Additional Coverage:
- At Diddy trial, rape accuser ‘Mia’ explains why she told him over and over that she loved him (businessinsider.com)
Diddy Accuser Testifies About Conflicting Emotions Towards Music Mogul
A former personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs testified for a second day in his sex-trafficking trial, attempting to explain the loving messages she sent him despite her accusations of abuse. Testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” the accuser spent two hours on Monday detailing her complicated relationship with the rap star. She told the Manhattan federal jury that Combs, whom she often called “Puff,” was once her “protector,” a sentiment echoed in numerous texts and Instagram posts shown to the jury.
Defense attorney Brian Steel challenged Mia on this apparent contradiction, questioning how she could describe a man she accused of terrifying acts of sexual and physical violence as her “protector” and express love for him. Mia reiterated her previous testimony, explaining that she experienced two versions of Combs.
One was volatile and violent, the man she alleges assaulted her. The other was a friend with whom she shared countless experiences, some of which she recounted in a 2020 text message, including drinking under the Eiffel Tower and an encounter with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Among the messages shown to the jury was a 2019 text in which Mia described a dream where Combs rescued her from an elevator she was trapped in with R. Kelly.
Jurors also viewed a 2013 birthday video Mia sent Combs, which the prosecution had argued against admitting as evidence. In the video, a cheerful Mia calls Combs her friend and wishes him “another 44 years of brilliance.”
This starkly contrasted with Mia’s demeanor in court, where she appeared hunched over and spoke softly. The defense argued the video demonstrated a “false persona” adopted by Mia during her testimony.
Mia explained that she only recently came to understand her experience after undergoing therapy and speaking with prosecutors. She testified that shame and fear of Combs’ power and wrath kept her from coming forward until last year. She added that her safety seemed dependent on Combs’ moods.
Mia’s testimony included details of alleged assaults between 2009 and 2017, including incidents at the Plaza Hotel and on Combs’ private jet. She described working for him as a chaotic and toxic yet sometimes exciting experience, recounting long hours and once working five consecutive days without sleep.
Combs maintains his innocence, asserting that all sexual encounters were consensual. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.