Are You Done?!

Summary

Summary of "The Trial of Diddy" Podcast Episode: "Are You Done?!"

Release Date: June 3, 2025
Hosts: Kayla Brantley, Hermania Rodriguez Poleo & Marjorie Hernandez
Produced by: Daily Mail

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Introduction to the Trial

In the gripping episode titled "Are You Done?!," hosts Kayla Brantley and Hermania Rodriguez Poleo delve into the high-stakes federal trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Once a titan in the music industry, producing hits for legends like Biggie, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Lopez, Diddy now faces serious charges in New York, including sex trafficking and operating a criminal enterprise. Throughout week four of the trial, new revelations and dramatic courtroom moments have kept the global audience riveted.

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Courtroom Turmoil and Supporter Interference

The episode opens with a description of escalating tensions in the courtroom. On [01:55], Hermania Rodriguez Poleo recounts a chaotic scene where a woman loudly supported Diddy, shouting derogatory remarks towards the system and disrupting proceedings. This incident prompted the judge to swiftly remove her from the courtroom.

"She said, 'Did Diddy, these mother effers are laughing at you in every courtroom,'" Kayla Brantley reports ([02:02]). This upheaval underscores the polarized public sentiment surrounding the case.

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Testimony of Eddie Garcia: Alleged Bribery to Suppress Evidence

A significant development in the trial comes from the testimony of Eddie Garcia, a security guard present during the March 2016 assault on Cassie Ventura. Garcia reveals that Diddy allegedly paid him $100,000 to delete surveillance footage of the incident ([03:57]).

Garcia describes the interaction:

"Mr. Combs sounded very nervous. He was talking really fast, was saying that he had a little too much to drink and that I knew how things were with women. One thing led to another. If this got out, it could ruin him." ([04:00])

He further explains that Diddy not only paid him but also coerced him into signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), threatening $1 million in damages if he breached the confidentiality deal ([04:35]). Garcia's admission to law enforcement, after initially withholding information, adds a critical layer to the prosecution's case.

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Mia's Testimony: Accusations of Sexual Assault and Abuse

The heart of the episode centers on Mia, Diddy's former personal assistant, whose testimony spans three days and reveals multiple instances of alleged sexual assault and abusive behavior by Diddy.

Initial Assault at Diddy's 40th Birthday Party

Mia recounts the first incident at Diddy's 40th birthday party in November 2009 ([08:12]). She describes being alone with Diddy in the penthouse kitchen, where he initiated unwanted physical contact:

"He was talking, and all of a sudden his face was closer. My eyes couldn't focus on his face because it was so close. He put his arm next to my head against the wall and leaned in to kiss me and put his other hand up the side of my dress." ([09:23])

Subsequent Assaults and Abusive Behavior

Mia details additional assaults, including one at Diddy's Los Angeles home and another on a yacht in St. Barts on New Year's Eve 2010, where verbal abuse and threats drove her to flee for her safety ([10:34] - [10:43]).

"I felt so desperate and terrified and trapped. I would have done anything to stop that from happening." ([07:09])

Her testimony emphasizes the pervasive fear and control Diddy exerted over her, preventing her from speaking out sooner.

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Defense Cross-Examination: Challenging Mia's Credibility

Defense attorney Brian Steele adopts a confrontational stance during cross-examination, aiming to undermine Mia's credibility. He highlights Mia’s social media activity, pointing out celebratory posts involving Diddy to suggest a lack of fear or malice ([13:08]).

For instance, Steele questions a 2013 Instagram post where Mia appears to celebrate Diddy's birthday with a playful video:

"You have your rapist delivering the baby." ([13:53])

Mia defends the post as a comedic video, stating it was "produced and directed by Andy Sandberg" and that she was proud to be part of it ([14:15]).

Steele also scrutinizes Mia's professional trajectory post-Diddy, asserting that her subsequent employment with high-profile figures like Madonna indicates no blacklisting occurred ([24:51]). Mia refutes these claims, affirming that Diddy had no involvement in her securing the role.

