Why People Think Diddy’s Team Is “Winning” & How He Might Get A Mistrial!

[Music]. Bada bing, bada boom. Mia is not Mia's. real name. She is testifying against. Shawn Combmes with a pseudonym. The. understanding could not be clearer. If. you know who she is, no you don't. If. you don't know who she is, keep it that. way. It's a pretty basic understanding, but midway through Mia's multiple dayong. testimony, prosecutor Johnson stands up. Sorry, your honor. One additional issue. we just wanted to put on the court's. radar. The government has become aware. of an individual who has broken the. court's pseudonym order in respect to.

Mia. The individual was present in the. courtroom yesterday and the government. saw the individual outside the courtroom. at the end of the court day broadcasting. her name in a public square right. outside the courthouse. We've seen his. YouTube channel in which he says Mia's. true name and we saw that same. individual in the courtroom yesterday. And this is becoming a problem even with. Jane, the new witness on the stand. Her. attorney has even come forward to tell. the court, "I just wanted to bring this. to the court's attention that there are. media outlets, YouTube accounts,

Instagram accounts, and others that are. seeking to discover and or to reveal. Jane's identity. The these are active. attempts and some are ongoing. And many. of these accounts and outlets have many. readers and followers. And so that is. why I felt it was important to make this. in a timely manner, this notice to the. court. These posts and media outlets. threaten her safety and privacy. I'm. just so confused how any of this is. happening in 2025. Why are we doxing. witnesses? And the worst part is, if I'm.

not mistaken, from what I have heard. from a lot of the members of the press. in that courtroom, we've interacted with. the someone that later doxed Mia, the. the person that they just Yes. called. out. Yes. And they seemed so normal. I. don't know why they felt compelled to do. this. Like I don't know if I was naive. for thinking they were normal or if they. accident like I genuinely don't. understand. Wait, so but that YouTuber. is currently banned from the court,

right? What's crazy is he was banned for. like 24 hours. I did briefly see him. again. Huh. Yeah. And it is so bad that. even the defense I mean they're not. bringing up the doxing, but in court. they're talking about how they want to. admit a happy birthday video into. evidence. And they note that they. received emails of the video from. internet users after they found out. Mia's true identity. They found a video. of her telling Shawn Combmes happy. birthday from like a decade ago and. started emailing it to the defense team.

They say I think there were people on. the internet who think they figured out. who Mia is. And so Mr. Agnif as well as. some of us have received emails or. communications from random people on the. internet with the same video. And so we. were thinking about using it. But I. don't even know if this is the worst. part of Mia's testimony. I mean, the. doxing is, but pretty much every single. aspect of Mia's testimony gets. incredibly tense and just like, what the. hell is happening? That's the feeling. And now Shawn Combmes and his defense. team have filed another motion for.

mistrial again for the second time. [Music]. We would like to thank today's sponsors. who have made it possible for Rotten. Mango to support Achievement Centers for. Children. They're a nonprofit.

organization helping children and adults. with disabilities achieve their greatest. potential. This episode's partnerships. have also made it possible to support. Rotten Mango's growing team. And we'd. also like to thank you guys for your. continued support. As always, full show. notes are available at. rottmangopodcast.com. Few disclaimers. There are mentions of essay. There's a. lot of distressing content revolving. that, so please just be warned. Many of. the quotes and statements included have. been shortened and condensed for brevity. or combined. Now, you guys know the. drill. Shawn Combmes is presumed. innocent until proven guilty beyond a.

reasonable doubt. That burden of proof. is the responsibility of the. prosecution, the government, and all of. the crimes he has been charged with are. alleged until a verdict is reached, which at the time of this episode has. yet to occur. Any descriptions or. observations regarding Mr. Combmes, his. legal team, the court, anybody in that. courtroom during the trial were. personally noted by myself or my two. other researchers who were present in. the room. I will say we are just trying. to understand observable behaviors like.

when somebody is nodding or somebody is. smirking or somebody appears to. potentially look disengaged but any. opinion on what that behavior might mean. is strictly an opinion and it doesn't. really mean anything because we could be. totally wrong. We could have misaw. something. So this is truly not don't. base any information off of this. So. with that being said, let's get started. There is a light bulb out in the. courtroom right above the witness stand. and it's like this whole operation to. change this little light bulb. The.

