Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, testifying under the pseudonym "Mia," told a federal court Monday that the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted her multiple times during her eight-year employment and maintained psychological control over her even after she left his company. "I was terrified and brainwashed," Mia said during cross-examination by Combs' attorney, Brian Steel.
Mia, identified as Victim-4 in the Southern District of New York's criminal indictment, is a key witness in the racketeering case against Combs. She alleges he manipulated his inner circle through physical violence, psychological coercion, and threats of reputational harm. The indictment accuses Combs of leveraging his "multi-faceted business empire" to fulfill illicit desires, including kidnapping, forced labor, and obstruction of justice. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all five felony charges.
On Monday, Steel focused on messages and social media posts Mia sent to Combs both during and after her employment with Bad Boy Entertainment. In one message from 2019, Mia described a dream in which Combs saved her from an elevator trapped with R. Kelly. The following year, she texted, "I love you with all of my heart and I'm here for you forever." She also sent birthday greetings, praised him as "one of the biggest inspirations in my life," and congratulated him on his projects.
When asked why she continued to praise Combs publicly and privately, Mia replied, "I still was psychologically" under his control. She testified, "Brainwashed meant I was in an environment where the highs were really high and the lows were really low and it created a huge confusion in trusting my instincts."
Steel asked, "Because it's not true, is it, 'Mia'? Your statements that you were the victim at the hands of Mr. Combs of brutality isn't true?"
Mia replied, "Everything I've said in this courtroom is true."
Steel pressed her on the lack of contemporaneous evidence, noting that she often filmed Combs at his instruction. Mia responded that she was never allowed to record moments of anger or abuse, stating, she "would not have been allowed to film that." She added that even writing down what she experienced would have been a breach of confidentiality. "Nobody around batted an eye," she said of Combs' conduct.
Throughout her testimony, Mia described a climate of fear and emotional manipulation. She said she feared reprisal after Combs threatened to reveal details of their relationship to his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. "I felt horrible about it, like I had done something wrong," Mia said.
She recounted being both praised and punished by Combs in unpredictable cycles. "At the time, as low as he would make me, he would also make me feel the opposite as well," she testified. Mia said she was promised executive roles and affection but also endured alleged violence, including having a bowl of spaghetti thrown at her and her arm crushed in a door.
Mia described several instances of alleged sexual assault, including at Combs' 40th birthday party at the Plaza Hotel and while she slept on a staff bunk bed. "I always thought that it was the last time," she said. "If there ever [was] a next time, I would somehow be more prepared."
Asked by Steel when she decided to come forward, Mia said, "When I started witnessing him being held accountable for his actions. It began when it all came out in the media and he was being held responsible."
Video evidence shown to the jury included a 2013 birthday message in which Mia addressed Combs as "Puff Daddy, the living legend himself!" while calling him a major inspiration. Steel asked if she was scared of Combs when recording that video. Mia responded, "I was scared of him when he was scary."