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Dramatic Courtroom Exchanges

A pivotal moment occurs when Steele aggressively confronts Mia, prompting him to shout, "Are you done?" ([23:33]). Mia's composed response, "Sure," leads to a contentious debate between the prosecution and defense regarding the appropriateness of Steele's interrogation style. The judge ultimately rules that Mia was treated properly during cross-examination ([23:33]).

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Settlement and Employment Post-Trial

Mia reveals that upon leaving Diddy's employment in March 2017, she sought a $10 million settlement but only received $400,000, which was further reduced by legal fees ([24:28]). She expresses surprise at her termination, countering Diddy's claims that it was due to tardiness and substance abuse.

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Conclusion and Future Proceedings

As the episode wraps up, the prosecution presses Mia on her motivations for coming forward, highlighting her responsibility towards her family and those who might face similar situations ([26:08]). Mia articulates her drive to protect others:

"I can't look my niece or my goddaughters in the eyes and advise them on the future if they happen to be in this situation." ([26:08])

The hosts tease upcoming episodes, including a spotlight on another high-profile case, ensuring listeners remain engaged with the unfolding drama of high-stakes legal battles.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Kayla Brantley ([00:02]): "Seriously popular. The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy."

• Hermania Rodriguez Poleo ([07:08]): "What would you be afraid would happen? He'd fire me and ruin my future and somehow twist the story into making me look like a threat."

• Mia ([09:45]): "I was shocked and I froze. I didn't even process what was happening."

• Prosecutor Madison Smiser ([07:36]): "What were you worried would happen?"

• Mia ([21:32]): "I was in an environment where the highs were really high and the lows were really low, which created a huge confusion and me trusting my instincts."

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Key Takeaways

• Eddie Garcia's Testimony: Reveals potential cover-up efforts by Diddy involving significant financial incentives to suppress damaging evidence.

• Mia's Allegations: Multiple instances of sexual assault and abuse, highlighting a pattern of fear and control exerted by Diddy.

• Defense Strategy: Aims to undermine Mia's credibility through personal and professional scrutiny, questioning the authenticity of her claims.

• Courtroom Dynamics: Intense exchanges between defense and prosecution, with significant moments impacting the trial's trajectory.

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For listeners seeking in-depth analysis and exclusive insights into one of today's most sensational trials, "The Trial of Diddy" continues to deliver compelling narratives straight from the courtroom.

Transcript

[Kayla Brantley]

Seriously popular. The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy. He denies all charges and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering and.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Transportation to engage in prostitution.

[Kayla Brantley]

Welcome to the trial of Diddy. I'm Kayla Brantley.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

And I'm Hermania Rodriguez Poleo.

[Kayla Brantley]

We'll be back in a second.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Kayla Brantley]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms at.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The biggest secret in the entertainment industry.

[Kayla Brantley]

That really wasn't a secret at all.

[Ryan Reynolds]

At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all.

[Kayla Brantley]

Everything Diddy touched turned to gold.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Now he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Another woman has now come forward alleging comes of sexual assault Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

She claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I was like, oh, this guy is dangerous.

[Kayla Brantley]

From freak offs to the mysterious list, the shocking case that has gripped the world is finally here. And we'll be bringing you every detail as it happens.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Welcome to the trial of Diddy.

[Kayla Brantley]

Welcome back to the trial of Diddy. We are now in week four of this trial and as always, the bombshells just keep on coming.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Yeah. In fact, today chaos erupted in the courtroom when a woman started yelling in support of Diddy and had to be escorted out.

[Kayla Brantley]

We'll hear how the rapper paid a security guard at the Intercontinental Hotel $100,000 and made him sign an NDA in return for the footage of his March 2016 attack on Cassie.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

And also how Diddy fist bumped the air at his lawyer's aggressive cross examination of the personal assistant he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted. Welcome to the trial of Diddy. Are you done?

