Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates:
Former personal assistant to Diddy
Says his behavior was 'unpredictable and terrifying'
Deonte Nash testified that he witnessed Combs threaten Cassie Ventura with releasing sex tapes of her online.
What to know about the sex trafficking trial
A woman who is only being referred to by a pseudonym, “Mia,” testified that she used to work for Sean “Diddy” Combs as a personal assistant. She accused Combs of sexually assaulting her.
“Mia” testified that she witnessed frequent bouts of violence Combs subjected Cassie Ventura to during her time as his assistant and said punishment for anything done without Combs' permission was “unpredictable and terrifying.”
Deonte Nash, a former stylist for both Ventura and Combs, was back on the witness stand first this morning. Yesterday, Nash testified that he witnessed Combs threaten Ventura with releasing sex tapes of her to the internet.
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 denied the allegations against him.
This live blog may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
What to know about the sex trafficking trial
Combs’ legal team moved for a mistrial, accusing the prosecution of misconduct over the implication that Combs may have destroyed fingerprint evidence. The judge denied the motion saying there were no objections on the line of questioning up until that point and no testimony that was prejudicial.
Los Angeles police Officer Chris Ignacio, a 16-year veteran of the force, took the witness stand this morning. An arson investigator for the Los Angeles Fire Department, Lance Jiminez also testified.
Both witnesses were originally supposed to testify yesterday, but were moved after Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, Capricorn Clark, delivered a day of gripping testimony.
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 denied the allegations against him.
This live blog may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
MATTHEW RUSSELL LEE of I.C.P.
the ears to the inside for
MIND OF MONKEY STUDIO
2h / 12:59 PM
Judge: Adjourned
2h / 12:58 PM
Jurors leave
Combs' Agnifilo: The Government sent us a letter at 11 pm last night about changes to their direct case, with fewer witnesses. It might make our case longer.
Judge: That's vague...
Agnifilo: I still see 4th of July
2h / 12:54 PM
AUSA: Do you want to be talking about these sexual assaults?
Mia: No. It's traumatizing.
AUSA: Why are you here today?
Judge: Ms. Smyser, you've asked that.
AUSA Smyser: We could break here.
Jurors, we'll see you tomorrow
2h / 12:52 PM
AUSA: Why didn't you tell us at first about the sexual assaults?
Mia: It's the most shameful thing of my life.
AUSA: Did you get a lawyer for this testimony?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: Did you speak about these sexual assaults before or after you get the lawyer?
A: After
2h / 12:50 PM
Mia: It was the only time I namedropped. I told her who I worked for and she said, Get him on the phone. I did and she laughed, Oh, Puff Daddy, I love you.
AUSA: Did you get a ticket?
Mia: No.
2h / 12:49 PM
AUSA: Did you have to testify?
Mia: No.
AUSA: Why didn't you go to the police about Mr. Combs sexually harassing you?
Mia: I didn't even consider it.
AUSA: Did you have experience with police?
Mia: Yes I was speeding, I hadn't had time to get my license renewed
2h / 12:47 PM
Mia: I was supposed to say she was drinking and punched me and that's why she was fired.
AUSA: Was that why?
Mia: No. It was because she complained.
AUSA: When else were you told you'd have to testify?
Mia: After Capricorn Clark
2h / 12:45 PM
AUSA: How did you hear?
Mia: I heard there was an urgent call among film people
AUSA: What did you hear-
Judge: Lay some context.
AUSA: Who was on the call?
Mia: HR. C suite executives.
AUSA: What were you told?
Mia: If she sued I'd have to testify
2h / 12:42 PM
Mia: I would be humiliated, never work again
AUSA: And who would do these things?
Mia: Puff and all this people. This was way before social media and #MeToo. There was this confidentiality.
AUSA: Did others speak up?
Mia: Kayla Faulkner [not sure of spelling]
2h / 12:40 PM
Mia: He'd threatened that he would tell Cass that I had something to do with it
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: Desparate and trapped, worst scary situation. I would have done anything. It was my fault
AUSA: Did you tell anymore?
Mia: No. I was going to die with this
2h / 12:38 PM
Mia: I didn't want to lose everything I'd worked so hard for. This was the only world I had any more.
AUSA: What would happen to your job?
Mia: I would never work in that industry again.
AUSA: And physically?
Mia: That'd I'd be attacked... I don't want to die
2h / 12:36 PM
AUSA: Was Cassie ever there?
Mia: No.
AUSA: Did you ever want these sexual acts with Mr. Combs?
Mia: No.
AUSA: Did you ever tell him no?
Mia: I couldn't tell him no about a sandwich, or anything. Then he would know that I thought what he was doing was wrong
2h / 12:31 PM
Mia: I tried to make it about other people who might see or hear. It didn't work.
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: Helpless. I had lost some layer of protection. I wasn't safe. Terrified.
AUSA: Do you remember what happened?
Mia: No.
2h / 12:29 PM
AUSA: How long did it last?
Mia: It was very fast.
AUSA: Were there other sexual assaults?
Mia: Yes. I have a dark feeling... One time we were flying on a private jet, everyone was asleep, by the bathroom there was a bed. I went by and he was standing right there
2h / 12:27 PM
Mia: He had his... Uh... Pen*s out and he grabbed my head and (cries) and put it in
AUSA: Mr. Combs took his pen*s out and put it in your mouth?
Mia: Yes. I was frozen. I didn't do anything. I just (sobs)
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: Like trash. Scared and ashamed
2h / 12:25 PM
Mia: But it felt like forever. But he wouldn't leave a job unfinished.
AUSA: Is that when it would end?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: The next time?
Mia: The Beverly Crest house. I was on his bedroom closet floor putting things in a bag. Then Puff was in the closet
2h / 12:22 PM
Mia: It was so fast. He used one hand to get his pants undone. He put, uh, himself inside of me
AUSA: You mean his pen*s inside of you?
Mia: I just froze.
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: Terrified and confused and ashamed and scared
AUSA: How long
Mia: Very quick
2h / 12:20 PM
AUSA: Where were you the next time Mr. Combs sexually assaulted you?
Mia: The Beverly Grove house. I was asleep on the bottom bunk. I wasn't allowed to lock the door. I woke up - there was the weight of a person on me.
AUSA: Who?
Mia: Puff
2h / 12:18 PM
Mia: I brought the bags, he asked me to pull up something on his computer. He came and sat next to me, leaned over me as if to put his face in the computer, like in an uncomfortable way
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: I pretended I had to go to the bathroom
2h / 12:15 PM
AUSA: Were there other times he made you feel uncomfortable sexually?
Mia: Yes. I had to carry bags to his room. Downstairs was Uncle Paulie.
AUSA: What did he say to you?
Combs' Steel: Objection.
Judge: Grounds.
Steel: Hearsay.
AUSA: For the effect
Overruled
2h / 12:12 PM
Mia: Next thing I knew it was morning and I was in a chair in the penthouse.
AUSA: How had you looked at him?
Mia: Like an older adult. He was the boss or the king
AUSA: What were your expectations?
Mia: I thought it would never happen again, a huge accident
2h / 12:10 PM
Mia: My eyes couldn't focus. His face was close. He put his arm up the side of my dress. And he kissed me.
AUSA: Did you want him to?
Mia: No.
AUSA: Were you able to say No?
Mia: I was shocked. I froze. I didn't process what was happening.
2h / 12:08 PM
AUSA: What did he say?
Mia: That were going to be working closer together. He poured use two shots of vodka each for his birthday.
AUSA: What did you do with the shot?
Mia: I took them. They hit me hard. Usually I could take it, easily.
2h / 12:06 PM
AUSA: What rooms did Mr. Combs rent out?
