Latest news with #RollingStones
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Richard O'Brien reveals this famous rocker tried to buy ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show' film rights
Owned by Jagger. In the new documentary 'Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror,' creator Richard O'Brien revealed that Mick Jagger and his team tried to buy the film rights to 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' after the stage show made its US debut in 1974. But director Jim Sharman advised that they shouldn't go for Jagger's deal, and with producer Lou Adler's help, they created the film without a big name attached. 8 Richard O'Brien, Tim Curry and Patricia Quinn a lobby card from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Getty Images 8 Mick Jagger performs with the Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden in 1975. Getty Images 'One of the great things about this is that we were a fringe theater event, and we were allowed to make a movie,' O'Brien, 83, said in the doc, according to People. 'Not only that, but Jim was allowed to direct it. Not only that, but Brian Thompson was allowed to be the artistic director. Not only that, but Tim [Curry] was allowed to play the lead role,' the famous producer continued. 'That's very rare, especially when it's America and a Hollywood matter.' 8 Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Jonathan Adams and Peter Hinwood on a lobby card from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Getty Images Patricia Quinn, who played Magenta in the original stage play and the 1975 film adaptation, revealed that Jagger, 81, was also interested in Curry's role in the movie. [There were] three people who wanted to play [Dr. Frank-N-Furter] — Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, and of course, David Bowie,' Quinn, 81, recalled. '[They said] no Mick Jaggers, no Bowies, I'm having the original cast,' she added. 8 Mick Jagger with Sue Mengers at a stage production of 'The Rocky Horror Show' in Los Angeles. Penske Media via Getty Images As revealed in the doc, 'The Rocky Horror Show' made it to the big screen after producers Adler, 91, and Michael White made a $1 million deal with the studio. They agreed to present their own funds if the film didn't make that amount, per People. 'From the beginning, I had the feeling it was an event and something very, very special by the cast and the music, immediately,' Adler recalled of the original stage production, which premiered in London in 1973. 8 Richard O'Brien at the Oxford Union in March 2004. CLA/LFI 'Enough so that I wanted to make a deal that night,' he added. Adler also said that The Roxy in Los Angeles was the 'perfect' location for the show's debut in America. 'Sort of like cabaret, that you could go beyond sitting in a theater but you could enjoy the whole experience of it. And in the back of my mind, I just envisioned it as a film pretty much from the beginning,' Adler shared. 8 Lou Adler at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in 2006. © Mark Savage/Corbis He continued, 'The casting for the Roxy, we had some very, very talented people, most of who were local actors. I thought pretty much I couldn't duplicate Tim Curry. That was somebody we had to bring over, and that went for Richard also. But not only the fact that you're getting the actor that was in it, you're getting the creator.' 8 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' stars Richard O'Brien, Tim Curry and Patricia Quinn. Getty Images 8 Patricia Quinn, Tim Curry, Nell Campbell in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' ©20thCentFox/courtesy Everett Adler recalled that the first 'Rocky Horror Show' show in LA was 'something really special.' 'We had a turn out of the rock and roll celebrities, the John Lennons and everyone wanted to be there for it,' he said.
