Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial to hear testimony from Dawn Richard
Where the sex-trafficking trial stands
Former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard is expected to take the stand today. Richard sued Combs last year, alleging that he groped, assaulted and imprisoned her, and threatened her life when she tried to intervene in defense of Cassie Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend. Combs' attorney said the mogul was 'shocked and disappointed' by Richard's lawsuit.
Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.
This live briefing may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
Sign up for the ' Diddy on Trial ' newsletter for key developments and analysis, and listen to Dateline's nightly podcast.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
6 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Sean Combs' ex-aide says she sent loving texts because she was ‘brainwashed'
The woman, giving evidence for a third day under the pseudonym Mia at the music mogul's federal sex trafficking trial, used the word as defence lawyer Brian Steel confronted her with scepticism and even suggested she fabricated her claims. Combs, 55, denies sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his powerful position in the music industry to commit abuse. Mia read aloud for the jury numerous text messages she sent to Combs, including one in 2019 in which she said she had a nightmare that she was trapped in an elevator with the singer R Kelly, and Combs rescued her. 'And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?' Mr Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man 'who terrorised you and caused you PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)'. Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative cross-examination of Mia at the trial, now in its fourth week, during which several government witnesses have been treated more gently by defence lawyers and have even spoken positively of Combs. In a message to Combs on August 29 2020, Mia recalled highlights from her eight years working for him — such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower and rejecting Mick Jagger's offer to take her home — saying she remembered only 'the good times'. In the same message, she mentioned once feeling 'bamboozled' by a woman. Mr Steel asked why she did not say Combs had bamboozled her as well, given her accusations. 'Because I was still brainwashed,' Mia answered. Asked to explain, she said that in an environment where 'the highs were really high and the lows were really low', she developed 'huge confusion in trusting my instincts'. When Mr Steel suggested her assault claims were made up, Mia responded: 'I have never lied in this courtroom and I never will lie in this courtroom. Everything I said is true.' She said she felt a moral obligation to speak out after others came forward with allegations against Combs. 'It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy,' Mia said. She remained composed days after telling the court Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party soon after she started working for him in 2009, and months later raped her in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that his subsequent sexual assaults were 'random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out where I would think they would never happen again'. Prosecutors criticised Mr Steel's two-day cross-examination, which has relied heavily on Mia's social media history. Assistant US attorney Maurene Comey accused him of shouting at and humiliating the witness, and argued that picking apart years of her social media posts — including birthday greetings and praise for Combs' business successes — was excessive and largely irrelevant. 'We are crossing the threshold into prejudice and harassing this witness,' Ms Comey told the judge during a break while jurors were out of the courtroom. She warned that Mr Steel's approach during the high-profile trial could deter victims from giving evidence in other cases. Judge Arun Subramanian said: 'I have not heard any yelling from Mr Steel and I have not heard anything that was sarcastic in the questions,' but he cautioned the defence lawyer about overusing questions about Mia's social media posts praising Combs.
NBC News
7 hours ago
- NBC News
Diddy's ex-assistant says he 'brainwashed' her when she sent messages of support and love
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. The fourth week of testimony in Diddy's sex trafficking trial commenced with one of his former personal assistants, a woman identified in court by the pseudonym 'Mia,' taking the stand for a third and final day. Her testimony, including allegations of forced labor, is an element of the federal prosecution's racketeering conspiracy charge in which the music mogul is accused of directing a ' criminal enterprise. ' Amid Mia's testimony, an internal courthouse feed briefly displayed her image on an overflow room's video screen, despite a judge's order that her face not be shown or even drawn by courtroom sketch artists. Upon returning from a break, prosecutor Maurene Comey told Judge Arun Subramanian that she felt defense lawyer Brian Steel's line of questioning had been sarcastic and humiliating to Mia. Subramanian said he didn't believe Mia was being mistreated, but warned Steel to ask a question and move on, or he would step in. Here's what else to know about today's testimony: Steel revisited a text in which Mia wrote that she wanted to harm herself and that 'my life is over' after being let go from her job in 2017. She denied that she lied on the stand when she testified last week that Diddy sexually assaulted her. Steel also showed messages from 2018 to 2020 in which she expressed affection toward her former boss. Mia responded that 'I was brainwashed' by Diddy, which, she said, prevented her from coming forward earlier about the alleged sexual abuse. 