Mia: The penthouse. Party guests and celebrities there.
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do?
Mia: He asked to speak to me in the kitchen?
AUSA: What did he do?
Mia: He had everyone else clear the room.
3h / 12:05 PM
They're back
AUSA: The sexual assaults, when did they occur?
Mia: When I was working for Puff.
AUSA: Where was the first time?
Mia: The Plaza Hotel in NY for Puff's 40th birthday
AUSA: Were you his personal assistant?
Mia: Yes. I'd been there only a few months
3h / 11:42 AM
Judge: Break
3h / 11:41 AM
AUSA: Who was Matt?
Mia: Puff's engineer. At one point we dated.
AUSA: I have more...
3h / 11:40 AM
AUSA: What are these?
Mia: My emails with Toni and Shannon, I said Puff took my iPhone, I don't know when I'll get it back. Toni asked, What happened? I said, Definitely an in-person story.
AUSA: Why?
Mia: I wouldn't put violence in writing.
3h / 11:35 AM
AUSA: Did you see him later?
Mia: At the studio. He told me he sent all my compromising photos to him phone, in case I had stuff on him. Kind of like a bullying joke.
AUSA: How did you take it?
Mia: I had no photos, so I knew he was lying.
3h / 11:33 AM
AUSA: And at Revolt TV?
Mia: He was using my phone and I didn't want him to see my message, maybe I called him an as*hole, I tried to get the phone back -he ran into the bathroom then slammed the door on my arm. Repeatedly.
AUSA: Injuries?
Mia: Bruises.
3h / 11:31 AM
Mia: Then Puff took my phone. I didn't want him to see it. The team, we'd message about his moods. I didn't want him to see it. So I jumped on his back.
AUSA: What did he do?
Mia: He threw me back into the pool.
3h / 11:28 AM
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: I wondered, what did I do to make him like this to me
AUSA: Did he hurt you?
Mia: Turks & Caicos, and at the Revolt offices.
AUSA: Where were you at Turks?
Mia: A hammock by my room. Puff dumped a bucket of ice on me, screaming
3h / 11:26 AM
Mia: I came back and said they were working on it.
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do?
Mia: I said I should talk to Bill Gates if I had to. Then he threw his computer at my head. Hard. It just missed me. I ran and hid behind the luggage van.
3h / 11:24 AM
AUSA: What did HR tell you?
Mia: That I was going to be suspended without pay, that's what Puff wanted.
AUSA: Where were you when he threw a computer at you?
Mia: In a trailer. Swizz Beatz was there. The wi-fi was broken and I went to look into it.
3h / 11:22 AM
Mia: Blood was dripping down my leg. I said, I have to go change my tampon.
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do?
Mia: He threw his bowl of spaghetti at me, then said, Get the f*ck out of my house. He chased me out. I was barefoot. I hid in a bush, then to a hotel
3h / 11:20 AM
AUSA: What did he throw at you?
Mia: A bowl of spaghetti. Turkey meat. A computer. A phone.
AUSA: Let's talk about the spaghetti. What did he tell you to do?
Mia: To go get people. But I needed to change my tampon. He yelled, Yo girl, I said do it now
3h / 11:18 AM
AUSA: Did he talk about jobs for you?
Mia: Yes. Before Revolt Films, he talked about other companies. I told him I wanted to create and develop TV shows, especially comedy. He said that's what he wanted to do too. Then he'd take away my credits.
3h / 11:17 AM
AUSA: How would he compliment you?
Mia: My work. He'd give me life advice.
AUSA: And to tell you you were worthless?
Mia: Long extended rants about how incompetent and stupid I was, threaten my job.
AUSA: Anything physical?
Mia: Throw things at me
3h / 11:15 AM
AUSA: Did he take drugs while working?
Mia: He was always working. Once on the way to Chelsea Handler.
AUSA: How did Mr. Combs treat you?
Mia: Sometimes like best friend and working partner. Sometimes like I was a worthless piece of crap
3h / 11:12 AM
Mia: He separated out a dose and made me snort it. I didn't want to fall into the K-hole. I'd seen a person, it looked like an exorcism.
AUSA: Did you want to take the ketamine?
Mia: I didn't feel I had a choice.
3h / 11:09 AM
Mia: He had the drugs on plates. I tried to say No
AUSA: What happened?
Mia: Puff wouldn't get it go. It turned a litter more serious, that I was going to mess up the whole vibe. I tried to fake take it. He got close to my face and humiliated me.
AUSA: How?
3h / 11:07 AM
AUSA: What did he mean?
Mia: Like, the cool club. He said his MDMA was pure. I felt like I was now a friend hanging out and I could enjoy myself
AUSA: Did you take ketamine?
Mia: Yes, at Burning Man. We were partying on a tour bus. We had the black out shades down
3h / 11:04 AM
AUSA: What did that mean?
Mia: They'd stay in the room sleeping, only up to eat.
AUSA: Did you do drugs before you worked for Mr Combs?
Mia: No.
AUSA: And after?
Mia: Yes. MDMA. Puff gave it to me. He said that I was now part of the breakfast club
3h / 11:02 AM
AUSA: What would Mr. Combs tell you about the blood?
Mia: That it was period blood.
AUSA: What happened in Cassie's car in LA?
Mia: Cass got a call then told me, He wants to do a hotel night I don't want to. She got sick.
AUSA: After the hotel night?
Mia: Man down
3h / 11:01 AM
AUSA: How told you to clean the rooms?
Mia: Puff. And the office. It was standard, to sweep the room so no housekeeper can sell something to TMZ.
AUSA: How were the rooms?
Mia: Destroyed. Candle wax everywhere. I've seen broken glass. Sometimes blood. Oil on walls
4h / 10:59 AM
AUSA: Do you remember seeing Cassie?
Mia: At the London Hotel in New York. I brought something to the room. Cass opened the door. She was wearing a bright blue wig
AUSA: How did she appear?
Mia: Like she was struggling. I asked, Are you good? She closed the door
4h / 10:57 AM
Mia: Astroglide and candles, some of them cheap Glade candles without the label on. They had to be white.
AUSA: What else would you bring to the hotel?
Mia: Anything he forgot at the house. Food. Money.
AUSA: How much?
Mia: A lot. Like thousands of dollars
4h / 10:56 AM
AUSA: Let's talk about the hotel nights. What was your role?
Mia: I would, uh, sometimes take them there. Unpack. Set up. I would have to just be like on call essentially. And clean up before housekeeping
AUSA: What would you bring?
Mia: His lotions and potions
4h / 10:54 AM
AUSA: Read the messages
Mia: I wrote to D-Roc, I'm worried about P, this feels different, hit this email when you get it. Love you.
AUSA: Were you romantically involved with D-Roc?
Mia: Definitely not. That's just how we talked.
4h / 10:49 AM
AUSA: Did you reach out to anyone?
Mia: Yes, to D-Roc.
AUSA: 3T112- what is this?
Mia: My emails with D-Roc.
AUSA: Only the redacted one into evidence.
Combs' Steel: Same objection
AUSA: He was security.
Judge: With that foundation, admitted
4h / 10:44 AM
AUSA: How was he?
Mia: He seemed heartbroken. It was ominous. I'd never witness Cass to do something to really cause him to be upset. I felt something bad would happen.
AUSA: Did you then see her?
Mia: In a black car with Capricorn Clark.
4h / 10:42 AM
AUSA: Let's turn to Dec 22, 2011.
Mia: At Puff's house the mood was darker than normal. This was more of a, like... Puff was upset.
AUSA: What did he tell him?
Mia: That Cass had been talking to somebody else.
AUSA: Who?
Mia: Kid Cudi.
