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Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Combs' ex-assistant 'Mia' to continue testimony next week

PHOTO: Sean "Diddy" Combs listens as prosecutor Madison Smyser questions witness "Mia" as she testifies in Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, May 30, 2025 in this courtroom sketch.
5:04
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Defense questions 'Mia' on social media posts featuring Sean Combs
By Aaron Katersky, Mason Leib
Last Updated: May 30, 2025, 11:38 PM

This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.

This is week three of testimony in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Latest headlines:

  • Defense cross examination of 'Mia' to continue next week
  • Defense focuses on 'Mia's' birthday present for Combs: 'It’s called psychological abuse'
  • Trump on possible pardon for Combs: 'I would certainly look at the facts'
  • Defense questions 'Mia' on attitude towards Combs in social media posts
  • Defense focuses questioning on 'Mia's' positive posts with Combs: 'The good kind of crazy'
Here's how the news is developing.

Pinned
Jul 02, 2025 2:50 PM

Sean Combs trial reaches an end with mixed verdict

The highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has reached an end.

The jury found Sean Combs not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge.

The jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura) and guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane").

He was found not guilty of both charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Ventura and "Jane."

Combs was accused of being the ringleader of an alleged enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, which he called "freak-offs," and then threatened them into silence. Combs has said that all of the sex was consensual and that while his relationships sometimes involved domestic violence, he wasn't engaged in trafficking.

Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was simply part of the swinger lifestyle and that he "vehemently denies the accusations made by the SDNY."


Pinned
May 29, 2025 1:34 PM

Jury will hear from prosecution witness 'Mia' today

The case against Sean Combs is based primarily on the accounts of four alleged victims. On Thursday, the jury will hear from one of them, a former Combs employee testifying under the pseudonym “Mia.”

Federal prosecutors allege that Combs subjected “Mia” to physical violence, psychological torture and threats of financial and reputational harm that caused her to engage in sex acts with him.

“Mia” also allegedly kept a scrapbook that contained articles about Combs, which the defense wants the jury to see. “She loved Mr. Combs and wanted to promote his legacy,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro has said.

For prosecutors, “Mia’s” testimony is meant, at least in part, to convince the jury that Combs used forced labor as part of the criminal enterprise they allege he was operating.

Combs has denied running a criminal enterprise but a stylist who used to work for Combs and who was compelled to testify under a subpoena told the court on Wednesday that he committed crimes for Combs during his employment.

“Did you participate in any criminal conduct for Mr. Combs?” defense attorney Xavier Donaldson asked the stylist, Deonte Nash.

“Yes,” Nash responded. Donaldson did not ask Nash additional questions about which crimes he allegedly committed.

Nash, who remains a friend of Cassie Ventura, also testified Wednesday that he once time witnessed Combs beating Ventura “until her head hit the edge of the bed frame,” which he told the court drew blood and caused a gash by her eyebrow. Another time, according to Nash's testimony, Ventura wanted to escape Combs by climbing over a hotel balcony. Ventura ultimately left the hotel via a side exit, Nash testified.

Nash further testified that, while explaining an argument she was having with Combs, Ventura told him that Combs forced her into participating in unwanted sex with male prostitutes as part of so-called "freak-off" sexual encounters, allegedly telling Nash, “I don't want to go to the hotel and freak-off with him.”

Court resumes this morning with the defense continuing their cross-examination of Nash.


May 30, 2025 11:38 PM

Defense cross examination of 'Mia' to continue next week

In December 2016, when "Mia" was informed Sean Combs wanted to dissolve his Revolt Films and that her employment would end, she texted Combs' chief of staff, Kristina "KK" Khorram, saying, "I'm going to kill myself. My life is over."

Frantic messages from Khorram that were read in court followed, including, "You can't make a statement and then not answer your phone."

Eventually, "Mia" responded over text: "I can't sleep and I'm not ok. I don't understand how to make this pain go away. It hurts so f------ bad."

Defense attorney Brian Steel asked, "Isn't this great? You're away from your abuser?"

Mia testified, "In hindsight fantastic, but at the time the worst thing ever."

She told the court working for Combs represented "the only world I knew for 24 hours a day for 8 years. It's like dog years. That's all I knew. So, it was very overwhelmingly horrific."

She testified she felt it "being ripped away without explanation."

Steel's cross-examination will resume Monday.

Three weeks of testimony from 21 witnesses in the trial against Combs has concluded.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


May 30, 2025 7:56 PM

Defense focuses on 'Mia's' birthday present for Combs: 'It’s called psychological abuse'

Sean Combs turned 45 on Nov. 4, 2014, and "Mia" made him a scrapbook with a handwritten card, which was shown in court.

"Happy 45th birthday, Puff Daddy" the top of the page said in bold red letters. The text continued in black pen. "Puff! Sometimes life goes by at catastrophic speeds where you never get to live in and enjoy 'now,'" the note read. "I hope on this day you get to sit back and take it all in."

The card came with a collection of magazine articles from 1991 to 1999 "that I hope will stir up nostalgic feelings."

"The man who you say has ruined your life, this is what you write to him?" Steel asked. "It's called psychological abuse," "Mia" testified.