'It's been a long process,' she said. 'I'm still untangling these things. I'm in therapy.' After Mia, the government briefly called Sylvia Oken, area director of sales and marketing at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Diddy allegedly caused damage to rooms. Oken said he used the aliases 'Phillip Pines' and 'Frank Black' for reservations. By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas and Jing Feng A female juror could be seen smiling, seeming to enjoy Steel's cross-examination of Mia. At times, the juror would widen her eyes and furrow her brow, appearing to be skeptical of some of Mia's testimony. After the jury was dismissed, Comey alerted Subramanian that Mia's face was shown to the overflow room in an exhibit. The judge asked if it was redacted footage that should have been aired or if the incorrect version was used. Prosecutors didn't have an answer. 👨⚖️ Analysis: Why stay? By Danny Cevallos On cross-examination, Steel circled back to Mia's 'kill myself' text message. And Mia didn't shy away from it either, testifying: 'My entire world was being ripped away from me immediately. And even, in hindsight, that world was awful. I didn't know it at the time, so that's why it felt like everything was ending.' This is one of those situations where the testimony could go either way for the jury. If a juror believes an employee can quit in the face of intolerable work conditions, then that's bad for the government. In fact, the more hostile the environment described by Mia, the less believable she is. But on the other hand, lots of people, including the jurors, can understand having to stay at a bad job. Not only do regular people have bills to pay, but psychologically, leaving a job is a major life change — and usually an unpleasant one. It raises an interesting question: Can employees be as trapped in a work 'relationship' as a partner can be trapped in a domestic relationship? 🗓️ What's next Tomorrow: Eddy Garcia, a security supervisor at the Los Angeles hotel where Diddy was seen on security video assaulting longtime girlfriend Casandra Ventura in 2016, is expected to take the stand tomorrow. He was in court briefly today to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Another of Diddy's accusers, who is going by the pseudonym 'Jane,' could take the stand later this week, prosecutors said. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧
North Wales Chronicle
11 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sean Combs' ex-aide says she sent loving texts because she was ‘brainwashed'
The woman, giving evidence for a third day under the pseudonym Mia at the music mogul's federal sex trafficking trial, used the word as defence lawyer Brian Steel confronted her with scepticism and even suggested she fabricated her claims. Combs, 55, denies sex trafficking and racketeering charges. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his powerful position in the music industry to commit abuse. Mia read aloud for the jury numerous text messages she sent to Combs, including one in 2019 in which she said she had a nightmare that she was trapped in an elevator with the singer R Kelly, and Combs rescued her. 'And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?' Mr Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man 'who terrorised you and caused you PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)'. Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative cross-examination of Mia at the trial, now in its fourth week, during which several government witnesses have been treated more gently by defence lawyers and have even spoken positively of Combs. In a message to Combs on August 29 2020, Mia recalled highlights from her eight years working for him — such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower and rejecting Mick Jagger's offer to take her home — saying she remembered only 'the good times'. In the same message, she mentioned once feeling 'bamboozled' by a woman. Mr Steel asked why she did not say Combs had bamboozled her as well, given her accusations. 'Because I was still brainwashed,' Mia answered. Asked to explain, she said that in an environment where 'the highs were really high and the lows were really low', she developed 'huge confusion in trusting my instincts'. When Mr Steel suggested her assault claims were made up, Mia responded: 'I have never lied in this courtroom and I never will lie in this courtroom. Everything I said is true.' She said she felt a moral obligation to speak out after others came forward with allegations against Combs. 'It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy,' Mia said. She remained composed days after telling the court Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party soon after she started working for him in 2009, and months later raped her in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that his subsequent sexual assaults were 'random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out where I would think they would never happen again'. Prosecutors criticised Mr Steel's two-day cross-examination, which has relied heavily on Mia's social media history. Assistant US attorney Maureen Comey accused him of shouting at and humiliating the witness, and argued that picking apart years of her social media posts — including birthday greetings and praise for Combs' business successes — was excessive and largely irrelevant. 'We are crossing the threshold into prejudice and harassing this witness,' Ms Comey told the judge during a break while jurors were out of the courtroom. She warned that Mr Steel's approach during the high-profile trial could deter victims from giving evidence in other cases. Judge Arun Subramanian said: 'I have not heard any yelling from Mr Steel and I have not heard anything that was sarcastic in the questions,' but he cautioned the defence lawyer about overusing questions about Mia's social media posts praising Combs.