4h / 10:39 AM
AUSA: What happened at the premiere?
Mia: Puff was digging his nails into her arm and talking low
AUSA: What would Mr. Combs ask you to do?
Mia: Take care of her. I'd bring her arnica jell
AUSA: For what?
Mia: Bruises.
4h / 10:37 AM
AUSA: How did Cassie sound on the audio recording?
Combs' Steel: Objection!
Judge: Overruled.
Mia: Panicked. I heard the sound of someone getting hit.
AUSA: Did you go to events?
Mia: The premiere of Brad Pitt's movie Killing Them Softly
4h / 10:35 AM
AUSA: What injuries did you see?
Mia: A busted lip. She was injured.
AUSA: Where were you?
Mia: In her hotel room. With Larry Sims, her hair stylist.
AUSA: Did you learn how she got the injuries?
Mia: Cass had an audio recording of Puff attacking her
4h / 10:34 AM
AUSA: What's this?
Mia: A photo of Cass eating a hot dog at the premiere of her movie The Perfect Match. She has bruising under her make up. I took this photo.
AUSA: Any other injuries covered up on a red carpet?
Mia: Yes. At Cannes Film Festival
4h / 10:31 AM
AUSA: Did you ever call police?
Mia: No
AUSA: Why not?
Mia: I believed Puff's authority was above the police. This was before social media & #MeToo, there were no examples of people standing up. I thought it was under the confidentiality deal with Puff's business
4h / 10:30 AM
Mia: We got onto paddle boards and went out on the water. Puff was on the beach screaming at us. It was flat and we went out far. Puff got smaller and smaller on the beach. The sky got dark and
Combs' Steel: Objection
Judge: Overruled.
Mia: We went back
4h / 10:28 AM
AUSA: What do you remember about running?
Mia: I remember being amazed that even while running fast we could be attacked by bugs
AUSA: Did you run another time?
Mia: I have another visual of where we were hiding, of trying to escape like 2 separate times.
4h / 10:26 AM
Mia: Cass ran in saying, You've got to help me, he's going to kill me.
AUSA: What did you do?
Mia: We started pushing furniture in front of the door to try to block it. Puff was banging and screaming. I had a porch that went out to the beach. We ran
4h / 10:24 AM
All rise!
AUSA Smyser: Mia, you were speaking about violence between Mr. Combs and Cassie. Have you traveled to Turks and Caicos?
Mia: Yes. To Parrot Key. Twice. In 2012, me, Puff and Cass.
AUSA: What happened?
Mia: I was sleeping in my bedroom and I was woken up
4h / 10:19 AM
[They're back]
AUSA: We have subpoenaed from Verizon phone records - Ms. Geragos has agreed that if your Honor finds them admissible, you can give them to us and we to them
Combs' Geragos: That's fine.
Judge: Let's get Mia back
5h / 9:35 AM
Judge: Now, break
5h / 9:33 AM
AUSA Smyser: Mr. Steel told us he anticipates his cross being an hour and a half or two hours, in no event longer than direct. Not to hold him to it.
Judge: I want to keep on schedule.
Combs' Steel: How late will we be going?
Judge: Latest 4 pm
5h / 9:31 AM
Judge: If we can complete this witness this week, fantastic. It keeps things moving.
AUSA Comey: Many of our witnesses are flying from across the country. We need to know for flights next week, Monday. Mr. Nash's cross was twice as long as the direct
5h / 9:28 AM
Judge: I let Mr. Donaldson take the time we wanted
Combs' Agnifilo: I am not blaming the Court. It's a pattern I'm seeing-
Judge: It's common courtesy.
Agnifilo: I don't know how long Mr. Steel's cross will be. They don't need to put these things on the record
5h / 9:26 AM
Judge: Break
Jury leaves.
Judge: Ms. Smyser, how much longer with Mia's direct?
AUSA Smyser: The rest of the day. We'd like her off the stand by the end of the week.
Combs' Agnfilo: This is a problem. First it was a flight, now this.
Judge: I have not cut anything
5h / 9:23 AM
Mia: Puff started to attack her but Prince's security quickly intervened.
AUSA: And later?
Mia: I went to another hotel. The next day HR told me Puff was suspending me without pay.
AUSA: Did she say why?
Mia: That Puff said I was being insubordinate.
5h / 9:21 AM
Mia: Prince performed on a little table. Then I saw Puff come in, with his bucket hat. We locked eyes. I thought, Oh crap. Cass just booked it
AUSA: Where did you go?
Mia: Across the street there were woods or bushes. But Puff caught Cass and had her on the ground
5h / 9:20 AM
Mia: He told me to stay with Cassie, that he was going to be at his house with his kids. But then I heard about Prince's party.
AUSA: What did you do?
Mia: Cass and I debated like little kids if we should sneak out of the house and go to Prince's party.
5h / 9:18 AM
AUSA: Where was this?
Mia: Ibiza or Burning Man or music conferences.
AUSA: When he smashed her head did he seem high?
Mia: No.
AUSA: Did you go to Prince's party?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: What happened the night before?
Mia: Big award ceremony. Suite in the Beverly
5h / 9:16 AM
Mia: His eyes were black. It was like he was looking through me. He was like completely-
Judge: Let's get a next question.
AUSA: Did you see Mr. Combs take drugs?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: When he was high how did he appear?
Mia: Sometimes the life of the party, or hyper
5h / 9:15 AM
AUSA: What injuries did Cassie get?
Mia: Her head was gushing blood
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do?
Mia: He got into protector / survivor mode, he said to call Doctor so and so, tell them Cass was drunk and hit her head
AUSA: Why did you do it?
Mia: Puff said to
5h / 9:13 AM
Mia: So I jumped on Puff but he threw me off and against the wall. I felt like I ws in slow motion. I realized we were in big danger. He ran into the bedroom and grabbed Cass. Under her bed is this wood bed platform. He slammed her head into the corner
5h / 9:11 AM
Mia: He threw her to the ground. Me and Deonte jumped in and tried to stop it.
AUSA: What did you do?
Mia: Deonte is very small in comparison to Puff. There was a little tornado going on. He had Deonte in a position where I was scared he was going to kill him
5h / 9:10 AM
AUSA: What was Mr. Combs asking Cassie?
Mia: He said, Have you been drinking or something? She hadn't answered his calls.
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do?
Mia: He came after me and Deonte, screaming, Has she been drinking? He was crazy aggressive. He attacked her
5h / 9:08 AM
AUSA: What happened in Cassie's apartment?
Mia: We were there, me, Cass and Deonte Nash.
AUSA: What were you doing?
Mia: Helping her pack for a big trip to London. Puff came banging on the door, very irate.
AUSA: How did he get in?
Mia: Key from front desk
5h / 9:05 AM
AUSA: Did you tell anyone?
Mia: I think the chef was in the kitchen. The sentiment was like-
Combs' Steel: Objection.
Judge: Sustained.
AUSA: What did the chef say to you?
Steel: Objection
AUSA: Not for the truth
Judge: Sustained
5h / 9:04 AM
AUSA: What did you hear and see?
Mia: Suitcases being thrown in to the foyer.
AUSA: Did you see Cassie after that?
Mia: She was outside, crying in a bush. She looked terrified. She gestured, I'm hiding, I'm not here.
AUSA: What did you do?
Mia: Retreated
5h / 9:02 AM
AUSA: Did you see violence? What kind?
Mia: I saw a lot of aftermaths and injuries she had. I've seen him attack her and throw her on the ground. I've seen him, like, crack her head open. I've seen him chase her. Things like that.
AUSA: Did she fight back?
A: No
5h / 9:00 AM
AUSA: And if not?
Mia: Something very scary. The punishment was unpredictable but terrifying.