ceilings are so tall that they just use. this massive long stick and at the very. end of the stick it's just like a. plunger. Oh yeah, the light bulb. changer. Yeah, it's a You've seen these. before? I've never seen this. I thought. they were going to bring in a massive. ladder that's just a stick with a. plunger at the end and they're sucking. it on the light bulb and twisting and. twisting and twisting. It's a light bulb. plunger. I'm. so straight in Home Depot this entire. light changing process and he's just.

like in a good mood which is. interesting. I mean I can't even hear. the jokes but he points to the bald spot. on the back of his head. I don't know. perhaps he's making a joke that the. light is shining on his bald spot. Imagine he's not talking about his bald. spot at all and I'm just calling him out. for his bald spot. I don't know. My. theory is that when Mark gets sleep, he. comes in early and he does his little. court rounds. That's the best way I can. describe it. He goes over to the. stenographer, the court reporter, you.

know, he goes over to the sketch artist. I don't know what this prosecutors too, right? Yeah. And I don't know what this. man is talking about, but pretty much. anytime court is in session, Mark Agnif. stands up, everyone goes, "Oh man, what. now? It's going to be filibuster. He's. going to be talking and yapping, but. like before court is in session, anytime. Margar is talking to anybody, people are. obsessed. The court reporter is like. falling out of her chair giggling. The. sketch artist, they don't like they.

can't even handle the giggles when. they're talking to Mark Maggnolo. And. I'm like, what is he that funny? Cuz I. can't even hear. I just see them. giggling and now I need to know. Meanwhile, Sean Combmes is walking out. in a light blue sweater, which. definitely brings out the white in his. hair. He also, and I was so confused by. this, he pours himself a water. There's. like a stack of He was recently drinking. a lot of water bottles, but then he went. back to his styrofoam cups of water. What am I looking at? Okay, but he would. go back to his like stack of water. He. had a stack of styrofoam cups, these.

little carffs that he pours the water. into, and there's a stack of three cups. He pours the water into the stack of the. three cups and just starts drinking out. of the stack of three cups. He doesn't. take it out. Oh, he's using three cups. as one. Yeah. And I'm just so confused. In other news, if you don't follow us on. Tik Tok, he also um had recently turned. to a court sketch artist and asked her. to quote, "Soften me up a bit. You're. making me look like a koala bear. I was. not in the courtroom, so I didn't hear.

it because it this was like during a. lunch break, but it's a very oddly. specific description that is reminiscent. of what we said at the beginning of the. trial. It's like, you know, koalas when. they get fuzzy, like if it's really. humid and they have like very fuzzy. grayish white hair, he kind of is. reminiscent to that. I'm just saying. it's weird. Now, the energy in the. courtroom is always like a little. volatile. Some days everyone's in a good. mood, including what appears to be the. defendant. Other days it feels. stressful, but it is just so clear that. something's happening recently because.

not too long ago, lead defense council. Mark Agniflo stands up and he tells the. judge. Now, side note, some context. here. The government stated that they. believe they will be finished with their. case and chief sooner rather than later. Mark Agnol is now informing father. Arund. It may be that the government. rests sooner than they were planning to. That doesn't mean that the trial is. going to end sooner than we were all. planning to because there are certain. things and I don't want to give it away. One of the few things we have on our. side on the defenses we get to react. It. may be that because of witnesses the.

government is not calling. We might have. more on the defense case. Hm. It feels. cryptic. So, what is he saying? It's. going to last longer. We have more. We. want to bring more people on now because. of that. And it feels cryptic, especially when 9 days later, another. motion is filed for another mistrial, which just so you know, this is my. personal opinion, the chances of Diddy's. defense team being granted a mistrial, are probably relatively slim.

to at the most moderate, I don't know. Like, I can't really tell you. It just. seems like only a minutia of federal. cases that go to trial are granted a. mistrial. And it appears that an even. smaller percentage are because of. prosecutorial misconduct, which is what. Combmes, the Combmes team is alleging in. the motion that they just filed. Diddy's. defense lawyers are asking Father Arun. to declare a mistrial because they. claimed the prosecution knowingly. presented false testimony to the jury on. two separate occasions. This is like a.

massive ordeal. They're saying that the. government knew Cassie and her friend. were lying. They're saying the. government at least knew or should have. known because it was that easily. noticeable. and they still put them up. on the stand and had them lie. That's. what the defense is claiming. That's the. gist that I get from it. And it all. revolves around this balcony incident in. 2016 in Cassie's LA apartment. So, in. summary, the assault allegedly occurs. when Cassy's best friend, BA, is. sleeping over at her place. Diddy comes.

