A former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs and friend to Cassie Ventura continued testifying this afternoon. “Mia,” who is testifying under a pseudonym, is expected to take the stand again on Monday.
Here’s how Friday wrapped up:
Social media posts: The jury was shown more photos Mia posted on social media for Combs’ birthday. Defense attorney Brian Steel asked Mia how she could post about the music mogul’s birthday without recognizing the significance as the time he allegedly sexually assaulted her for the first time. Mia testified that she was expected to post for Combs’ birthday while she was working for him.
Remember: Yesterday, Mia said the first time Combs sexually assaulted her was a few months into her employment when they were at the Plaza hotel in New York City for his 40th birthday party.
“Eager to survive:” Steel challenged Mia on why she worked for Combs so long and did things for him like make a scrapbook for his 45th birthday and birthday video even though she’s said she endured physical, sexual and emotional abuse for years.
Mia said her therapist or a psychology textbook would explain it better but said “in an abusive relationship there’s a cycle of violence” and that she is a people pleaser who just wants to make others happy.
“I was young and manipulated and eager to survive,” she testified. “I’m unraveling a lot of this now in therapy. Nobody was there to say these things that were happening were wrong. There was nobody around us that ever even flinched at his behavior. I was always in trouble and I was always just trying to find a way not to be in trouble.”
Maintained honesty: Mia said she hasn’t “lied to anyone at all” about the alleged sexual assault she endured by Combs after Steel suggested three times during his cross examination that she made up the allegations.
“Mr. Combs never had unwanted nonconsensual forcible sexual contact with you, Isn’t that true?,” Steel asked.
“What I said in this courtroom is true. I have not lied to anyone at all,” Mia replied.
Leaving Combs’ film company: Mia said she was loving working in film and TV when she was informed in 2016 that Revolt Film was shutting down. She said leaving felt like “the worst thing in the world” and told Steel that her time at the company was the only life she knew.
“I didn’t want to leave the company that I built where I was actually started to see my dreams come to fruition,” she said.