AUSA: We'll talk some more about that as we get through your testimony. How would Mr. Combs communicate with Ms. Ventura?
Mia: Sometimes through me.
6h / 8:58 AM
Mia: He'd keep tabs on her through me.
AUSA: What it part of your job to spend this time with Cassie?
Mia: Yes I had to do whatever Puff told me to do.
AUSA: Could you go where you wanted?
Mia: No. We had to be where Puff told us we could be.
6h / 8:56 AM
AUSA: How?
Mia: I learned the company paid her credit cards. And that the places where she lived were under his company names. And her cars.
AUSA: Did he take things away?
Mia: Yes. Cars and jewelry and support. If he couldn't get her on the phone
6h / 8:55 AM
AUSA: Did you ever see Mr. Combs on a movie set?
Mia: Yes. Everyone would be very nervous. He would insert himself.
AUSA: What was his role with respect to Cassie's appearance?
Mia: He was in charge of it.
AUSA: Did you have exposure to Cassie's finances?
A: Yes.
6h / 8:51 AM
Mia: Cass wrote about telling "Slevin Hill"
AUSA: What did she mean, do you think?
Mia: Steven Hill of BET. Cass wrote, no support, no show
AUSA: Why did you forward this to Toni Fletcher?
Mia: I had to keep her informed. She was in charge of booking hotels.
6h / 8:49 AM
AUSA: When did she send it?
Mia: It was 4 am, it says 7 am but we were in California. It was one of their hotel nights
AUSA: What did she write?
Mia: She was canceling, apologizing to Inter-Scope and others
AUSA: Did Mr. Combs respond? Please read
6h / 8:46 AM
AUSA: Was there violence in their relationship?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: We'll get back to that. What was Mr. Combs' role with respect to her career?
Mia: He decided on everything, shows, the look
AUSA: 3T107R - what is this?
Mia: An mail from Cass to Puff and others, me
6h / 8:44 AM
[They've back]
AUSA: GX 2A 401 - who is this?
Mia: Cassie Ventura.
AUSA: How did you know her?
Mia: Working for Puff. We became close friends.
AUSA: Still today?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: How was their relationship?
Mia: Highs and lows, unequal
6h / 8:23 AM
Judge: Let's break
6h / 8:21 AM
AUSA: What was Revolt Films?
Mia: Puff and I started it together.
AUSA: Were you still performing personal assistant duties?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: How much did you get paid?
Mia: $70,000. Then $100,000. There were supposed to be bonuses
AUSA: Did you get them?
Mia: No
6h / 8:16 AM
AUSA: You got punished?
Mia: In various ways. Getting cursed out, my intelligence insulted and my job threatened.
AUSA: Who did those things?
Mia: Puff.
AUSA: Who's this?
Mia: George Kaplan. He was another personal assistant for Puff, after me
6h / 8:15 AM
AUSA: How did you feel?
Mia: I didn't have time to feel. It was insane. Puff gave me a pep talk, like we were a team. He said, I need a second brain.
AUSA: Did he hire more?
Mia: Yes, eventually. But I still felt like I was responsible
6h / 8:12 AM
Mia: I was told they were actively hiring other assistants.
AUSA: How long to Malcolm, the assistant who was there when you started, stay?
Mia: 7 or 8 months.
AUSA: Were you the only one then?
Mia: Yeah, for like a year.
6h / 8:10 AM
AUSA: Were you allowed to lock your bedroom door?
Mia: No. He said, it's my house, no one locks my doors in my house. So it wasn't really my room.
AUSA: But did security get to lock their doors?
Mia: Yes. One had a deadbolt, another a key pad.
6h / 8:09 AM
AUSA: Could you leave?
Mia: Only with Puff's permission. Once I left at 2 am after he was asleep. I got in big trouble.
AUSA: What happened?
Mia: Security called me to say he was sending them to find me. It was at the first LA house, 2009 or 2010.
6h / 8:08 AM
AUSA: Were you there much?
Mia: No. My roommates joked they lived with a ghost.
AUSA: In LA where did you stay?
Mia: In the staff house then in Puff's house, 9933 Beverly Grove. Then 9374 Beverly Crest Drive. Then 200 South Mapleton.
AUSA: In Miami?
Mia: 2 Star
6h / 8:05 AM
Mia: I wrote, "Anticipate his moods."
AUSA: Why was that important?
Mia: It dictated the day.
AUSA: You wrote, Every day is different
Mia: And that "He could ask you to crack his knuckles or do his taxes."
AUSA: Did you have an apartment?
Mia: Yes. In NYC.
6h / 8:03 AM
AUSA: Let's focus on a few things in this document. Please read this, Mia.
Mia: All of PD's social media presence...
AUSA: Who is PD?
Mia: Sean Combs. Puff Daddy. I wrote, Main liaison between PD and Hollywood
AUSA: Did you do that?
Mia. Blackberry 24/7
6h / 8:01 AM
AUSA: These exhibits are under seal...
Combs' Steel: We renew our objection.
Judge: Admitted under seal.
AUSA: Mia, what is this?
Mia: A list of my responsibilities, I sent to Toni Baez Fletcher on November 10, 2011. Puff has said, I don't know what you do all day
7h / 7:57 AM
AUSA: Were you then told you could sleep?
Mia: Yes.
AUSA: By whom?
Mia: Puff.
AUSA: Why did you stay awake that long?
Mia: I was working...
AUSA: I am introducing exhibits...
7h / 7:55 AM
AUSA: How long did you stay up once?
Mia: Five days. I take Adderall extended release. I could quasi-function and stay awake.
AUSA: When did you go to sleep?
Mia: My hearing went and my equilibrium was off. Blurred vision. Lights that weren't there. I cried
7h / 7:54 AM
Mia: There had been a TV show a few years before called I Want to Work for Diddy, it was like that
AUSA: How did you deal with the lack of sleep?
Mia: When I was young I'd tell myself, you can sleep at 3 pm
Combs' Steel: Objection
Judge: Overruled.
7h / 7:52 AM
AUSA: Then where did you go?
Mia: Puff's apartment. Then home.
AUSA: How fast did you have to return?
Mia: I didn't take a nap, I didn't want to risk it.
AUSA: How much did you sleep during your first 24 hours on the job?
Mia: I didn't. I took it as a challenge
7h / 7:51 AM
AUSA: Where did you start?
Mia: His Alpine, New Jersey house. I was there all day.
AUSA: Then where?
Mia: Back to the office for a few hours more. Then I was told Puff wanted me to come to the studio.
AUSA: How long were you there?
Mia: Until 1 pm the next day
7h / 7:49 AM
AUSA: Did you get the job?
Mia: Yes. I was excited.
AUSA: How much did you expect to work?
Mia: A lot. But I didn't fully understand.
AUSA: How much were you paid?
Mia: $50,000.
AUSA: What did you do on your first day?
Mia: HR told me I was on trial for 2 weeks
7h / 7:46 AM
AUSA: How did Mr. Combs hire you?
Mia: I met with a recruiter, I met with HR and Toni Baez Fletcher.
AUSA: Did Mr. Combs interview me?
Mia: He, at his apartment. He was on the phone, wearing his underwear. The HR lady left.
AUSA: Did he put on clothes?
Mia: Yes.
7h / 7:43 AM
AUSA: Did you want to be in the arts?
"Mia" - Yes. This was before social media, I thought if I put my mattress on my car and drove to New York I could do it. I went to work for Georgina Chapman, red carpet dressing.
AUSA: Then?
Mia: Assistant to Mike Myers
7h / 7:41 AM
"Mia" .. then as director of development and acquisitions for Revolt films.
AUSA: How was it working there?