banging on the door, forcing his way. into the apartment at around 3:00 in the. morning. Cassie is in her bedroom. asleep. Ba is on the balcony smoking. And according to both Cassie and Bana, Diddy just books it to BA on the. balcony, lifts her up, dangles her over. the balcony, which is 17 stories high, then throws her onto the balcony. furniture, the patio furniture on the. balcony. Ba collapses. Cassie screams at. Diddy. Diddy leaves, leaves, flees the. apartment after assaulting Ba. I mean, we heard about this incident in the.

prosecution's opening statement, but. also when Cassie testified during her. direct, she said, quote, "I saw him Sean. bring Bana back over the railing of the. balcony and then throw her onto the. patio furniture." Then during Cassie's. cross, Esteeo, the defense council, she. shows Cassie a text message in which. Cassie indicates that she only heard. about Shawn dangling Bon off the. balcony. To which Cassie responds, "I. saw what I saw, so I don't know." Almost. two weeks of the trial go by, like.

nobody really talks about this. We don't. really hear about this anymore. And then. Bana gets called to testify. She gets up. on that stand. She's sworn in and she. testifies that Diddy dangled her over. the 17story balcony at Cassie's LA. apartment during the early morning hours. of September 26th, 2016. Now, to support. her testimony, prosecutor Smiser admits. into evidence a picture of Bana's. bruised leg, along with metadata that. shows that this picture was taken. September 26th, 2016 at 9:45 a.m. Bana. says on the stand that the photo was.

taken the day of the incident. However, Nicole West Morland gets up to do the. cross. She just starts ripping into. Bana's testimony. You guys remember her. from Don Rashard's cross, which Okay, first of all, the whole cross is not a. great look. This was considered one of. the bigger defense wins. Nicole West. Morland asks Bana about her drug usage. with Cassie at the time. Okay, you and. Cassie would do Cocoa. Puff. Yeah. Turn to the ladies and.

gentlemen of the jury and explain to us. all what Cocoa Puff is. It's when you. take a blunt blunt and you open the. blunt and you put weed in there and then. you sprinkle co in it. Okay, that was. one of your faves. favorites. Yes. How does cocoa puff make. you feel? It's like out all the weed. feelings and then a little like sharp. feeling because of the coke. She's asked. about a drug dealer. Do you remember a. drug dealer, Ray J? I don't know if.

that's his name. Do you remember a drug. dealer that you would send to Cassie. often by the name of Ray J? I don't. remember that name. Okay, so you have no. idea who Ray J is. I mean, he sounds. like that singer, but I don't think it's. him. Which later again, she's asked. about Ray J and she kind of giggles a. little bit in her testimony. She's. like, I I just don't know why he's. called that. And it's just like I don't. think I don't think it was perceived. well by anybody this entire testimony. And at one point, Nicole West Morland.

leans on the lectern and even asks. Spana, "You ever been stuck in a. Khole?" Yes. But to the more pertinent. elements of the cross, Miss Bangalon, you know that Mr. Combmes performed at. the Credential Center in Newark, New. Jersey, September 25th, 2016. True. West. Morland shows Bana a picture of Combmes. in New Jersey because remember she said. that the assault on the balcony happened. in the early morning hours of the 26th. He's performing in Newark, New Jersey on. the other side of the country September.

25th, the night before. It's a 5-hour flight. I don't know. personally, but I see what you're. showing me. And you're aware that Mr. Combmes and Cassie were in New Jersey on. September 25th, 2016. True. All right. Well, are you aware that on September. 26, Mr. Combmes and Cassie were in New. York at the Boys and Girls Harbor Salute. to Achievement Benefit? Are you aware of. that? Not aware. Are you aware that on. September 26th, Mr. Combmes was also. doing a signing at.

Macy's? Not aware. Nicole West Morland. brings up Trump Hotel receipts from. Frank Black staying in New York. Arrival. date shows September 24th and departure. date is September 29th. They are also. charging in room dining breakfast for. September 25th and 26th, the days that. Bana states that she was attacked, which. side note, he does spend $700 on. breakfast in one morning in a series of. charges, but that is like neither here. nor there. Nicole West Morland brings. this all home by asking Bana, "Ma'am, you agree that one person can't be in.

two places at the same time?" Bana is on. the stand and she just. responds in like theory, "Yeah, you're. not sure." Hard to answer that one. Miss. Bangalan, you told us, you testified. that Mr. Combmes on September 26th, 2016, came into Cassie Ventura's house, hung you over the balcony, threw you. into some furniture, and that you. sustained several injuries. That's what. you testified to the ladies and the.

