Sean Combs: "You joined the #MeToo money grab."

Summary

Dateline NBC Podcast Summary Episode: Sean Combs: "You joined the #MeToo money grab." Release Date: June 3, 2025

---

Introduction to the Trial

The episode delves into the high-profile racketeering trial of Sean Combs, a notable figure in the music industry. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, igniting widespread media attention and public discourse. Hosted by Andrea Canning, the podcast provides in-depth coverage of the proceedings, focusing on the fourth week of testimony.

---

Key Testimony and Cross-Examination of Mia

Victim's Testimony: Mia, the fourth victim in the case, testified about allegations of rape and workplace abuse by Sean Combs. Her identity is protected by a pseudonym to ensure her privacy and safety.

Defense Strategy: Defense attorney Brian Steele, known for his recent success in helping rap superstar Young Thug avoid jail time in a state RICO case in Georgia, aggressively cross-examined Mia. Steele aimed to undermine Mia's credibility by highlighting her continued personal and professional interactions with Combs post-incident.

• Mia's Relationship with Combs:

  • Steele's Argument: [00:42] "You continued to reach out to this man years after you no longer worked for him. And you said that you loved him."
  • Mia's Response: [02:22] "I was never really outside of his grip and had a confidentiality agreement with him."

• Social Media Scrutiny:

  • Steele's Evidence: [02:50] Defense presented Mia's Instagram account, showcasing her praise for Combs and private text messages between the two.
  • Text Messages Highlighted:
    • Mia: "Wow, this is top 10 on Netflix right now."
    • Combs: "Love, love, love." [03:07]
    • Mia: "I love, love, love you." [03:07]

Steele suggested that Mia's proactive communication contradicts her allegations of abuse, implying manipulation or a lack of genuine victimhood.

---

Prosecutors' Objections and Jury Reactions

The prosecution objected to Steele's attempts to portray Mia as part of a "#MeToo money grab," a move intended to cast doubt on her sincerity.

• Prosecution's Stand: [11:31] "Objecting to the portrayal of Mia as financially motivated."

• Jury Observations: Chloe Meloss, NBC News correspondent, noted subtle reactions from the jury, including a juror with a skeptical expression during the cross-examination [07:38]. However, overall juror demeanor remained impartial, with most maintaining professionalism and focus on the testimonies.

---

Handling of Emotional and Psychological Factors

Mia's demeanor in court was a focal point, illustrating the emotional toll of the trial.

• Behavior Under Pressure: [02:36] Mia maintained a composed exterior, avoiding eye contact and displaying minimal visible distress, which the prosecution interpreted as calculated resilience.

• Therapeutic Support: Mia acknowledged her ongoing therapeutic process, indicating a path towards healing and understanding her experiences [05:16].

---

Comparison to Harvey Weinstein and the Evolution of #MeToo

The episode draws parallels between Sean Combs' trial and Harvey Weinstein's case, exploring the societal and media responses to allegations of sexual misconduct.

• Public and Media Response:

  • Weinstein Trial: [09:28] Sparked the height of the #MeToo movement, with widespread public support and activism.
  • Combs Trial: [10:07] Notable absence of similar public demonstrations or vocal support, highlighting a potential shift in societal engagement with such cases.

• Defense's Use of #MeToo: Steele referenced the #MeToo movement to question Mia's motivations, suggesting financial gain as a driving factor [10:46]. This approach was met with objections from the prosecution [11:54].

---

Prosecutors' Perspective on Victim Behavior

The prosecution emphasized understanding the psychological impact of abuse on victims, countering Steele's attempts to discredit Mia.

• Accepted Wisdom on Abuse Victims:
  • Fear of Not Being Believed: [12:08] Mia expressed concerns about credibility and professional repercussions if she disclosed the abuse.
  • Compliance for Safety: [12:08] Maintained a facade of normalcy to ensure personal safety while enduring abuse.

These points aim to contextualize Mia's actions and statements within the framework of typical victim behavior, reinforcing her credibility.

---

Future Proceedings and Anticipated Testimonies

Looking ahead, the trial is expected to introduce new witnesses and testimonies that may further illuminate the case.

• Upcoming Witnesses:
  • Hotel Custodian: Potential testimony about the environment and aftermath of alleged incidents [13:30].
  • Another Jane Doe: A second anonymous victim poised to share experiences of physical and sexual abuse [13:30].