[Kayla Brantley]

So on Friday, we brought you the start of Mia's evidence. Mia is of course, the personal assistant who claims Diddy raped and sexually assaulted her several times. Mia is using a pseudonym that is not her real name and she was on the stand for three days. And we're going to hear a lot more from her spiky cross examination later in today's episode. But before we get into the evidence, we should just tell you about an incident that happened in the courtroom Tuesday when a woman in the public gallery started yelling and shouting, quote, at the system. She said, quote, diddy, these mother effers are laughing at you in every courtroom. Now, she said this before the judge swiftly asked security to escort her out.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Kayla, this is interesting because yesterday the Washington Post reported that there were supporters of Diddy in the press gallery being really rowdy, even heckling the alleged victim, Mia, and egging on Diddy's lawyers, which is, of course, not allowed in these rooms. So, first up today was another of the Intercontinental Hotel security guards who was on duty during the infamous March 2016 assault on Cassie Ventura. You'll remember that we've already heard from one of the guards, Israel Flores, who was one of the first witnesses to be called at the trial. Well, earlier today, another one of his colleagues, a guy called Eddie Garcia, took the stand. He told the jury that he took a $100,000 bribe from the rapper to make the video disappear from all the hotel computer servers.

[Kayla Brantley]

Garcia said that after the assault, he received a call from Diddy's right hand woman, Christina Karam. We've heard her name come up a lot. And she claimed that Diddy had been intoxicated and didn't remember exactly what happened and asked to see the footage. He told her he would need to contact management about that request. But hours later, he said that Karam showed up at the hotel looking for him. And later that evening, he received a call from Diddy himself. Garcia said, quote, Mr. Combs sounded very nervous. He was talking really fast, was saying that he had a little too much to drink and that I knew how things were with women. One thing led to another. If this got out, it could ruin him.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

When Garcia said he could not delete the video, he told the jury both Diddy and Koram contacted him repeatedly at his home and on his personal phone. Eventually, he said he agreed to a $50,000 payout in return for the video. He said Diddy made him sign an NDA, which included a clause saying he would pay the rapper $1 million in damages if he breached the confidentiality deal and spoke out.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah, and we know that that $50,000 agreed payout ended up turning into a $100,000 payout. But he went on to tell the court that Diddy was thrilled to hear the news and that Diddy even called him, quote, eddie, my angel. But he also said Diddy warned him not to make any extravagant purchases that would draw attention to Himself. He said he gave $50,000 to his boss and $20,000 to another guard who was also on duty that night. He was left with 30k, which he said he used to buy a new car. He said he didn't depos into a bank account or report it on his taxes.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Garcia then told the jury that when the tape resurfaced last year on cnn, he was interviewed by police and initially did not tell them about this alleged bribe. But later he got himself a lawyer and admitted to the government investigators that he had indeed taken the money.

[Kayla Brantley]

So that's Eddie Garcia's testimony, but now we're going to take you back a bit and bring you Mia's testimony, which began last week. As we said earlier, she's Diddy's former personal assistant who worked for him between 2009 and 20. She was on the stand for three days, finally wrapping up on Monday. She claimed she was raped and sexually assaulted by Diddy on four different occasions, that he was frequently angry and violent toward her, and that she kept it all to herself out of embarrassment and fear.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

That's right, Kayla. When she was asked, why didn't you tell him no? She said very pointedly, quote, I couldn't tell him no about a sandwich. I couldn't tell him no about anything. She said she couldn't tell him he was wrong about anything because it would make her a target. Here's prosecutor Madison Smiser asking these questions. Their words have been voiced by actors.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What would you be afraid would happen? He'd fire me and ruin my future and somehow twist the story into making me look like a threat. I knew his power and his control over me. I didn't want to lose everything I had worked so hard for.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

What were you worried would happen?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Physically, I'd be somehow attacked or. I just didn't want to die or get hurt. You were worried about Mr. Combs hurting you physically? Always. What did Mr. Combs say to you about these sexual assaults? He did threaten me sometimes with them. How? He threatened that he was going to tell everybody and tell Cassie as though I had something to do with it. I felt so desperate and terrified and trapped. I would have done anything to stop that from happening. Did you ever speak to anyone? No. I was gonna die with this. I didn't want anyone to know, ever. And if you spoke up? I would have been silenced, exiled from my second family. I would have lost my reputation.