gentlemen of this jury, did you not? Nicole West Morland brings up the. metadata again of the pictures of Bana's. injuries, and she stated that she took. it the same day. But if that was the. same day, September 26th, it seems like. Combmes was allegedly in New York City. Nicole West Morland is trying to bring. this home. Mr. Combmes did not cause you. the injuries that you showed us that we. saw on your phone with the metadata from. September 26th, 2016. Did he? I can't. agree with you. No. So, you gave this. photo to the government with the.

metadata showing that this picture was. taken on September 26, 2016. True? Yes. And you would agree with me that one. person cannot be in California and in. New York at the same time? My answer is. still the same. In theory, yes. Ma'am, you came in here and you lied to the. ladies and gentlemen of this jury. Isn't. that true? I can't agree with you. I. have no further questions, your honor. So, this is very important to the. mistrial. So, she is pretty much, I. guess, in the defense's eyes like.

disproving that this ever happened. They're like drawing questions of did. this happen? Did this not happen? Now, you could argue that maybe Ba remembered. incorrectly. Maybe the incident happened. a few days before, which is he might. have still been in California and then. she took the photo on a different day. and she just misremembered that. Or you. could argue that she lied. I don't know. Now, soon after this cross-examination, the government steps in and moves to. admit the evidence of text messages. between Cassie and Christina Cororm, and. it's talking about the balcony incident.

So the government is pretty much saying. in my opinion, hey, you guys just. disproved like made it seem to the jury. that this balcony incident never even. happened. Well, this text message, Cassie is talking about the balcony. incident to Christina Cororum. When did. the government submit that text message? Okay, so Bono was on the stand for 2. days. It was right before finishing up. the cross the next day. So I mean pretty. much the damage of the cross examination. was already done. I see. Yeah. And that.

was submitted and then shown to the. jury. Yes. Now the text message reads. from Cassie to Christina Cororm. Hey, I. just found out some crazy [ __ ]. Christina says, "Yeah, we're here and I. don't think I did it." This is like. irrelevant. We don't really know what. she's talking about. Cassie explains, "He came into my house while my friends. were here and we were all sleeping. They. woke me up because he was ringing the. bell crazy at 3:00 a.m. And when he came. in, I went to my room and he went to. Bana and choked her, then dangled her. feet off the balcony. This is crazy. I. have to stay away." The text message is. from September 30th, 2016. And we all.

thought that this was so weird. Like the. way that they admit this evidence to the. jurors. Bon is already off the stand. Uh-huh. And they just like have the. jurors come in and they're like, "By the. way, this is the new exhibit." And they. read it. Okay, moving on. Bring in the. next witness. It was just so random. because usually a witness is on the. stand. And then the exhibits come up. naturally throughout the the direct. examination or the cross-examination. M. it was just like okay here's like a. random text message and the jurors are. like okay I guess right okay so they.

just quickly say hey look at this it was. true by the way moving on that's kind of. the vibe I mean they don't say that but. it seemed like the vibe then the next. witness hits the stand and then nothing. happens until Saturday the weekend like. two days ago defense files a motion for. another mistrial state that the. prosecution knew that Cassie had lied. during her testimony and still allowed. it. They said that the prosecution had. this entire text message thread when.

they were doing the direct on Cassie, but they still allowed her to say that. she saw Shan Combmes dangling Bana over. the balcony. So, they're saying, "How. can you do that?" when she clearly in. this text message said she found out she. was told about the alleged incident by. another unidentified person. Nevertheless, they allowed her to. continue to insist on cross that she had. witnessed this incident with her own two. eyes and quote left the jury with the. false impression that Miss Ventura saw. Mr. Combmes dangle her friend over the. balcony and this made her fearful of him.

when in fact if there was any incident. Ventura merely heard about it afterwards. considerably lessening any probitative. value as to her state of mind. Next, the. government doubled down by presenting. pergered testimony from Banglan intended. to cooperate Ventura's false testimony. They're saying the government knew or. should have known that Bono was lying on. the stand because Mr. Combmes was not in. Los Angeles on September 26th. That's. what they're alleging in this mistrial.