---

Conclusion and Ongoing Coverage

The Dateline NBC team, led by Andrea Canning and Chloe Meloss, continues to provide comprehensive coverage of Sean Combs' trial. As the proceedings unfold, the podcast promises detailed analysis and updates, offering listeners nuanced insights into this landmark case.

Notable Quotes:

• Brian Steele: "You continued to reach out to this man years after you no longer worked for him. And you said that you loved him." [01:42]
• Prosecutor Maureen Comey: "Steele was harassing Mia, and this could deter other victims from coming forward." [06:20]
• Chloe Meloss on Jury Dynamics: "There is one juror who looks skeptical, but most are maintaining a straight face." [07:38]
• Mia on Silence: "I was terrified and brainwashed. It's been a long process." [05:16]
• Steele on #MeToo: "Is this a revisionist history or is this a trauma victim who is just figuring out what really happened?" [05:16]

---

For more detailed updates and analyses, listeners are encouraged to follow Dateline True Crime Weekly and subscribe to Dateline Premium for exclusive content.

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. It's carried forward. Tom Yamas is there for us.

[Tom Yamas]

Firefighters are still working around the clock.

[Lester Holt]

As the world changes, we look for what endures.

[Tom Yamas]

We are coming on the air with breaking news right now.

[Lester Holt]

We look for a constant and from one era to the next, Trust is.

[Tom Yamas]

The anchor for NBC Nightly News. I'm Tom Yamas.

[Lester Holt]

A new chapter begins. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings 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 Monday, June 2nd. Just a heads up. In this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter. The fourth week of testimony began with the continued cross examination of the prosecution's witness called victim number four in filings. She is going by Mia on the stand, which is not her real name. Brian Steele is handling cross for the defense. He recently helped rap superstar young thug avoid jail time in a state RICO case in Georgia. NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss was in the courtroom today as the prosecution repeatedly objected to Steele's questioning and the judge called Steele's tone on the line. Chloe is outside now to tell us how the jury reacted today. Hey, Chloe.

[Tom Brokaw]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

So Mia alleges that she was raped by Sean Combs and abused in the workplace. What is the thrust of defense attorney Brian Steele's cross? Of her.

[Tom Brokaw]

The crosses, he's saying you continued to reach out to this man years after you no longer worked for him. And you said that you loved him.

[Andrea Canning]

So.

[Tom Brokaw]

So how could you say that? If this was your rapist, why would you choose to stay in contact with him and why didn't you tell anyone?

[Andrea Canning]

Did he outright call her a liar since Sean Combs is denying this rape allegation?

[Tom Brokaw]

He didn't say you're a liar, but he did say you're lying about being sexually assaulted, aren't you?

[Andrea Canning]

Brian Steele wanted to know who Mia told about this sexual assault, if anyone.

[Tom Brokaw]

Right.

[Andrea Canning]

Which is what defense attorneys are always looking for when they're cross examining. Who knew about this?

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm just looking at my notes right now. He says how is it that at all these events, these weddings, these birthday parties, these trips that she went on with family and friends, that there are no emails from you to them about what you claim happened while you worked for Diddy. And she just says that she was never really outside of his grip and that she never would have repeated these things because she had this confidentiality agreement with him.

[Andrea Canning]

On Friday, the defense used Mia's Instagram account to try to discredit her. You know, saying, look at the praise that she was heaping on Combs. And we touched on this. And also that was the material that was in those binders on the chairs today. They entered some private text between Combs and Mia.

[Tom Brokaw]

As recently as July 2022, she reaches out about the bad boy documentary that she had taken part in. And she says, you know, wow, this is top 10 on Netflix right now. And he writes back, love, love, love. And she writes back, and I love, love, love you.

[Andrea Canning]

Mm.

[Tom Brokaw]

She actually said that you'll have to ask a psychologist or a therapist to figure all this out, because these text messages show her proactively reaching out to Diddy over the years. It's not the other way around.

[Andrea Canning]

And the defense said she waited months to tell federal prosecutors about the sexual assault.