[Kayla Brantley]

Smizer asked her if anyone had spoken up about the alleged abuse by Diddy. She said there was a former employee named Kayla Faulkner, who had tried to.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Yeah. So apparently Kayla told Diddy's chief of staff that he had hit Cassie, but the chief of staff told hr, and Kayla was fired.

[Kayla Brantley]

Mia was also asked about why she never told police about the alleged assaults. She spoke in detail about how she had been pulled over for driving without a valid license. But once the cops found out that she worked for Diddy, all they wanted was what she called, quote, an exciting conversation, and then they simply let her go.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Mia did, however, tell the jury in detail about the numerous sexual assaults Diddy allegedly subjected her to. Now, it's important to say here that, as we know, Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, so he denies any of these sex attacks took place at all. But Mia said the first time it happened was at Diddy's 40th birthday party at the Plaza Hotel in New York in November 2009. She said he had the penthouse suite, but the party was downstairs in the main part of the hotel. There were a lot of celebrities at this event. Mia said that they were both in the penthouse when he asked to speak to her in the kitchen alone. She said he told her that he had noticed what a good job she was was doing and that he did not want her to be too nervous or scared to come to him if she had any questions. She said that before that she had been going to others in the company to ask questions and not directly to Diddy himself.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah. She said he poured them both shots of vodka to cheers to his birthday and that she drank two. But she said that they hit her kind of hard. And she said, quote, I remember thinking, like, whoa, I did not eat or something because they affected me again. This exchange between her and Smizer has been voiced by actors.

[Ryan Reynolds]

He was talking, and all of a sudden his face was closer. My eyes couldn't focus on his face because it was so close. I didn't really know what was happening. He put his arm next to my head against the wall and leaned in to kiss me and put his other hand up the side of my dress. Did Mr. Combs kiss you? Yeah. Did you want Mr. Combs to kiss you? No.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Did he put his hand up your dress?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes. Did you want him to do that? No. Were you able to tell Mr. Combs?

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

No? No.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I was shocked and I froze. I didn't even process what was happening.

[Kayla Brantley]

Mia said that the next thing she remembered was sitting in the main party room with the sun coming up. Smizer asked her about her perception of Diddy's role, and she said Quote, he was my boss. He was a powerful person. I looked at him like an older adult. He was the king.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Yeah. She said she assumed what happened was a huge accident. She said she thought it would never happen again so she would never have to tell anyone about it. But she said it did happen again. The next time, she said she was sleeping in bunk beds at Diddy's Los Angeles home when she woke up to feel someone lying on top of her.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What do you remember happening? I remember it was sort of like him telling me, shh, be quiet, and using one hand to get his pants off.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

What did he do?

[Ryan Reynolds]

He put himself inside of me.

[Unnamed Speaker]

He put his penis inside of you?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

How did you react?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I just froze. I didn't react. How did you feel? Terrified. And confused and ashamed and scared.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Did you want to have sex with Mr. Combs?

[Ryan Reynolds]

No.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

How long was this assault?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was quick, but it felt like forever. How did it end? I don't remember. But I know he didn't leave the job unfinished. So whenever he was done or got what he wanted.

[Kayla Brantley]

She also described another incident in St. Barts, and this was New year's Eve in 2010. She said they were on a yacht and he had asked her to count some money in the safe. But then he started yelling and shouting a tirade of abuse at her because he said she wasn't counting his money fast enough. She said she ended up running for her life to get away from him. We'll be back with more after this.