motion. They say, accordingly, the court. should grant a mistrial based on. prosecutorial misconduct. So, we do have. a few theories on this. There were some. theories circulating online that perhaps. Combmes flew back to LA and then flew. back to New York and we wouldn't. necessarily be that surprised. Like he. does appear to be very dedicated to his. motivations. It's like the man can do he. wills but not will what he wills like. that kind of thing. Like he needs to do. certain things. He goes flies to LA does. the balcony comes back to New York.

orders room service. That was a small. theory online but we looked into the. concert that he had in Newark, New. Jersey. It started at 8:00 p.m. I don't. know exactly when it ended, but we do. know that the set list was massive. It's. about like 50 songs long. Wow. And he. had 10 costume changes. So presumably it. could not I mean it could have easily. gone into the midnight maybe 1:00 a.m. which to then leave, get on a flight, even a private jet to LA. That is 5. hours on a plane. than to get to. Cassie's apartment in LA, then bring.

Cassie with him to New York City for the. event on the 26th because remember she. was in New York City on the 26th. Apparently, the timing doesn't really. make sense. Which leads us to another. practical theory of perhaps the balcony. incident took place on the 24th or a few. days prior to Bana taking this picture. and she just did not remember that or. she misremembered that. So, those are. the theories we have, but we're just. going to have to wait and see regardless. of if a Yes. Okay. So, even in the text. message from Cassie back in 20 what? 16.

2016. It was September 30th, right? On. se September 30th to KK, right? She. said, "Hey, I just found out something.". Yeah. It's the the discrepancy here is. she's speaking on the stand saying that. she saw it, but instead the text message. saying she didn't see it with her own. eyes. Yes. And I think I I mean I think. the problem is maybe a lot of netizens. would perhaps be like it seems feasible. that it happened. It seems feasible that.

after a decade people don't really. remember the exact dates but the. pictures and you just don't really. forget something like that. It seems. feasible that maybe some small shifts in. the story could have occurred but it. does seem one could argue online with no. impact to the case. One could argue I. mean with his track record of things we. have seen from him perhaps it's a. feasible thing that he could do right. however I think in court it's a little. bit different in the sense of her text.

message cannot really prove that this. happened it's hearsay she doesn't even. identify who told her. So if she had. said oh um the little rabbit down the. stairs told me then they can subpoena. the rabbit and be like okay rabbit did. you see this happen? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense. You know, so it's just. like Yeah. So it's not even about you. can't take it as fact. Yeah. Do we. believe it happened? Now it's fact. It's. the fact that they have the the chain of. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So that is why they're.

filing for a mistrial. And regardless of. if a mistrial is granted, Bana's cross. might be considered one of the larger. defense wins, which by the way, this is. going to probably go up around the time. that Father Arun is going to rule on the. mistrial. So, I'm going to leave like a. pinned comment down below. But with that. being said, so if it's if the mist trial. is approved, we're going to do this all. over again. That means yeah, this is. done now. We're just going to wait a. while until to do this all over again. So, with that being said, let's get into. what a lot of people online have been.

calling the most important defense win. for the entire case. They say it's not. BA. They say it is the cross-examination. of the second victim to testify, Mia. I. don't know if this defense win is what. they think it is. I do want to note. something really quick before we get. into the rest of it. Mia's testimony. happened before the judge told Combmes. to stop nodding at the jurors and. interacting with them. And Diddy might. get kicked out and banned from attending. his own trial because he keeps.

interacting with the jury. And he says, "I was very clear this morning that. there were not to be any facial. expressions, other attempts to have any. interaction with the jury whatsoever, any influence on the jury whatsoever, and I could not have been clear in terms. of what I said." You heard me right. The. defense council says I did. Well, there. was a line of questioning where your. client was nodding vigorously and. looking at the jury. There was a. subsequent moment we had a sidebar and I. looked and I saw your client looking at. the jury and nodding vigorously during. that line of questioning. That is.

absolutely unacceptable. Is it gonna. happen again, Mr. Agnifo? He responds, "It's not going to happen again, judge.". And the judge is still like not having. it. He says, "It cannot happen again. If. it happens again, if it happens even. once, I will hear an application from. the government to give a curative. instruction to the jury, which you do. not want, or I will consider taking. further measures, which could result in. the exclusion of your client from the. courtroom, aka we're going to ban him. from the courtroom because he keeps. trying to interact with the jury." And a.