[Tom Brokaw]

So she met with prosecutors over 25 times. And Brian Steele pointed out that during the months of March and April and May, she never told prosecutors until June about these assaults. And she says, well, I was waiting until I had hired a lawyer to represent me during this criminal trial. But then Steele said, but you did have an attorney by the time you had your second meeting with prosecutors. And she really just kept saying over and over, Andrea, that she just didn't remember. I also wanna point out she made no eye contact. She had her head completely down. I mean, it must hurt her neck. I mean, she literally just stares at the floor the entire time. Her hair is covering her eyes. It's very sad to watch. But at the same time, though, there are a lot of questions today through this cross examination.

[Andrea Canning]

That's a lot of pressure to be up there in such a high profile trial and to be going against a powerful defense team. How did she handle it?

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, she seems no nervous, but she does seem strong at the same time. She's not crying. She has a strong tone at times. She almost kind of, like, laughed out of sarcasm when she was reading some of these text messages.

[Andrea Canning]

Last week, Mia testified that she felt like she had a moral obligation to come forward. This week, the defense asked Mia why she didn't feel that same responsibility to warn Cassie Ventura about Combs. This is a woman that Mia considered to be her close friend. Why would she let her friend stay with him?

[Tom Brokaw]

So when Asked why, she just did not speak out, whether it was to Cassie, who she called a sister, or to her own family and friends. She said, because I was terrified and brainwashed. She also said, it's been a long process. I'm still untangling these things. I'm in therapy. There's a lot of support I'm given that I didn't have or knew what to do with before. So again, Steele went after her, hammering her over and over. You didn't tell anybody. You didn't warn Cassie. You were posting all of these loving things on social media. You're emailing him, you're talking to him years after you left this monster and you were able to now live a free life, and you're messaging him as recently as 20, 23, like weeks before Cassie filed her civil lawsuit. So it's sort of like, what's changed? Is this revisionist history or is this a trauma victim who. Who's just figuring out what really happened to her?

[Andrea Canning]

What did it feel like to be there in court, Chloe, to feel this tension going on? It's such serious subject matter.

[Tom Brokaw]

It's in moments like that that I'm thinking, I need to write this down for the podcast. Right. And then Maureen Comey, who's one of the lead New York prosecutors, she's the daughter of James Comey at one point, when the jury wasn't in the room and she said Steele was yelling at Mia, that he was harassing her. And she was worried because all eyes all over the world are watching this case right now, that this will keep other victims from coming forward to tell their truth. She's worried that Steel's being too aggressive. And then you have Brian Steele, who's coming off the heels of this major win with Young Thug out of Atlanta. And you can see he's frustrated.

[Tom Yamas]

How.

[Andrea Canning]

How did the judge handle that then? Did the judge tell Brian Steele to tone it down?

[Tom Brokaw]

I mean, he was actually quite deferential to Steele. He told Maureen Comey, I don't see what you're saying. I don't see him yelling. I mean, I can agree that the tone is on the line. And Steele, you need to be mindful of that. But there was no, like, sanctioning him or anything like that. But, you know, Comey wanted to put this on the record cause she feels strongly in her position. It was a very fiery moment Friday.

[Andrea Canning]

Some of the jurors, you said, were seen smirking during Brian Steele's cross examination of Mia. How were they reacting today?

[Tom Brokaw]

Ugh. Well, let me tell you. There is one juror and she, like I said, no poker face. She's furrowing her brow. She's looking at Mia in what seems to be in a skeptical way. All the reporters are talking about it and pretty much everybody else is just taking notes and has a really straight face. It's really just this one juror when we come back.

[Andrea Canning]

We heard the phrase me too multiple times today, but not in the way you might think.

[Willie Geist]

DATELINE True Crime Weekly Andrea Canning and the Dateline team cover breaking crime news around the country. And now a special series with daily updates from the trial of Sean Combs.

[Andrea Canning]

I'll be talking to NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss every day after court about what she's seeing inside the witnesses, the evidence and what it all means.

[Willie Geist]

DATELINE True Crime Weekly Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lester Holt]

The NBC Nightly News from one era to the next.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'm Tom Brokawn.

[Andrea Canning]

We hope to see you back here.

[Lester Holt]

I'm Lester Holt.

[Tom Yamas]

Trust is the anchor for NBC Nightly News. I'm Tom Yamas.

[Lester Holt]

A new chapter begins NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas evenings on NBC.