[Unnamed Speaker]

What is daddication?

[Kayla Brantley]

The thing that drives me every day.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As a dad is Dariana. We call him Day Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.

[Unnamed Speaker]

That's dadication. Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

So before the break, we heard from Mia's powerful, direct testimony about the sexual assaults and abusive behavior that she claims Diddy carried out on her. But Brian Steele, Diddy's lawyer, who is famous for defending rapper Young Thug in his RICO trial, was also able to cross examine her. And it's fair to say he did not hold back on his interrogation of her claims. That's despite the fact that before the cross examination got underway, Mia told the jury that she Suffers from complex PTSD and does not currently work and in fact has struggled to hold down any post since leaving her job with Diddy.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah, there was a lot of tough cross examination there. And Steele began by focusing on her social media history. He suggested posts and messages on her various accounts were proof that she was not afraid of Diddy as she claims. He pulled up her Instagram account and specifically pointed to one post which she had posted on Diddy's birthday in November of 2013. The post included a video shoot of her pretending to give birth. She's in a hospital gown and Diddy is dressed as a doctor holding the newborn baby. Actor Paul Rudd is also in the scene alongside the video. Mia had written, quote, last non b day, shout out to my mentor. And then she tagged Diddy. Thank you for always letting me give birth to my dreams. Steel, of course, asked about this post.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You have your rapist delivering the baby.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It was a comedy video shoot and this is a still of that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This is your personal account, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes. It was a public account.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You chose this image and it's the image of Mr. Combs being a doctor and delivering a child. Your child, the character.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. It was a funny video and it was produced and directed by Andy Sandberg. I was proud I was in a funny video.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Steele asked Mia about the first alleged sexual assault at Diddy's 40th birthday party four years earlier. She accepted that she felt that possibly she had been drugged when she took the vodka shots from him.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah. She denied she'd posted the video on Instagram four years later because she was celebrating the anniversary of the sexual assault and insisted she'd simply created the post to mark Diddy's birthday. Steele then asked her to read the rest of the message she'd written alongside the video out loud. Her words here have been voiced by an actor.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Thank you for constantly inspiring me and giving me an extended family. You are forever one of my greatest friends. Thank you for being funny. You're really fucking funny. I love you.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Steel also drew attention to another birthday post from June 2014. This time it was a post from Diddy to Mia which said, quote, besides, every great man is a great woman. Happy birthday. Love you. P.S. sorry I was acting crazy. Last night, Mia had reposted his message and written alongside it, thanks, Puff. Love you. You've shown me the world. Steele asked her why she had decided to repose Diddy's message. Mia claimed he had threatened her life on the phone the night before and that this had been his way of apologizing.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So the man who threatened your life the night before you reposted on your personal social media account.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes, of course.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The man who terrorized you and threatened your life the night before you decided to write the caption. Thanks, Puff. Love you. You've shown me the world.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Why would you promote the person who has stolen your happiness and life?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Those were the only people who were around. So it was my life. Promoting was part of it. You had to support the things Puff supported. Very confusing cycle of violence and ups and downs.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Weren't you in fear of the man who took your innocence?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes, I was in fear. Anytime Puff was not happy, I wanted to make sure he was because then I'd know I was safe.

[Kayla Brantley]

Now here is when the cross examination really began to heat up. Steel showed the jury a scrapbook of press clippings Mia had made and given to diddy for his 45th birthday that same year. Across the front, in big red letters was written, Happy 45th birthday, Puff Daddy. A note she'd handwritten inside was also read to the court. It said, quote, puff, I hope on this day you get to sit back and take it all in, how much you've accomplished. I put together this book of magazine articles from 1991 to 1999 that will stir up some memories. Happy, happy birthday. I love you forever. And Eva Mia. Their words have been voiced by actors.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Did you mean it?