big part of the discourse online has. been about jurors reactions to Mia's. testimony. So there will be somewhat of. a focus on the observable actions of the. jurors during the testimony. But just. just because I observe someone doing. something physically with my eyeballs. First of all, I feel like eyewitness. testimony is crazy. Like there's always, you know, people saying like humans are. not the most reliable. Does that mean. I'm suddenly a mind readader because I. see someone shaking their head? I don't. know what that means. Just to give you. an idea, our researcher had really bad.

allergies in court one day. A lot of. people in the pews thought she was. crying during the testimony of another. witness, not Mia, which the testimony. was indeed very emotional, but she also. did indeed have really bad allergies. that caused her to sniffle the whole way. through. So again, everything can be. misinterpreted. Everything can have like. a different meaning and like a different. inference when truly nobody will ever. know except the person. Yeah. So I think. you are going to describe it. Yeah. And. then you going to tell us how you feel, but that's still your feeling. Yeah,

that's just my human experience inside. that courtroom, but that doesn't really. mean anything, honestly. So, with that. being said, let's get into it. Mia has. been on the stand for a day already at. this point, and the defense team is. trying so hard to get this video. admitted into evidence. It is the happy. birthday video. It's like a 20-se. secondond clip of Mia telling Shawn. Combmes happy birthday, which the judge. is trying to understand. I mean, everybody's trying to understand in the. gallery, why do you need this video to. like what what is the point of this.

video? She's just telling him happy. birthday. Like, what is the value of. this video? Is this the video that's. submitted by the public? Yes. So, they. the the defense team didn't have this. video. Yes. That it's because the social. media. Okay. So, that's where it gets a. little bit tricky. The defense at some. point they were like, "Yeah, we didn't. have this video until yesterday." And. then at another point, they're like, "No, no, no. We had this video, but we. didn't understand the importance, the. value of this video until Mia testified. So, it's kind of a little wishy-washy.

Got it. Alexandra Shapiro states, "As we. indicated, it's the defense's belief. that the aspect and demeanor of the. witness is essentially a false persona. that she's presenting to the jury. If. you watch this video, you can see that. her demeanor is night and day from what. it has been during the direct. testimony." They're saying that this. video shows a completely different Mia, which I mean I would imagine that. everyone behaves differently. Like I. think I would behave very differently. singing happy birthday to someone versus. testifying in court in a federal.

criminal case. But Mark Agnello argues. I believe that the jury may conclude. that her affect on the stand is an act. I think that's possible. I think the. jury might conclude that and this video. makes that conclusion clearer. The judge. allows the happy birthday video and. Combmes has started to get a little bit. more comfortable in the courtroom. I. feel like he used to be a little bit. more reserved in his mannerisms in the. beginning. I mean, clearly the judge is. sick of his interactions with the jury, but there are other things. He started.

doing this thing whenever he's leaning. back in his chair. It like he he'll lean. forward to grab a postit. He'll lunge. himself forward right on the postit on. the table. And then he when he sits. back, so his back is on the back of the. chair again, he just falls back. He just. uses gravity as if using his core. strength is not even worth the effort. He seems rather relaxed for Mia's. testimony days. Even the very first day, he seems ready. When Mia walks in, Combmes is again looking straight ahead. while Christian Combmes, his son, is.

putting his armor on Janice Combmes, his. grandma. Mia is walking in dressed in a. blazer. And when she walks in, she does. not look at anyone in the pews, which I. mean, a lot of the witnesses don't, but. this one's like a little different. She. does not look at anyone in the pews at. all because she's just staring at the. ground. Like, she's staring at her. hands. And as she's walking to the. witness stand, you can see her playing. with her thumbs. Like, she's rubbing her. two thumbs together, and she walks.

straight forward. I think the only time. she might even glance up just a little. bit is to make sure that she doesn't run. straight into the lectern. Her shoulders. are so scrunched up. It looks like she's. kind of shrugging the entire time. And. her on the stand, she has a very. particular demeanor. I think it's one. that we haven't seen so far in this. trial. She is constantly looking down. She rarely makes eye contact, at least. for the direct testimony. It appears she. has like a little puff ball in her. hands, like the type of puff ball that. you might have at the end of a keychain.

and she's kind of fiddling with it in. her lap. She barely looks up and when. she does look up at the prosecutor, it's. like a glance and then she quickly looks. away. So, like I was saying, a lot of. the other witnesses like Cassie, she. would kind of almost look to the. prosecutor for comfort, ease perhaps, because I'm sure, you know, they're a. little more familiar with each other and. she'll smile and the prosecutor will. smile back. Not Mia. like she will. glance up and then she'll quickly look. away as if the eye contact is making her. very uncomfortable. She seems skittish.