Mia: Puff's mood changed all the time.
AUSA: Was he violent to you?
Mia: Yes. He's thrown things at me. He's thrown me against the wall, into a pool, ice bucket on my head, slammed my arms into a door. And he sexually assaulted me.
AUSA: Sexually assaulted you more than once?
Mia: More than once.
7h / 7:39 AM
AUSA: Show it for the jury only.
Combs' Brian Steel: I would like to see it too...
AUSA: Where are you from?
"Mia:" Virginia Beach, Virginia.
AUSA: Who is this?
Mia: Sean Combs.
AUSA: What did you call him?
Mia: Puff. I worked for him. As personal assistant
7h / 7:37 AM
Judge: The next witness will use a pseudonym. There is to be no recording
Witness comes in.
AUSA: How do you wish to be identified?
Mia: Mia. M-I-A
AUSA: Don't show this exhibit. What is it?
Mia: My passport.
7h / 7:35 AM
Nash: Yes.
AUSA: Was Mr. Combs in control of his actions?
Nash: Yes.
AUSA: And what did you say?
Nash: You're going to get some d*ck tonight
AUSA: Did she want to go?
Nash: No.
AUSA: No further questions
Donaldson: Nothing from me
Judge: Mr Nash, you are excused
7h / 7:32 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Nothing further.
Judge: Re-direct
AUSA Maurene Comey: Why were you afraid for her?
Nash: Things could get violent fast
AUSA: What devices did Mr. Combs use to film her?
Nash: Hers.
AUSA: You said they appeared high at the 29th birthday party
7h / 7:28 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Cassie told you about a secret trip -
AUSA: I object
Judge: Sustained.
Donaldson: You deeply care for Cassie, for 15 years?
Nash: Yes.
Donaldson: She kept secrets from you?
Nash: And I do from her. We don't have to tell each other everything
7h / 7:26 AM
Combs' Donaldson: In 2020 you wrote to Mr. Combs, I love you, anything you need, I got you.
Nash: Yes
Donaldson: Mr. Combs won an award that year and you congratulated him?
Nash: I don't think so. I asked how to RSVP to his party - for someone else, Claire Sulmers
7h / 7:23 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You knew Andre Harrell passed?
Nash: Yes.
Donaldson: You texted Mr. Combs to make sure he OK?
Nash: Correct.
Donaldson: Mr. Combs wrote to you, The trainer? You coulda given me a heads up. Black heart emoji. How is she - he meant Cassie?
A: Yes
7h / 7:20 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You stayed in touch with Mr. Combs?
Nash: Yeah, because he was cutting up.
Donaldson: Oh, I get it. You did a seafood thing with Cassie?
Nash: Correct.
Donaldson: DX 1814. You know Kim Porter, who tragically passed?
Nash: Yes.
7h / 7:16 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Cassie wrote, the next room is on the beach, this one on the golf course. I have everything organized.
Nash: I wrote, LOL, do you all have a lot of shit?
Donaldson as Cassie: Yes but we made it all fit.
Nash: "Giiirl, you always on vacation"
7h / 7:15 AM
Combs' Donaldson: That's you telling Cassie in January 2017 to enjoy her time with Puff, correct?
Nash: Yes.
Donaldson: Cassie wrote, I spoke up for myself. And you wrote you wish you were with them on vacation?
Nash: No, I meant in Mexico. Not with them.
7h / 7:13 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Then they went to a hotel and again she didn't tell you she didn't want to go, correct?
Nash: Actually, she said she wanted to stay home, work on her music.
Donaldson: Read the green.
Nash: Enjoy y'all time together. Y'all don't get much of this
7h / 7:10 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You saw a man walking around, knocking on the door and they let him in?
Nash: Yes.
Donaldson: There were not drugs, right?
Nash: We were doing them. In our separate places. Once I start working I just start going. I was packing my ten body bags
7h / 7:09 AM
Combs' Donaldson: The low budget producer you mentioned was there?
Nash: Yes. Right next to me, snoring.
Donaldson: You say Cassie told you another man was coming over and asked you to leave?
Nash: Both of us.
Donaldson: You're reaction was.. [sighs]
Nash: Yes.
7h / 7:07 AM
Nash: They were going-
Combs' Donaldson: On the golf cart. Let's talk about Las Vegas, New Years, 2016-17. You said you were told Cassie was sleeping all day?
Nash: Correct.
Donaldson: Put up DX 1847 for the parties only. What's this?
Nash: Cassie
7h / 7:03 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Did you get Cassie super high?
Nash: What? No I did not. I-
Judge: Mr. Nash-
Donaldson: This 29th birthday, you say she packed sex toys in her duffle bag - from her bedroom, right?
Nash: Correct.
Donaldson: Mr. Combs didn't say grab the sex toys?
7h / 7:00 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You helped pick her clothes for court?
Nash: She couldn't fit anything. She needed clothes.
Donaldson: For the pregnancy?
Nash. Right.
Donaldson: On that Friday after she finished, she called you, and said I'm done
Nash: It wasn't like that
8h / 6:59 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You said you saw Mr. Combs' pointing in Cassie's face in the Blid Dragon, right - but you never told the government, right? The first you said is at trial?
Nash: I guess so. I gave them very little by phone. She said she didn't want to go
8h / 6:57 AM
Nash: No, I told them that he would tape her on her phone.
Combs' Donaldson: Isn't it true she said videos were from her phone?
Nash: He would record her on her phone. I stand firm on that.
Donaldson: You say Mr. Combs said, You won't do this one thing for me?
Yes
8h / 6:52 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Did she mention to you about having threesomes with other men?
Nash: Ugh. No, she didn't tell me.
Donaldson: Mr. Nash, read that to yourself, then lift up. On May 10, 2025 you told the Government the videos came from her phone?
8h / 6:49 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You read these, after Cassie says, This N is wasted, we both did the same
Nash: "Is there a lot of people there?" Oh, it's talking about a Gwen Stefani song.
Donaldson: He said, Take your broke ass home and ride into the sunset.
Nash: And we did
8h / 6:46 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You say you saw her with a blackeye on Facetime, around the time of the Inter-Continental?
Nash: I saw it in person. When her make-up would wear off you could see it. If-
Judge: Let Mr. Donaldson ask you the questions.
8h / 6:44 AM
Nash: Good friends don't pry, that's not my method. I just replied, "Giiiirrrlll"
Combs' Donaldson: Highlight the green part. Cassie is telling you, Oct 30, 2013 after the incident with the cut on the face, she says, I've already been turning up too much
8h / 6:42 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Let's read these messages. You do the blue.
Nash: Oh, you got some names in here.
Donaldson: Just go ahead.
Nash: Where you going?
Donaldson as Cassie: Secret trip out town
Nash: Giiiiiirl
[laughs]
8h / 6:40 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Cassie was upset by Gina?
Nash: She'd say, Girl, let's go out and do our thing.
Donaldson: Do what she want to do?
Nash: Actually we are both pretty chill, stayed in the house a lot. But that would be fair.
8h / 6:38 AM
Combs' Donaldson: In these texts, you talk with Cassie about Michael B. Jordan. You say, No one better say sh*t to me, LY. What is LY?
Nash: Love you. Or maybe it's a typo, LY know everything. I don't remember - I'm sure we were being antagonized by your client
8h / 6:37 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Do you know Andre Branch?
Nash: No.
Donaldson: You were aware Cassie was in a relationship with Andre Branch?
Nash: Oh, the cute football player? Yes. But I never met him.
Donaldson: And in 2016 with Brandon of the NFL - I mean, NBA, sorry
8h / 6:35 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You set her up with Michael B. Jordan?
Nash: Yes. And Mia drove it home, making sure she had his number.