[Ryan Reynolds]

He said, I used to look at the world the way you did, but now I've done everything. What's left if I've done everything? I was addressing this conversation with him I had where he felt sad to me. It's hard to get somebody who has a lot of money a birthday present. So I thought this would make him happy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

How is it possible you are even around Mr. Combs after the way he treats you?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It wasn't horrible all the time. If it was, it would have been easy getting punished. No one around us ever reacted. Everyone acted like it was normal. Adults in the office upheld his behavior.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

The defense then brought up another incident when Mia claimed she was sexually assaulted by Diddy in the bathroom of his private jet. And we should say that she sounded quite impressive and spoke very eloquently when she was talking to the jury about this.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Why do you blame yourself when trying to use a bathroom on an airplane? And you say, no, no, no, no. What did you do wrong that could.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Be explained with any sexual assault victim and the shame that they carry when you're in it? I was young and manipulated and eager to survive. I'm unraveling a lot of this now in therapy. Nobody was there to say these things were wrong. There were no documentaries, nobody around us that even flinched at his behavior. I don't know how to explain that. I was always in trouble and finding a way to not be in trouble when things were great. Things were so great.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Why did you need someone else saying it was wrong of Mr. Combs to make you feel like he would kill you?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm a people pleaser. I'm an empath. I'm a rule follower. I wanted to do my best and make everybody happy all the time. I tend to take a lot more than normal people. I don't know if I should apologize for that. I forgive people all the time for things like that.

[Kayla Brantley]

But Brian Steele then used this response to confront her about her accusations. He suggested that she was lying about the way that Diddy treated her.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Isn't it true that Mr. Combs never had non consensual, forcible contact with you?

[Ryan Reynolds]

What I said in this courtroom is the truth. I have not lied to anyone at all.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Although it is unforgivable for any person to put their hands on a woman, isn't it true it did not happen as many times as you said?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Everything I've said in this courtroom is true.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Then why would you stay with him if you're being sexually assaulted and your sister Cassie is being beaten up?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a lot more complicated. It's abuse on all levels. You could talk to any abuse victims advocate and they could explain it much better than I could.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

We'll be right back after this. So before the break, we heard the start of Mia's cross examination by Diddy's lawyer, Brian Steele, which pretty much wrapped up her testimony on Friday. It's also worth mentioning that the defense also pointed out on Friday that although Mia is supposed to be an anonymous witness, she has actually been identified and exposed by online sleuths who have been sending videos and old social media posts to them. But on Monday, she was back on the stand for the continuation of her cross examination.

[Kayla Brantley]

Yeah. And again, Diddy's defense attorney Brian Steele's questioning was at times confrontational and aggressive. He really grilled her about her friendly text messages she'd sent Diddy between 2019 and 2022 after she had stopped working for him, in which her tone and words toward him seemed to be very positive and encouraging. In one message sent in January 2019, she wrote, quote, just thinking of you today and every day, I had a nightmare. I was trapped in an elevator With R. Kelly, I screamed, and you came to rescue me. So thank you for that. Sending you love. Here's Brian Steele again. His words have been voiced by an actor.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The person who sexually assaulted you in your dream or nightmare, rather, came to your rescue.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And you not only had that vision in your mind, but then you expressed it to Mr. Combs.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You had to tell him that in the text message that he's your actual savior, right?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So the person who you told the ladies and gentlemen of the jury terrorized you and caused you ptsd. You wrote to that person and explained.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

How that person saved you after an objection. Mia did not answer that question, but she did defend herself. She admitted she told Diddy she loved him and sent him hard emojis and messages, but that was because she saw him as her protector. And in another message she sent in March 2020, she actually gave the jury a bit of insight into Diddy's crazy lifestyle and all the A list stars such as Mick jagger and Leonardo DiCaprio that he mixed with. This is what she wrote.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So many magical and hilarious things, like drinking 1942 on the parrot Cay beach and champagne under the eiffel Tower at 4am in the dark and singing with Jimmy at Interscope and Mick Jagger trying to take me home. And that random underground baccarat game where you won 650 grand and that little prick ran away from me. And Leo grabbed my pink bedazzled BlackBerry and you said, that Titanic motherfucker doesn't know shit. He won 10k. I won 650k. Ha ha ha. Gosh, there were trillions of stories that are amazing.