[Chloe Meloss]

Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with Ina Garten in front of a live studio audience for the second ever Sunday Sit Down Live event. We talked about her rise from home cooked to culinary icon with some hosting tips and a proper dessert tray mixed in, too. You can get our conversation for free wherever you download your podcasts. Foreign.

[Andrea Canning]

Less than a block away from the federal courthouse where Combs is on trial, former movie producer Harvey Weinstein is standing trial for a second time on sex crimes charges which he has pleaded not guilty to. It was allegations against him that kickstarted the MeToo movement. You're covering that trial as well, Chloe.

[Tom Brokaw]

I'll be in the courtroom tomorrow in the morning. And we could see a verdict in Weinstein as early as tomorrow afternoon, I would expect, this week for sure.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you see any differences in the way the women accusing Combs of assault have been treated by the public, the media versus the women who accused Weinstein of assault back in 2017 during the heart of the MeToo movement?

[Tom Brokaw]

Absolutely. You don't see any protesters or people standing in solidarity with these women coming forward like you did in the throes of the MeToo movement when Harvey's trial was starting and I was there covering that trial in 2020? I mean, the silence has really been deafening and I'm not quite sure why.

[Andrea Canning]

And Also, on the other side of that, no one seems to be supporting Sean Combs either. Both sides, you're not seeing a whole lot of noise.

[Tom Brokaw]

Right. And perhaps there are people that want to, but they're reserving that until a verdict.

[Andrea Canning]

So, interestingly, Brian Steele did reference the MeToo movement today. He was. Seemed to be using it as a way to undermine Mia's testimony.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah, I mean, he was saying, you say that the MeToo movement had a major bearing on you realizing that you were a victim of abuse. But that was 2017, and you didn't come out with these allegations of sexual assault until June of 2024, long after Cassie filed her civil suit in November 2023, even more than two months after you were already meeting with prosecutors. How does that all add up, Chloe?

[Andrea Canning]

At one point, the defense accused Mia of joining what they call the MeToo money grab.

[Tom Brokaw]

Yeah. So Steele asked Mia if she was planning to sue Diddy in the wake of this trial. So she said no on the record, and nothing was going to prevent her from suing him later. Neither means that she's not trustworthy. Right. Or that her story isn't true. But they are saying that a lot of this is motivated by money.

[Andrea Canning]

That got an objection from the prosecution, that MeToo money grab line.

[Tom Brokaw]

Oh, it did. And it was one of many things that they objected on.

[Andrea Canning]

Today on Redirect, the prosecution brought up some points that are almost accepted wisdom around the behavior of abuse and assault victims. Tell us about that.

[Tom Brokaw]

One of the prosecutors said, what did you worry about if you told that he sexually assaulted you? And she said that I wouldn't be believed. I would be fired. I would be labeled a crazy person that was making everything up. Then she was asked, why did you try to keep the person that abused you happy? And she said, because when he was happy, I was safe. But that does not answer the question that Steele brought up multiple times as to why did you continue to reach out to him as recently as 2023.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you think that this could possibly backfire with some of the jurors, this going after Mia and trying to discredit her when she is, you know, vulnerable? She says she's a victim of sexual assault.

[Tom Brokaw]

Absolutely. There's a generational divide with these jurors. So several of them are over the age of 60, and there are several that look to be, you know, under 35. So how are they going to view social media? How are they going to view this correspondence? You know, what are they going to think of the way Brian Steele is handling his cross examination. I think it's still a little too soon to tell. I think we're really going to see this either all come together or completely fall apart for Diddy's team when they put on their defense.

[Andrea Canning]

What can we expect tomorrow?

[Tom Brokaw]

Potentially a hotel custodian who might be talking about cleaning up or seeing the aftermath of those freak offs. And later this week, we could actually hear from another Jane Doe testifying under a pseudonym who claims that she was subjected to physical and sexual abuse.

[Andrea Canning]

All right, thank you, Chloe. I know you're pulling double duty again tomorrow with Harvey Weinstein and Sean Combs, two high profile trials. So we thank you so much for your time and look forward to another update tomorrow.

[Tom Brokaw]

See you tomorrow.

[Andrea Canning]

And thanks to everyone for listening. 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 Kurloff. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.