Donaldson: So a Bad Boy employee set her up with Michael Jordan-
Nash: That's Michael B. Jordan, don't mess that up
8h / 6:33 AM
Combs' Donaldson: So Gina was in Miami too-
Nash: No, no, you don't put that on me. They kept me away from seeing Gina.
Donaldson: Cassie got upset?
Nash: She said, Why does he keep humiliating me and my career.
Donaldson: She was upset?
Nash: Not really
8h / 6:32 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Cassie was in South Africa, you were at the Revolt conference in Miami, correct?
Nash: Yes. I was there to style Lil Kim.
Donaldson: So you-
Nash: Yes I put her together with Michael B. Jordan. I mean, he fine, she fine, why not?
Judge: Hold on!
8h / 6:29 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You know Cassie was in a relationship with Kid Cudi while she was in a relationship with Mr. Combs?
Nash: Oh, OK.
Donaldson: You didn't know?
Nash: I thought she and Puff had broken up.
8h / 6:26 AM
Combs' Donaldson: You say Mr. Combs was kicking Cassie on the ground, the unfortunate eye-gash incident, correct?
Nash: Yes.
Donaldson: You didn't tell the prosecutors she was kicked while bleeding?
Nash: They didn't ask. I only answered what they asked
8h / 6:25 AM
Combs' Donaldson: Do you recall a picture of Cassie and green hair?
Nash: That was a group idea. I walked the carpet with Cassie in NY at the VMAs. It was a curated look.
Donaldson: You had to get approval?
Nash: Yes. From Puff.
8h / 6;21 AM
Combs' Donaldson: What was Capricorn Clark's role in 2011 - the mix tape?
Nash: She was gone.
Donaldson: What did she work on when she was there?
Nash: Maybe the photo shoot you guys showed yesterday. I learned a lot from Capricorn, actually.
8h / 6:19 AM
Judge: Bring Mr. Nash back, and then our jury.
AUSA: We re-booked this witness' flight for 2 pm. We are hoping he will be off the stand in time to make that flight
All rise!
Combs' Donaldson: How are you?
Deonte Nash: Blessed...
Donaldson: DX 1806 - texts from you
8h / 6:14 AM
AUSA: At 8:55 am the defense sent me a slew of messages about Deonte Nash. They should be excluded.
Judge: Mr. Donaldson, what are these?
Combs' Xavier Donaldson: We want two photos in. The rest are for impeachment.
AUSA: I was told of the photos last night, fine
8h / 6:04 AM
AUSA: They are trying to show that the defendant was going through "some heavy sh*t" and that's why he was asking this way.
Judge: What about her smelling her own armpit?
AUSA: I don't that that's relevant
Judge: OK, 401
8h / 6:01 AM
Judge: You've been given some leeway, I'll leave it to you.
Combs' Steel: I don't want to waive the issue. Thank you.
Judge: The social media posts, there's an objection- I overrule it. The text messages, my sense is there are parts in the threads that are hearsay
8h / 5:59 AM
Judge: Who is going to be cross examining Mia?
Combs's Shapiro: Mr. Steel.
Combs' Steel: What if we redact the part about Biggie's murder?
Judge: It's more than that. You concede the articles are not relevant to this case. It's that the scrapbook was put together
8h / 5:58 AM
Judge Subramanian: If it went back into the jury room as evidence, it could be prejudicial to the prosecution. But to let the jurors look at it, as a demonstrative.
AUSA: If they flip it through, OK. If it's passed around, we'd want a limiting instruction.
8h / 5:56 AM
[Before jury in]
Combs' Alexandra Shapiro: The articles in the scrap book are not being offered for the truth-
AUSA: The article say that Combs wanted to get to the bottom of Biggie's murder, but "the Fed's are investigating us." They've been trying to get this in
8h / 5:53 AM
OK - US v Sean Combs Day 12, cross of Deonte Nash then victim Mia, defense wants her scrap books in to impeach her
DAY: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
AND NOW THE VERSION NBC NEWS
POSTED TO THEIR WEBSITE
11h ago / 1:19 PM PDT
Defense hints at substantial change in trial strategy
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo suggested his side's case might be longer than expected after receiving notice from the prosecution about changes to its presentation.
Agnifilo did not give any specifics but suggested the government's case might end sooner than anticipated — which could then cause the defense to go longer.
Judge Subramanian has made it clear he wants the jury to begin deliberations around July 4.
Agnifilo also reminded the judge that the defense is still seeking to have more time with Combs during off-court hours and Subramanian said he's working on it.
11h ago / 1:07 PM PDT
Witness says assaults were 'traumatizing'
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
"Mia" ended her testimony for the day, telling jurors that the sexual assaults she says she was subjected to were "the most traumatizing" moments of her life.
When the prosecutor, Smyser, asked why she agreed to testify, Mia said: "Because I have to tell the truth, the whole truth."
The witness said she "absolutely" did not want to discuss these attacks in public.
"It's the most traumatizing, worst thing that's ever happened to me," she told jurors.
The jury was then dismissed for the day.
11h ago / 1:00 PM PDT
'Mia' testifies she dropped Combs' name to get out of tickets
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness testified that Combs' name once helped get her out of multiple traffic tickets in Los Angeles.
In one case, "Mia" said she was in a hurry to pick up Combs when she was pulled over, telling the officer who her employer was. The officer didn't believe Mia until she called him and the officer let her go without a ticket, the witness said.
Then in another case, she was driving with Combs when they were pulled over. But once officers got a look at her passenger, she said they were allowed to roll on.
12h ago / 12:48 PM PDT
'I didn't want anyone to know ever': Witness weeps and whispers as she describes assaults
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
"Mia" wept and struggled to get her voice above a whisper in testifying how she said Combs' sexual assaults continued and that somehow it was "my fault."
The witness said she "felt so desperate and terrified and trapped" and "that it was my fault."
There was a point in her life when Mia said she was determined to take these alleged assaults to the grave.
"I was going to die with this," she said. "I didn’t want anyone to know ever. "
12h ago / 12:41 PM PDT
Witness testifies she hoped each assault would be the last
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
"Mia" testified there were other sexual assaults, but said she couldn't recall all the details.
"I just remember feeling like a specific, horrible dark feeling in my stomach," Mia said.
There was no particular pattern or timing of the attacks, Mia said, other than that they unfolded when Ventura was not around.
"I always thought this was the last time," she said. "Next time I would somehow be more prepared. I had to get right back to work, there was so much going on."
12h ago / 12:34 PM PDT
Combs allegedly forced 'Mia' into oral sex, witness testifies
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Combs once forced "Mia" to perform oral sex on him in an attack that made her feel "like trash," the witness testified.
Mia said she was "just frozen" when Combs came out of a closet at his L.A. home and had his penis out of his pants before forcing her head down.
She said the attack made her feel "like trash," and when the prosecution asked if she had consented to this, Mia replied: "No, it was really fast."
12h ago / 12:27 PM PDT
Witness says she was sexually assaulted at Combs' L.A. home
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness testified about another sexual assault, this time in 2009 or 2010 at Combs' home in Los Angeles.
"Mia" said she was on the bottom of a bunk bed when she was awakened by Combs on top of her.
Asked if she had wanted to have sex with Combs, a tearful Mia said no and, "It was very quick."
She hadn't been allowed to lock the door when staying at Combs' properties, Mia testified earlier.
2h ago / 12:17 PM PDT
'Mia' accused Combs of sexual assault
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness said Combs sexually assaulted her after pouring her three shots of vodka in a hotel penthouse.
After complimenting her work, Combs — who had been celebrating his 40th birthday —serve the drinks and then kissed her as he put his hand up her dress, the witness said.