[Kayla Brantley]

Steel asked her why she would have written that message if Diddy had really sexually assaulted and been abusive toward her, but she insisted that at the time, she felt she was brainwashed by him.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I was in an environment where the highs were really high and the lows were really low, which created a huge confusion and me trusting my instincts. I was punished whenever Puff would be violent and I'd react, confusing me and making me believe I'd done something wrong. I tried so hard to get back to the good space and work harder and be nicer, and nobody around batted an eye. He was still praised by everyone around him. And in public. I felt like I had done something horrifically, like I'd betrayed him by going to meditation. I felt horrible about it. I'd done something wrong and was always constantly seeking his approval. He was my authority figure now.

[Kayla Brantley]

Hermania. There was a pretty astonishing moment in the courtroom after she gave this gut wrenching explanation about feeling brainwashed, because at the end of it, Steele retorted with an aggressive quote, are you done?

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Yeah. It was quite a moment. Mia then replied, sure. But this exchange actually ended up causing a big disagreement between the prosecution and the defense team. Lead prosecutor Maureen Comey pointed out that Mia had sat through hours of humiliating cross examination and claimed Steele had, quote, yelled at her, was argumentative and had injected his own view. There was then a lengthy back and forth between the sides, but in the end, the judge decided that Mia was not being treated improperly.

[Kayla Brantley]

So then after that, Steele moved on to Mia's exit from Diddy's employment in March 2017 and the settlement she received. She admitted that she'd requested $10 million, but only received $400,000, and that she only ended up with half that amount after she'd paid all her legal fees. She admitted she was surprised she'd been let go by Diddy, but denied it was because she was late and had been caught drinking on the job, which he had claimed.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

This is when Steele pointed out that she had never claimed Diddy had sexually violated her until she got a lawyer last year. He suggested hers was a, quote, MeToo money grab, saying it was only after Cassie lodged her claim against Diddy that she decided to file one too. At this point, the prosecution interjected, and Mia did not actually respond to the suggestion put to her.

[Kayla Brantley]

The jury was shown her resume and heard that prior to working for Diddy, she was the personal assistant to the actor and comedian Mike Myers. And then after leaving Diddy, she went on to work for Madonna. But she denied Diddy helping her get the job with Madonna or that she had been in any way blacklisted.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I was hired to help lead her film division, but she also needed help restructuring her executive team. It morphed into multiple roles.

[Unnamed Speaker]

What type of roles?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I also operated in an assistant s capacity.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Work directly with Madonna?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

How long? Employed?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Initially, I said I'd stay three months and allowed it to extend to eight. The term April of 2018 or 2019 until October, same year.

[Unnamed Speaker]

To your knowledge, did Mr. Combs assist you in getting that job?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Absolutely not.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Do you have any evidence to share with this jury that you were somehow blacklisted?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Blacklisted? Oh, she didn't care about that. But, no, I. Of course not.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

So that brought Mia's cross examination to an end, and Diddy made a fist bump gesture of approval to Steele to show that he was happy with the aggressive way he had conducted this questioning. But before she finally ended her testimony, the prosecution asked Mia to explain why she had come forward to give evidence in the case against Diddy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I can't look my niece or my goddaughters in the eyes and advise them on the future if they happen to be in this situation.

[Kayla Brantley]

So that's it for today. We'll be back as usual on Friday with every detail from this case. In 2022, a group of divers were sucked into an oil pipe and trapped deep beneath the sea. They could have been saved, but they weren't following their story has led us to lucrative contracts, failing safety standards, and secretive political relationships. As we ask, why were those men left to die? This is Pipeline. Pipeline is out now, with new episodes released every Thursday. Search Pipeline Wherever you get your podcasts.