She also [ __ ] her head a lot from side. to side when she responds. The best way. to describe it is it almost appears like. she is painting her nails and she's like. trying to get the sides perfectly. painted. So, she's kind of tilting her. head whilst she's maintaining a. conversation with the prosecutor. Now, obviously that's not what she's. doing. She's not doing any of that in. her lap, but that's just giving you a. visual. Her posture on the stand is a little.

slouched. It's not crazy hunched over, but it feels like she's kind of folding. in and she has these face framing. curtain bangs. She just lets it hide her. face. And when she does talk, she speaks. very quietly. The members of the press, I would say like half of our pew at one. point, they're all leaning forward just. trying to listen. Every time someone on. the squeaky little folding chairs on the. side, everybody's holding their breaths. Like she is that quiet. And she has this.

demeanor that she's very flighty. I. don't know how to how to describe it in. a way that doesn't make it seem less. serious, but it just feels like she. could flee at any moment. Like her head. will flicker at like the slightest. movement and word, and then she'll very. quickly go back to looking downwards. when waiting for questions. She'll like. glance at the ceiling. She'll glance at. the jurors. She'll glance at the. prosecutor and then she'll quickly look. down. She just seems really intimidated. Almost kind of kind of reminiscent of a. deer in headlights. And again, I'm not.

trying to make this analogy so that I. can diminish any of like the severity of. this entire case, but just just so you. get the visual. Mhm. When she starts her. testimony, Combmes has his head also. cocked all the way to the left and he's. just staring at her and she does not. look back like ever. Mia is a former. assistant that worked with Shawn Combmes. from 2009 to 2017. Mia explains that. while working for Combmes, she was not. only getting overworked, but he was just. so violent. What are some of the violent. things that Mr. Combmes has done to you?

He's thrown things at me. He's thrown me. against the wall. He's thrown me into a. pool. He's thrown an ice bucket on my. head. He's slammed my arm into a door. He has also sexually assaulted me. Did. Mr. Combs assault you on one occasion or. more than one occasion? More than one. Combmes shakes his head no ever so. slightly. At one point, his elbows are. slightly bent and it almost looks like. he's gripping the chair. And this is how. Mia's testimony begins. Mia starts off. by explaining that the very first.

interview that she had to even get this. job as a personal assistant, the head of. human resources, Vasha, escorts her to. Shan Cones's apartment. He opens the. door and he's just like in his. underwear. Vasha introduces Mia and then. leaves. Combmes eventually does indeed. put on clothes and Mia does indeed ends. up getting the job. And she's just so. excited. She says, "I was so excited and. just I was so excited, so nervous, but. and just really eager and excited, I. guess." To which again, he shakes his. head no. But Mia explains her job duties.

on the stand. She said, "Protect him at. all costs, his privacy, etc. Stay. attached to his Blackberry 24/7. Stay. within his eyesight unless he advises. otherwise. always while on duty, listening, asking, hearing, prioritizing, and translating. situations. She states that she has to. make sure everything was good for. Combmes from the moment that he wakes up. until the moment he falls asleep, anticipating his needs, whims, and. moods. She said, "Every single day was. different. He could ask you to do 17,000. things at one time that range from.

cracking his knuckles." What? Yeah. Like. he wants you to crack his knuckles to. writing his next movie to doing his. taxes. He can also just have you. standing next to him for 22 hours and. not ask you for one thing. Which, side. note, at this point Combmes is leaning. all the way back in his chair. His left. hand is propped up and he's stroking his. chin and he looks back at the clock. multiple times and like all we can say. is I don't really think you have any. other places to be. So, I don't really. know why the time is so important to. you. And all of this would take all of.

Mia's day. That's what she's explaining. She would go 5 days without sleep. sometimes because her job as a personal. assistant, she said it got so bad. She. would finally get some sleep because. quote, "I had like a physical and I. guess like I had like a physical. breakdown." Like I remember just like my. hearing went like it felt like I was. underwater and my equilibrium was off. and I started like not seeing things but. like blurred vision or like lights that. weren't there. And then out of nowhere, like I didn't mean to, but I burst into. tears, hysterical, and like I couldn't.

stop crying. Which again, this sounds. reminiscent of the other three former. workers, David James, George Kaplan, Capricorn, Clark, they all testified. they were so overworked. Mia's only. getting paid like $50,000 base. Wow. Not. sleeping for 5 days. Mia says if she. does not do her job well, quote, I guess. there's a various ways of punishment. It. was a lot of just getting cursed out, humiliated, bered, but also my. intelligence insulted and my job. threatened quite a bit. Interestingly. enough, Combmes at this exact moment. glances at the jurors and it looks like.

