combs once drag Cassie by her hair into another room and he heard slapping sounds.

[Andrea Canning]

Tell us about this story that Mia told on the stand about trying to get away from Combs while she was with Cassie and they were all on vacation.

[Lester Holt]

She said that they were in Turks and Caicos and that Cassie came into her room and was terrified and started putting furniture against the door and just kept saying, he's gonna kill me. And they had, they were, I believe, on the first floor and they had doors that exited to the beach and they ran out on the beach and Combs was chasing them and they were running towards the ocean and then they got on some paddle boards and they sort of just paddling out as far as they could into the ocean to try to get away from him. And as they turned around, you know, he got smaller and smaller as they were. And then they actually started to see bad weather coming in and storm clouds and they were worried like, do we stay out here and risk our lives in the ocean or do we go back to shore and risk our lives there? And ultimately they decided to go back to shore.

[Andrea Canning]

Mia, despite all of this, said she never saw Cassie fight back against Combs.

[Lester Holt]

That's what she says, but that is the exact opposite of what we heard in opening statement from Sean Combs, criminal defense attorney Tenny Garagos, who has maintained that there was violence on both sides of the relationship.

[Andrea Canning]

Mia described cleaning up after freak offs and she had a more civilized name for them. She called them hotel nights.

[Lester Holt]

Yes. And she's not the first person who has testified about having to clean up these hotel rooms. She actually Described it as a nightmare. Candle wax that you just couldn't get out of the carpet. There would be broken glass, even blood that Diddy supposedly told her was period blood. Oil on the walls, wet towels, water on the floor. I mean, you can just imagine the sort of damage that was done to the room.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. Yet Mia says she never reported Combs to the police and she kept working for him, kept getting a paycheck.

[Lester Holt]

I mean, she said that she felt a loyalty to him, that part of the deal was to protect his reputation. I mean, it's similar in testimony to what we've heard from Cassie as to why didn't she ever fully sever ties during this decade long, on and off relationship?

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. All right, so this part gets very, very serious. This afternoon. Mia on the stand says Combs sexually assaulted her. She understandably got very upset talking about this in court.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. So she was crying and she said that after Diddy's 40th birthday, she was in his apartment and he had everybody leave. I believe they were in the kitchen. And that's when he had her take a couple of shots of vodka. And she hadn't eaten or had anything to drink that day. And so she said it hit her really hard. And then she said that all of a sudden he had kind of pushed her up against a wall and he put his hand up her dress. And then she talked about another instance at his home in LA. It was around 2009, 2010. So she doesn't exactly remember when it allegedly happened, but she was sleeping in a room in his house. She was in a bunk bed. And like I told you before, she wasn't allowed to lock her door. And she said that she woke up to Diddy on top of her and she starts to really cry at this point on the stand. And she said that he penetrated her and that she just froze.

[Andrea Canning]

So, yeah, this is. This is very difficult testimony. And again, these are Mia's allegations that Sean Combs has denied. Very hard to hear. Did the prosecution ask Mia why she didn't report any of these sexual assault allegations?

[Lester Holt]

Yeah, so she said that she was desperate, terrified and trapped, that this was her fault. And she actually said that she never planned to ever tell anybody about this. She said, quote, I was going to die with this. I didn't want anyone to know ever.

[Andrea Canning]

She will be back on the stand tomorrow, Chloe.

[Lester Holt]

Mia. Yes. So we're expecting her to be back on the stand in the morning for prosecutors to continue their direct questioning. And then things could get pretty heated in the afternoon when cross examination begins with Diddy's criminal defense attorneys.

[Andrea Canning]

We will see you back here tomorrow. Chloe, thank you.

[Lester Holt]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

Thanks for listening. We will, of course, as we said, be back tomorrow with a new episode. If you want to read the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC newsletter. Diddy on trial go to nbcnews.com diddy to find that. On Trial is produced by Franny Kelly with help from the DATELINE True Crime Weekly team. Our senior producers are Alison Orr and Liz Brown. Karloff original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.

[Tom Brokaw]

Friday night on dateline.

[Lester Holt]

Some people are better left in your.

[Tom Brokaw]

Past, a double life of secrets and betrayal. Beyond imagining.

[Lester Holt]

What you find after that I'm pretty.

[Tom Brokaw]

Sure you've never seen before.

[Lester Holt]

No. That case takes a dramatic twist that's going down to history.

[Tom Brokaw]

Dateline Friday at 9, 8 Central, only on NBC.