"How did you find any goodness with Mr. Combs after what you described to the ladies and gentlemen of this jury?" Steel asked. "Easily," "Mia" told the court. "The second it went back to good, I was elated. I was searching for that kind of approval. It was an abusive relationship."

"Mia" told to the jury, "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 that were happening were wrong. There was nobody around us that ever even flinched at his behavior."

Steel's cross-examination grew louder.

"Isn't it true that Mr. Combs never had unwanted, nonconsensual forcible sexual contact with you, isn't that true? Steel asked. "What I said in this courtroom is the truth," "Mia" testified.

"Then why, if you're being sexually assaulted and your sister is being brutalized physically, are you making a scrapbook for Mr. Combs?" Steel asked, referring to Cassie Ventura, with whom "Mia" said she had a sister-like relationship.

"It's a lot more complicated than the way you framed that," "Mia" testified. "Ask any abuse victim's advocate and they could explain it to you much better than I could."


May 30, 2025 7:43 PM

Trump on possible pardon for Combs: 'I would certainly look at the facts'

Asked if he would consider pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs, if convicted, as the hip-hop mogul stands trial in Manhattan federal court, President Donald Trump said, "Nobody's asked, but I know people are thinking about it."

"I don't know. I would certainly look at the facts," Trump said. "If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me."

Trump said he believes "some people have been very close to asking" about a pardon.

VIDEO: Trump asked if he would consider pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs
1:15
President Donald Trump was asked if he would consider pardoning hip-hop mogul Sean Combs, who is currently charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which he denies.

"First of all, I look at what's happening, and I haven't been watching it too closely, although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage," he said.

Trump added that he hasn't spoken to Combs in years.

Combs has been accused of sex trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.



May 30, 2025 7:23 PM

Defense questions 'Mia' on attitude towards Combs in social media posts

After "Mia" testified that working for Sean Combs caused her "complex, severe PTSD," the defense on cross-examination tried to offer to the jury a different look at her tenure through her social media posts.

The posts, full of emphatic praise and multiple exclamation points, showed "Mia" posing with Combs, calling him a legend and thanking him for being her friend, all in the years after she alleged he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

"That's the person who has traumatized you?" defense attorney Brian Steel asked. "Yes," Mia testified. "Physically?" he asked. "Yes," she testified. "Sexually?" Steel continued. "Yes," Mia testified. "That's the legend?" Steel concluded his sequence. "Yes," "Mia" told the court.

PHOTO: Prosecutor Madison Smyser (not seen) questions witness "Mia" as she testifies in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, May 30, 2025 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Prosecutor Madison Smyser (not seen) questions witness "Mia" as she testifies in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, May 30, 2025 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

A post from Nov. 4, 2015, Combs' birthday, Steel called "the anniversary of when he sexually assaulted you."

"Mia" testified, "I didn't recognize that date as a celebration."

"How is that not a significant date in your mind?" Steel asked. "It was Puff's birthday. That was what the date was and I tried to forget that, shoved it down," "Mia" testified.

In the post, "Mia" called Combs "Legend, King, Bad Boy for life" and said, "Thank you for showing me the path to Pluto and beyond."

"You just put aside, you're telling this jury, that you were sexually assaulted?" Steel asked. "Yes, absolutely," "Mia" testified.

"You put aside that Mr. Combs made you go sleepless for five days when you got physically ill?"

"Yes."

"You put aside that Mr. Combs went into your bedroom, gets on top of you and does the unthinkable?"

"Yes."


May 29, 2025 1:34 PM

Jury will hear from prosecution witness 'Mia' today

The case against Sean Combs is based primarily on the accounts of four alleged victims. On Thursday, the jury will hear from one of them, a former Combs employee testifying under the pseudonym “Mia.”

Federal prosecutors allege that Combs subjected “Mia” to physical violence, psychological torture and threats of financial and reputational harm that caused her to engage in sex acts with him.

“Mia” also allegedly kept a scrapbook that contained articles about Combs, which the defense wants the jury to see. “She loved Mr. Combs and wanted to promote his legacy,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro has said.

For prosecutors, “Mia’s” testimony is meant, at least in part, to convince the jury that Combs used forced labor as part of the criminal enterprise they allege he was operating.

Combs has denied running a criminal enterprise but a stylist who used to work for Combs and who was compelled to testify under a subpoena told the court on Wednesday that he committed crimes for Combs during his employment.

“Did you participate in any criminal conduct for Mr. Combs?” defense attorney Xavier Donaldson asked the stylist, Deonte Nash.

“Yes,” Nash responded. Donaldson did not ask Nash additional questions about which crimes he allegedly committed.

Nash, who remains a friend of Cassie Ventura, also testified Wednesday that he once time witnessed Combs beating Ventura “until her head hit the edge of the bed frame,” which he told the court drew blood and caused a gash by her eyebrow. Another time, according to Nash's testimony, Ventura wanted to escape Combs by climbing over a hotel balcony. Ventura ultimately left the hotel via a side exit, Nash testified.

Nash further testified that, while explaining an argument she was having with Combs, Ventura told him that Combs forced her into participating in unwanted sex with male prostitutes as part of so-called "freak-off" sexual encounters, allegedly telling Nash, “I don't want to go to the hotel and freak-off with him.”

Court resumes this morning with the defense continuing their cross-examination of Nash.


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