Are You Done?!

Summary

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

Episode Overview In the episode titled "Are You Done?!", released on June 3, 2025, The Trial of Diddy podcast delves into the high-stakes federal trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Hosted by journalists Kayla Brantley and Hermania Rodriguez Paulo, the episode provides an in-depth analysis of the ongoing courtroom battles, key testimonies, and the intense scrutiny surrounding the rapper and music mogul. This episode marks week four of the trial, highlighting significant developments and explosive revelations that continue to captivate the audience.

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Courtroom Turmoil and Incidents

The episode opens with the hosts addressing a tumultuous day in the courtroom. During the proceedings, a woman in the public gallery became visibly upset, shouting, “diddy, these mother effers are laughing at you in every courtroom” ([02:01]). This outburst led to her swift removal by security, underscoring the charged atmosphere surrounding the trial.

Kayla Brantley remarks, “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” ([01:01]).

Additionally, chaos erupted when a supporter of Diddy in the press gallery began heckling the alleged victim, Mia, and encouraging Diddy's defense team—actions that are prohibited in the courtroom.

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Eddie Garcia’s Testimony: Alleged Bribery to Suppress Evidence

A pivotal moment in the trial involved Eddie Garcia, a security guard from the Intercontinental Hotel where the March 2016 assault on Cassie Ventura allegedly took place.

Hermannia Rodriguez Paulo explains, “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” ([03:26]).

Kayla Brantley continues, “Garcia said that after the assault, he received a call from Diddy's right-hand woman, Christina Karam. He told her he would need to contact management about the footage request. But hours later, Karam returned looking for him...” ([03:26]-[04:05]).

Garcia detailed the interaction, stating, “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” ([04:05]).

He further testified that he received a total of $100,000 after initially agreeing to a $50,000 payout. Garcia admitted to not reporting the bribe on his taxes or depositing the money into a bank account, instead spending it on personal expenses, including a new car ([04:29]-[05:04]).

When questioned about the resurfacing of the tape on CNN, Garcia confessed, “I had indeed taken the money” ([05:04]-[05:20]).

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Mia’s Testimony: Allegations of Sexual Assault and Abuse

The centerpiece of the episode is the harrowing testimony of Mia, Diddy’s former personal assistant.

Kayla Brantley recounts Mia’s claims: “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” ([05:04]-[05:20]).

Detailed Accounts of Assaults:

1. November 2009 – Diddy’s 40th Birthday Party:

   • Mia describes being drugged with vodka shots, leading to an assault in the kitchen. She states, “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” ([08:53]-[10:21]).

2. Subsequent Assaults:

   • Mia recounts a second incident at Diddy’s Los Angeles home where she was assaulted while sleeping. “He put himself inside of me” ([10:04]-[10:48]).

3. Saint Barts – New Year's Eve 2010:

   • On a yacht, Diddy allegedly lashed out in anger during a money-counting task, leading Mia to flee in fear ([10:55]-[11:35]).

Impact on Mia: Mia revealed that she suffers from complex PTSD and has struggled to maintain employment since leaving Diddy’s employ ([05:20]-[05:49]). When questioned about her silence, she expressed fear of losing her career and reputation, stating, “I couldn't tell him no about a sandwich. I couldn't tell him no about anything” ([06:08]).

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Defense’s Cross-Examination: Brian Steele’s Tactics

Brian Steele, Diddy's defense attorney, launched a rigorous cross-examination aimed at discrediting Mia’s allegations.

1. Social Media Scrutiny:

   • Steele highlighted Mia’s positive interactions with Diddy on platforms like Instagram. For instance, a birthday post featuring a comedic video where Mia appears to give birth with Diddy acting as the doctor was brought to the jury's attention ([12:09]-[13:15]).

   • Steele: “You have your rapist delivering the baby” ([12:54]).

   • Mia Defense: Mia claimed the video was a humorous portrayal, emphasizing it was unrelated to the assault claims ([13:00]-[13:15]).

2. Questioning Mia’s Credibility:

   • Steele confronted Mia about positive messages she sent to Diddy post-employment, including one where she credited him as her savior: “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” ([19:27]-[20:10]).

   • Steele: “The person who sexually assaulted you in your dream or nightmare came to your rescue.”

   • Mia defended her actions by explaining her perception of Diddy as a protector, despite the abuse ([20:11]-[20:42]).

3. Professional Relationships:

   • Steele questioned Mia’s departure from Diddy’s employment and the subsequent settlement. He insinuated that Mia’s allegations were influenced by the broader MeToo movement, especially after Cassie Ventura filed her own claims ([23:30]-[23:52]).

   • Mia denied being blacklisted and asserted her professional growth post-Diddy ([23:52]-[24:45]).

4. Emotional and Psychological State:

   • Mia revealed her psychological struggles, attributing her inability to resist Diddy’s abuse to her empathetic nature and desire to please others ([17:04]-[21:34]).

   • She articulated feeling brainwashed and trapped in a cycle of abuse, which Steele attempted to undermine by highlighting her seemingly positive social interactions with Diddy ([21:44]-[21:53]).

Courtroom Dynamics: An intense exchange occurred when Steele abruptly asked Mia, “Are you done?” ([22:34]). Mia’s affirmative response led to a dispute between the prosecution and defense over the appropriateness of Steele’s interrogation style. The judge ultimately ruled that Mia was treated properly during the cross-examination ([22:34]-[23:04]).