"I was shocked," she said.
2h ago / 11:54 AM PDT
Combs repeatedly slammed bathroom door on 'Mia,' she says
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness recalled an incident in 2012 in Los Angeles when Combs allegedly slammed a door on her arm multiple times.
At his request, "Mia" said, she had made a call for him on her phone, prompting her to stay close to get the device back from him immediately.
But when Combs tried bolting away from her, into a bathroom, she said she followed him inside, where he then slammed the door on her arm "multiple times."
2h ago / 11:30 AM PDT
Combs was hot and cold with 'Mia' and once threw spaghetti at her
Marlene Lenthang, Adam Reiss and Jing Feng
“Mia” described her dynamic with Combs as hot and cold — sometimes he treated her like his best friend and working partner, and other times, “like I was a worthless piece of crap,” she testified.
In the good times, he’d open up about personal things and compliment her work. Other times, “he would humiliate me, curse at me, go on a rant about how incompetent and stupid I was.”
She told jurors he’d throw things at her, including spaghetti on one occasion. In that incident, she had started to go down to her room because she had been working since 8 in the morning without a break and needed to change her tampon. Outraged, he threw the spaghetti at her and started to curse at her, chased her up the stairs and she hid and eventually escaped to a hotel.
On another occasion she testified he threw a computer at her head while in Los Angeles in a trailer on a movie set. He was in a rage over the wifi not working, but the computer did not make contact with her head, she recalled. She ran out the trailer and hid afterwards.
2h ago / 11:26 AM PDT
Combs took Ketamine, other pills at 'inappropriate' times, witness says
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The defendant was frequently taking Ketamine and other drugs, often at "inappropriate" times, "Mia" said.
She recalled him once taking these drugs on his way for an appearance with Chelsea Handler.
The witness said hitting the road with Combs was like being with a "traveling medicine cabinet," as pills were stashed in plastic bags and/or in his Louis Vuitton pouch.
3h ago / 11:10 AM PDT
'Mia' describes cleaning up hotel rooms after Combs' 'hotel nights'
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
“Mia” testified that Cassie Ventura and Combs sometimes had “hotel nights,” and some lasted multiple nights.
Mia testified she would sometimes take them there, unpack and set up. Combs asked her to bring toiletries, clothes, candles, lotions, baby oil, Astroglide and condoms, she said.
One night stood out at the London Hotel in New York when Ventura answered the door in her underwear.
“She was struggling. I had never seen her like that before. So much that I asked her, ‘Are you OK?’ And she said, ‘I’m good,’ and closed the door,” she testified.
Mia said Combs asked her to clean up the rooms, to wipe up “enough stuff that the housekeeper couldn’t clean.” She said the state of the hotel rooms after they were used was a “nightmare,” “destroyed” and “really nasty,” including candle wax, broken glass, water on the floor, sometimes blood, oil on the walls and wet towels.
3h ago / 10:56 AM PDT
Witness struggling to remain calm, breathe
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
At times, "Mia" appears to struggle to keep her emotions in check and breathe while describing Combs' tumultuous relationship with Ventura.
She almost appeared to be hyperventilating and had to catch her breath in describing how "heartbroken" Combs was in December 2011 when he learned that Ventura was seeing Kid Cudi.
3h ago / 10:42 AM PDT
Scary decision: Facing Mother Nature or Combs, witness says
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness recalled a scary confrontation in 2012 when she and Ventura were barricaded into a beachside room, hiding from an enraged Combs during a vacation in the Turks and Caicos islands.
They pushed furniture to block the front door as Combs was allegedly banging and screaming to be let inside.
"I was looking at Cass and she was screaming for help and, 'You have to help me, Puff is going to kill me,'" "Mia" recalled. "She is usually chill and calm and she was terrified."
The pair dashed out a back door to the beach and out to a paddle board, allowing them to flee into the water.
"The weather shifted dramatically and the sky turned black," Mia remembered. "We were both debating. I was trying to weigh if it was scarier to face Mother Nature or go back to Puff. We eventually went back to Puff."
4h ago / 9:33 AM PDT
Court breaks for lunch
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Judge Subramanian put the court into recess and asked jurors to return before 1:15 p.m.
The prosecutor, Smyser, said she expects her direct examination of "Mia" to last for the rest of the day.
4h ago / 9:33 AM PDT
'Mia' recounts sneaking out with Cassie to party at Prince's house, but Combs caught them
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
“Mia” recalled an incident in 2012 when she and Cassie Ventura went out to a party without Combs’ permission.
They were all in a suite at the Beverly Hills hotel and Combs had directed Mia to stay there with Ventura as he was going to be with his kids.
Mia said a friend called and said Prince was having a party and she and Ventura “like little kids snuck out of the house.” They went to Prince’s party and were having fun, when Combs showed up.
“I saw his bucket hat coming through the entrance. We locked eyes and crap, Cass and I started running through the house to get out across the yard, trying to run and hide there,” Mia explained. “Puff caught Cass, he caught up to her and had her and threw her to the ground and started to attack her.”
Mia said Prince’s security intervened. The next day, Mia was notified she was being suspended without pay and Combs said she was being insubordinate.
4h ago / 9:29 AM PDT
Witness testifies Ventura left with forehead scar after bed frame attack
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Ventura suffered a nasty cut on her forehead after Combs attacked her at the victim's Los Angeles apartment, the witness said.
"Mia" testified she tried to stop the beating by jumping on Combs' back, before the music mogul threw her against the wall.
"It was so fast, but I felt like I was in slow motion," Mia said. "I saw him grab Cass and I couldn't get there fast enough, the bed platform was the sharpest I had ever seen and he threw her and she hit her head on the corner of the bed."
The witness continued: "She had a pretty big scar on her forehead, which was split open and blood was coming out."
4h ago / 9:19 AM PDT
'Mia' says she witnessed multiple Combs assaults on Ventura
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Ventura never fought back against Combs during multiple violent attacks, "Mia" said.
In one particularly disturbing incident, Mia said she found Ventura hiding from Combs outside in bushes "with a terrified look in her eyes."
4h ago / 9:13 AM PDT
If 'Mia' and Cassie did something without Combs' permission, the punishment was 'unpredictable and terrifying,' Mia says
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
When “Mia” was asked what would happen when she did something without Combs’ permission, she said, “It would be bad, serious, [she and Cassie Ventura] would get in trouble.”
“The punishment was unpredictable and terrifying,” she continued.
If Ventura didn’t pick up Combs’ phone call, multiple people would call and text her, and security would show up if they couldn’t find her.
Mia said she saw “a lot of the aftermath” of Combs and Ventura's relationship.
She said she saw Ventura with injuries. She also saw Combs attack Ventura and throw her on the ground, she said. “I’ve seen him crack her head open,” Mia said. She did not recall ever seeing Ventura fight back.
5h ago / 9:11 AM PDT
Combs inserted himself into 'The Perfect Match' set, 'Mia' say
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Combs fancied himself as a pseudo-director while Ventura was shooting "The Perfect Match," which hit screens in 2016.
Combs was often on set and would "insert himself" into production, asking all sorts of questions and making suggestions about Ventura's hairstyle, wardrobe and even nails, "Mia" recalled.
5h ago / 9:03 AM PDT
'Mia' and Cassie grew close in the Combs world
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
"Mia" said she and Ventura grew close and "became like sisters, best friends" during their time working with Combs.
Ventura and Combs had a rocky relationship, Mia said, with "highs and lows" that often included abuse by the defendant.
She still keeps in close contact today, Mia said.
5h ago / 8:42 AM PDT
'Mia' describes duties including staying within Combs' eyesight
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
"Mia" said as an assistant she managed Combs’ social media presence, served as the main liaison between Combs and Hollywood, managed his daily routine, kept him on a schedule, and protected him and his privacy.