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Mansion that hosted Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra sells for mega price
The Rolling Stones are among high-society guests who have partied at Bartinon on the Gold Coast. An opulent mansion whose grand ballroom has hosted rock royalty has sold for $18m, smashing the suburb record. The Gold Coast's very own extravagant house, named Bartinon, had been on and off the market with different agents for more than two years. Bartinon at 26 Marseille Court, Sorrento. The grand house has hosted a string of rock stars. Kollosche's Sam Guo and Julia Kuo managed to finally find a buyer who was willing to splash the cash for the inner-city estate at 26 Marseille Court, Bundall. 'Bartinon is an iconic property, and to finally match it with the right buyer after so many years of it being on and off the market is incredibly rewarding,' Mr Guo said. MORE: Theme park legend's crypto hideaway hits the market Zac Efron's Aussie long lunch haunt is on the market Frank Sinatra visited the Gold Coast in the 80s. The residence sits on a 6,508 sqm riverfront block. Mr Guo said despite living across the river from the property and being able to see it everyday, the local buyer had not considered the purchase until Mr Guo personally reached out and invited him to inspect the property. 'This was a highly strategic sale, focused on showing the buyer the property's unique potential and long-term value,' Mr Guo said. 'Securing $18 million is a testament to the strength of the Gold Coast's prestige market and the power of a targeted, honest approach. It features manicured gardens. And epic views of the city skyline. 'We're proud to set another record sale price for Sorrento and Bundall.' Anchoring the landholding is a two-storey Mediterranean-influenced mansion mixed with a touch of the Caribbean, built in the late 1980s for philanthropists, Sir Justin Hickey and his wife, Lady Barbara. Bartinon was renowned as the venue of some of the city's most lavish parties and, as recounted by those who remember, hosted a roll-call of high-society guests, including Frank Sinatra, the Sultan of Brunei, Whitney Houston, and The Rolling Stones. One of the living areas. The tennis court. Seven bedrooms are spread throughout the home and include a spacious master suite with a private seating area, study, dual showers and dressing rooms, and an open ensuite with a built-in marble spa flanked by ice buckets for champagne. A ballroom, games room and wellness wing cater to leisure and entertainment, while an expansive kitchen finished in granite and timber complements formal and informal dining and living spaces. The formal lounge. The dining room. Floor-to-ceiling French doors and arched feature windows provide access to a vast terrace on the ground floor and a wraparound balcony on the upper level. Mr Guo said the buyer would move into Bartinon and planned to renovate and modernise the residence. 'They want to keep the same theme but just make it more practical because the style itself is really grand and beautiful. Covering 6,508 sqm, with 134.5m of river frontage, Bartinon holds tranquil water views extending to the city skyline, complemented by almost an acre of tropical gardens. Whitney Houston was rumoured to be a guest at Bartinon. The ballroom. Solidly constructed of sandstone, concrete and marble with impeccable craftsmanship, the home was considered the most expensive on the Gold Coast at the time it was built and retains one of the highest replacement values in the current market. Property records reveal it last changed hands for $7.22m in 2014. Bartinon is the third most expensive sale on the Gold Coast this year, after 7-9 McMillan Court, Southport ($22m) and 8 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise ($18.5m). PropTrack data shows the median house price in Bundall, which includes Sorrento, is $2.1m, down 1.2 per cent over 12 months.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-aide says she was 'brainwashed'
A former personal assistant who accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape has testified that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was "brainwashed". The woman, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia" pushed back at defence lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Mia was on the witness stand on Monday for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. "And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?" Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man "who terrorised you and caused you PTSD?" Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defence's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an August 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him - such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4am and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home - saying she remembered only "the good times". Mia mentioned once feeling "bamboozled" by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. "Because I was still brainwashed," Mia answered. Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: "It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were "random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out" she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself - staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $US20 million ($A31 million), touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym "Jane", will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimised. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her lawyer because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump. A former personal assistant who accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape has testified that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was "brainwashed". The woman, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia" pushed back at defence lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Mia was on the witness stand on Monday for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. "And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?" Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man "who terrorised you and caused you PTSD?" Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defence's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an August 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him - such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4am and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home - saying she remembered only "the good times". Mia mentioned once feeling "bamboozled" by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. "Because I was still brainwashed," Mia answered. Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: "It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were "random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out" she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself - staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $US20 million ($A31 million), touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym "Jane", will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimised. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her lawyer because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump. A former personal assistant who accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape has testified that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was "brainwashed". The woman, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia" pushed back at defence lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Mia was on the witness stand on Monday for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. "And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?" Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man "who terrorised you and caused you PTSD?" Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defence's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an August 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him - such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4am and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home - saying she remembered only "the good times". Mia mentioned once feeling "bamboozled" by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. "Because I was still brainwashed," Mia answered. Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: "It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were "random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out" she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself - staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $US20 million ($A31 million), touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym "Jane", will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimised. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her lawyer because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump. A former personal assistant who accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape has testified that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was "brainwashed". The woman, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia" pushed back at defence lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Mia was on the witness stand on Monday for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. "And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?" Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man "who terrorised you and caused you PTSD?" Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defence's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an August 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him - such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4am and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home - saying she remembered only "the good times". Mia mentioned once feeling "bamboozled" by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. "Because I was still brainwashed," Mia answered. Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: "It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were "random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out" she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself - staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $US20 million ($A31 million), touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym "Jane", will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimised. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her lawyer because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-aide says she was 'brainwashed'
A former personal assistant who accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape has testified that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was "brainwashed". The woman, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia" pushed back at defence lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on "the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs". Mia was on the witness stand on Monday for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. "And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?" Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man "who terrorised you and caused you PTSD?" Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defence's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an August 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him - such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4am and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home - saying she remembered only "the good times". Mia mentioned once feeling "bamboozled" by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. "Because I was still brainwashed," Mia answered. Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: "It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were "random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out" she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself - staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $US20 million ($A31 million), touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym "Jane", will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimised. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her lawyer because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-aide says she was 'brainwashed' when she sent loving texts years after rape
NEW YORK (AP) — A former personal assistant who accuses Sean 'Diddy' Combs of rape testified Monday that she continued sending the hip-hop mogul loving messages for years after her job ended in 2017 because she was 'brainwashed.' The woman, testifying under the pseudonym 'Mia," pushed back at defense lawyer Brian Steel's suggestions that she fabricated her claims to cash in on 'the #MeToo money grab against Sean Combs.' Mia was on the witness stand for her third and final day at Comb's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, which is in its fourth week of testimony. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers concede he could be violent, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit abuse. Steel had Mia read aloud numerous text messages she sent Combs. In one from 2019, she told Combs that he'd rescued her in a nightmare in which she was trapped in an elevator with R. Kelly, the singer who has since been convicted of sex trafficking. 'And the person who sexually assaulted you came to your rescue?' Steel asked incredulously. He rephrased, asking if she really dreamed of being saved by a man 'who terrorized you and caused you PTSD?' Prosecutors objected and the judge sustained it. It was one of many objections during a combative and often meandering cross-examination that stood in contrast to the defense's gentler treatment of other prosecution witnesses. Several times, the judge interrupted Steel, instructing him to move along or rephrase complicated questions. In an Aug. 29, 2020, message to Combs, Mia recalled happy highlights from her eight years working for him — such as drinking champagne at the Eiffel Tower at 4 a.m. and rejecting Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger's offer to take her home — saying she remembered only 'the good times.' In the same message, Mia mentioned once feeling 'bamboozled' by a woman. Steel asked why she didn't say Combs had bamboozled her as well. 'Because I was still brainwashed,' Mia answered. Asked to explain, Mia 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 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 against Combs, telling jurors: 'It's been a long process. I'm untangling things. I'm in therapy." Mia alleges Combs forcibly kissed her and molested her at his 40th birthday party, and raped her months later in a guest room at his Los Angeles home. She testified last week that the assaults were 'random, sporadic, so oddly spaced out' she didn't think they'd happen again. For a long time, Mia said, she kept the assaults to herself — staying quiet even after her friend, Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, sued Combs in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit, settled within hours for $20 million, touched off Combs' criminal investigation. Mia followed Cassie as the second of three key prosecution witnesses. The third, using the pseudonym 'Jane,' will testify later this week. Mia said she didn't feel comfortable telling Cassie, the R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, that she was also victimized. She said she didn't tell prosecutors when she first met with them in January 2024, waiting about six months to do so. 'Just because you find out something doesn't mean you immediately snap out of it. I was still deeply ashamed and I wanted to die with this,' Mia testified. Steel suggested Mia only told prosecutors after she obtained legal counsel, accusing the witness of trying to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit against Combs. But Judge Arun Subramanian shut down Steel's attempts to ask Mia if she chose her attorney because of that lawyer's success getting hefty judgments for writer E. Jean Carroll in sex abuse-related lawsuits against President Donald Trump. Prosecutors warned that Steel's treatment of Mia in the closely watched Combs case could deter victims from testifying in other, unrelated cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey accused Steel of yelling at and humiliating Mia, and argued that picking apart her social media posts was excessive and irrelevant. 'We are crossing the threshold into prejudice and harassing this witness,' Comey told Subramanian after jurors left the courtroom for a break. Subramanian said he hadn't heard any yelling or sarcasm in Steel's questions but cautioned the lawyer not to overdo it with questions about Mia's social media posts.