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Conclusion and Current Status

As the episode concludes, the jury is left to ponder the conflicting testimonies. Mia’s courage in confronting Diddy’s alleged abuse is juxtaposed against the defense’s aggressive attempts to undermine her credibility. The trial continues to unfold with high tension, and listeners are kept on edge awaiting the next developments.

Kayla Brantley closes with, “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” ([25:10]).

The episode promises further revelations and expert analysis in the upcoming installments, maintaining the gripping narrative that has made The Trial a chart-topping podcast with over 30 million downloads.

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Notable Quotes:

• Eddie Garcia ([04:05]): "Mr. Combs sounded very nervous. He was talking really fast... If this got out, it could ruin him."
• Mia ([06:08]): "He'd fire me and ruin my future and somehow twist the story into making me look like a threat."
• Brian Steele ([12:54]): "You have your rapist delivering the baby."
• Mia ([20:36]): "I was in an environment where the highs were really high and the lows were really low..."

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Contact and Additional Information Listeners can follow The Trial of Diddy on X and Instagram @thetrialpod or reach out via email at [e-mail]. For ad-free content and exclusive episodes, memberships are available at thecrimedesk.com.

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This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the "Are You Done?!" episode for informational purposes and reflects the complexities and emotional weight of the trial proceedings.

Transcript

[Sean Combs]

Seriously popular.

[Narrator]

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 transportation to engage in prostitution.

[Kayla Brantley]

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

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

And I'm Hermania Rodriguez Paulo.

[Kayla Brantley]

We'll be back in a second.

[Narrator]

The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that really wasn't a secret at all.

[Sean Combs]

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

[Kayla Brantley]

Everything Diddy touched turned to gold.

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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

[Narrator]

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

[Madison Smiser]

She claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.

[Narrator]

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 Paulo]

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 Paulo]

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 Paulo]

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 spirit 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 Paulo]

Kayla, this is interesting because yesterday the Washington Post reported that there were supporters of Diddy in the press gallery being really rowdy in 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 disappeared 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. Him. 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 Paulo]

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 do 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 deposit any of the money into a bank account or report it on his taxes.

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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 gonna 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 2017. 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 Paulo]

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.

[Narrator]

What would you be afraid would happen?

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Narrator]

What were you worried would happen?

[Sean Combs]

Physically, I'd be somehow attacked or. I just didn't want to die or get hurt.

[Narrator]

You were worried about Mr. Combs hurting you physically?

[Sean Combs]

Always.

[Narrator]

What did Mr. Combs say to you about these sexual assaults?

[Sean Combs]

He did threaten me sometimes with them.

[Narrator]

How?

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Narrator]

Did you ever speak to anyone?

[Sean Combs]

No. I was going to 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 Paulo]

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 Paulo]

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 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.

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Narrator]

Did Mr. Combs kiss you?

[Sean Combs]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Did you want Mr. Combs to kiss you?

[Sean Combs]

No.

[Narrator]

Did he put his hand up your dress?

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Did you want him to do that?

[Sean Combs]

No.

[Narrator]

Were you able to tell Mr. Combs?

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

No.

[Sean Combs]

No. 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 powerful person. I looked at him like an older adult. He was the king.

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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.

[Narrator]

What do you remember happening?

[Sean Combs]

I remember it was sort of like him telling me, shh, be quiet. And using one hand to get his pants off.

[Narrator]

What did he do?

[Sean Combs]

He put himself inside of me.

[Narrator]

He put his penis inside of you?

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Narrator]

How did you react?

[Sean Combs]

I just froze. I didn't react.

[Narrator]

How did you feel?

[Sean Combs]

Terrified. And confused. And ashamed and scared.

[Narrator]

Did you want to have sex with Mr. Combs?

[Sean Combs]

No.

[Narrator]

How long was this assault?

[Sean Combs]

It was quick, but it felt like forever.

[Narrator]

How did it end?

[Sean Combs]

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 Saint 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 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.

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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. 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. Steele, of course, asked about this post.

[Brian Steele]

You have your rapist delivering the baby.

[Sean Combs]

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

[Madison Smiser]

This is your personal account, right?

[Sean Combs]

Yes, it was a public account.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Sean Combs]

The character. Yeah. It was a funny video, and it was produced and directed by Indy Sandberg. I was proud I was in a funny video.

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

Steel 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.

[Sean Combs]

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 Paulo]

Steel also drew attention to another birthday post from June 2014. This time it was a post from Diddytamia 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, quote, 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.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Sean Combs]

Yes, of course.

[Madison Smiser]

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.

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Madison Smiser]

Did you mean it?

[Sean Combs]

You said, I used to look at the world the way you did, but now I've done everything. What's life 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.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

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 Paulo]

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.

[Brian Steele]

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.

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Sean Combs]

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

[Madison Smiser]

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?

[Sean Combs]

Everything I've said in this courtroom is true.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

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 Paulo]

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.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Madison Smiser]

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

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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.

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Sean Combs]

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 Paulo]

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 Paulo]

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.

[Sean Combs]

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

[Brian Steele]

What type of roles?

[Sean Combs]

I also operated in an assistant s capacity.

[Madison Smiser]

Work directly with Madonna?

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Brian Steele]

How long Employed?

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

Absolutely not.

[Brian Steele]

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

[Sean Combs]

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

[Hermania Rodriguez Paulo]

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.

[Sean Combs]

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.

[Sean Combs]

Sam.