She said she had to stay attached to her Blackberry and stay within Combs’ eyesight, as well as anticipate his needs and his “whims and moods.”
“Every single day is different. Can be 17,000 things at one time, range from cracking knuckles, doing taxes or writing his next movie. He can also have you stand next to him for 24 hours and not ask you to do one thing,” she said.
5h ago / 8:30 AM PDT
'Mia' says she was not allowed to lock her bedroom door
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
"Mia" testified that when she traveled with Combs and stayed at his properties, locking her own bedroom door wasn't allowed.
"Puff said, 'This is my house and no one locks the doors,'" the witness said.
That rule didn't seem to apply to the predominantly male security team that stayed in rooms with deadbolt and keypad locks, Mia recalled.
6h ago / 8:10 AM PDT
'Mia' recalls going five days without sleep working for Combs
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
"Mia" said she worked for Combs from 2009 to 2017, and had applied when she was 25 or 26. Combs said the job would be 24/7, for the promised compensation of $55,000, that she said ended up being paid $50,000.
Mia testified that she once worked five days straight without sleeping. “We were traveling, Las Vegas, there was always things going on,” she explained.
She noted she had an Adderall prescription since she was 17 and it helped her function without sleep.
“I had a physical breakdown, my hearing went, it felt like I was under water, my equilibrium was off, blurred vision, out of nowhere I was hysterical and could not stop crying, at that point Puff said she could go to sleep,” she recalled.
6h ago / 7:47 AM PDT
'Mia' says it was 'toxic' working for Combs, and that he sexually assaulted her
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
"Mia" described working for Combs as "chaotic," and "toxic," but said that it could be exciting.
"The highs were really high and the lows really low. Puff’s mood determined the environment," she said. "He threw things at me, threw me against the wall, threw me in the pool, he’s threw something against my head. Sexually assaulted me."
She said he sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion.
Combs has gone by several names in the past, including Puff Daddy, hence the nickname Puff.
6h ago / 7:46 AM PDT
Mia's passport entered into court records under seal
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The prosecution entered Mia's passport into court records under seal, with her true name and date of birth shown only to jurors.
Witnesses normally take the witness stand and state their name in open court for the record.
But this witness is only being referred to by a pseudonym, “Mia.” She previously worked for Combs as a personal assistant.
6h ago / 7:39 AM PDT
'Mia' takes the stand
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
A former personal assistant to Combs who will be referred to only by the pseudonym "Mia" has taken the stand.
She's expected to testify to the forced labor and racketeering charges in the indictment.
6h ago / 7:29 AM PDT
Defense seeking to show Ventura as willing sex partner
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
Nash recalled a time when he spotted a random man joining Ventura in her Las Vegas hotel room, without Combs' presence.
The testimony could feed the defense's narrative that Ventura had sex with strangers as a normal part of her life, and not as a forced act at Combs' direction.
The "freak offs" allegedly ordered by Combs are central to prosecution allegations that he used his business to engage in sex trafficking and other crimes.
7h ago / 7:05 AM PDT
Nash testifies he saw Ventura with a black eye on FaceTime
Marlene Lenthang and Adam Reiss
Deonte Nash testified that he saw "Mia" on a video call with Ventura and she had a black eye visible.
“I saw it in person, when her make-up wears off you can see it,” Nash said.
7h ago / 7:02 AM PDT
Ventura didn't mention 'freak offs' for many years to Nash
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Nash admitted under cross-examination that, from 2008 to 2013, Ventura never mentioned to him about the "freak offs" she performed for Combs.
The defense's implication would be that the "freak offs" weren't as troubling as Ventura has described — if she failed to mention them to a friend like Nash.
7h ago / 6:54 AM PDT
The day's first mention of Michael B. Jordan
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
After breaking up with Combs, Ventura began communicating with "Black Panther" actor Michael B. Jordan, according to Nash.
"Dating, talking, getting to know each other," the witness said during cross-examination.
7h ago / 6:31 AM PDT
Nash back on the witness stand for cross-examination
Adam Reiss, Jing Feng and David K. Li
The witness admitted he didn't initially tell prosecutors that Ventura had been allegedly kicked by Combs in one particular attack he witnessed.
Nash said he just wanted to answer questions in the most narrow way possible.
"They didn't ask," he told Combs' attorney Xavier Donaldson. "I gave as little as possible. I only answered what I was asked."
7h ago / 6:27 AM PDT
Judge order no sketches of witness 'Mia'
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Judge Arun Subramanian denied the government's bid to cut all video of key prosecution witness "Mia," but he did order a ban against courtroom sketches of "Victim-4."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser had asked for Mia's testimony to not be shown in a courthouse overflow room.
Subramanian said it'd be improper to totally keep footage of Mia's testimony from getting out of his courtroom, though he did agree to ban sketches of her — in a similar fashion to the standing prohibition against jurors being drawn.
8h ago / 5:55 AM PDT
Court is now in session
Marlene Lenthang
Court is now in session for day 12 of Combs' trial.
8h ago / 5:26 AM PDT
Cassie Ventura gave birth Tuesday
Marlene Lenthang, Rebecca Cohen and Chloe Melas
Cassie Ventura gave birth Tuesday, roughly two weeks after she took the stand as a witness in Sean Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News.
The baby is her third with her husband, Alex Fine.
9h ago / 4:58 AM PDT
Defense asked for more time to meet with Combs in jail, as prosecutors said they're ahead of schedule
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian has made it abundantly clear he wants this trial to keep rolling fast so jurors can start deliberations around July 4.
But defense lawyers say they’ve not been able to move as quickly due to jailhouse rules that prevent them from meeting with their client, Combs, after 7 p.m.
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in court yesterday that Combs' inability to confer late slows trial prep, meaning the defense has to spend more time debating strategy without direct contact with their client.
"We just need more access to Mr. Combs," Agnifilo told the court yesterday, asking for court permission to meet with Combs until 10 p.m.
Subramanian promised to call the jail and see what arrangements could be made.
Meanwhile, the prosecution said it’s running ahead of schedule and could rest by the second week of June or a few days later. The government had earlier said its case could last until June 20.
9h ago / 4:35 AM PDT
Here's a recap of yesterday
Marlene Lenthang and Daniel Arkin
In court yesterday, Los Angeles police officer Christopher Ignacio testified about responding to a break-in at Kid Cudi’s home in 2011.
A Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, Lance Jimenez, also testified that he found a Molotov cocktail inside Kid Cudi’s burned Porsche in early 2012, describing the car fire as a "targeted crime."
Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist, also testified about the relationship between Combs and Cassie Ventura. Nash testified that he once jumped on Combs’ back to keep him from beating Ventura. He also told the court that Combs threatened to send sex tapes of Ventura to her parents’ workplaces to get them fired.
10h ago / 3:38 AM PDT
Victim-4, Combs' former assistant, expected to testify today
Doha Madani
A woman who is only being referred to by a pseudonym, "Mia," is expected to testify today.
The government previously referred to the woman as "Victim-4" and said she used to work for Combs as a personal assistant. Mia has been mentioned in prior testimony, notably by Cassie Ventura.
Her testimony is expected to take up most of today and tomorrow.
10h ago / 3:38 AM PDT
Deonte Nash to return to witness stand after delaying flight
Doha Madani
Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and good friend of Cassie Ventura, is expected to continue his testimony today.
Nash was supposed to finish testifying yesterday, but Combs' defense couldn't finish cross-examination by 4 p.m. ET. The government had to reschedule Nash's travel arrangements, as the stylist was going to fly out of New York City last night.
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