he does a very dramatic side. like that's what it looks like. I mean, it could just be coincidental. Mhm. And. then he looks back towards the front. I. don't know if he's just got seasonal. allergies as well. That could be. entirely true. Also, whilst Mia is just. up there on the stand, Combmes is. looking over his shoulder and smiling at. his three sons who are sitting behind. him in the pews. And it's kind of like a. like a small thin smile that could be. interpreted to me as like a smirk. And.

sure, I don't think that there's ever a. great time to smile at your kids during. the midst of your own criminal trial, but I just felt like the timing could. have been like a wee bit better. At a. high level, he treated me like sometimes. he treated me like his best friend, his. working partner. Sometimes he treated me. like a worthless piece of crap. At one. point, Combmes even rolls his neck and. [ __ ] his head to the right. Kind of. like a very. lazy. He would humiliate me. He would. curse at me. He would go on like really. long extended rants about how.

incompetent and stupid I was. Yeah. Just. threaten my job. Just would he do. anything to you physically? Yeah, he's. thrown things at me once he threw like a. bowl of spaghetti at me. Turkey meat, a. phone, a computer. The bowl of spaghetti. incident happens around 3:00 a.m. Sean. combs Mia and a bunch of other people. had come back home from like a club. appearance. There's like 40 other. people. He tells Mia to go to IHOP right. now, but she starts walking towards the. room in his house that she's supposed to.

stay in. And why were you going to your. room? because we had been out since like. 8:00 in the morning, like go go go and I. was next to him and barely got a break. And I was on my period and I needed to. change my tampon immediately. But this. is pissing off combs. He tells her quote. like, "Yo girl, I didn't tell you like. when I told you to go to IHOP, I meant. like now. I didn't tell you you could go. to your room yet." And I tried to say. something and he just like it made him. more like aggressive and louder and. going on sort of a really humiliating.

rant in front of everyone. And what did. you try to say to him? Well, after it. went on for so long, there was there was. literally blood dripping down my leg. And I finally just said, "I just have to. change my tampon. I have blood dripping. down my leg." And how did Mr. Combmes. react to that? He immediately like had a. bowl of spaghetti in his hand. And he. immediately like threw it like threw it. at me aggressively and started cursing. me out and telling me like, "I better. get the out of his house." and started.

and then he chased me outside. Did the. bull hit you? No. Combs just like a. small shake of his head. Mia explains. another time they were on a movie set. and they had just gotten there to the. trailer. The Wi-Fi is not working. Mia. says, "So I ran to go find the. production assistant and just let them. know and see if they're fixing the. situation." And they were. She goes back. to the trailer. I was trying to. regurgitate. I was trying to tell him. what the production assistant had told. me that they're working on it, but he. didn't let me finish. He cut me off, started screaming at me. I shouldn't.

come back here until I figured out the. Wi-Fi myself. Something about I don't. care if you have to call Bill Gates. And. then chuck the computer at my head. Did. the computer hit you? No. At this point, one of Combmes's besties in the pews. shakes his head. No. It's like kind of a. dramatic no that I couldn't really. interpret it as anything else. It's like. this. And it could be him shaking off an. intrusive thought about something. completely unrelated. Or it could be him. upset and thinking, "No, this can't be.

true. That's not the Sean I know." Or it. could be like, "Why are you complaining? It didn't even hit you. I don't know. which one." It could be nothing. He. could be talking to himself. And how did. you feel when Mr. combs through things. at you, terrified and so humiliated and. so confused. She ends up sobbing a. little bit and like kind of her voice. starts breaking down like what did I do. so wrong that something is wrong with me. that I would make him so upset. Mia also. states that one time he slammed the door. on her arm. She says quote and at first.

I thought it was an accident but then he. did it multiple times more. So yeah. And. how heavy was the door? It was like a. commercial building so it was pretty. heavy. Yeah, at first I thought like. there's no way this isn't going to be. broken, but I just had bruises. As Mia. is telling the story, there will be. times where she starts looking downwards. and her voice just gets smaller and. smaller. She kind of starts trailing off. like she's getting lost in her own. thoughts or perhaps mumbling a little. bit, which and my perception could be. wrong, but at one point Combmes looks at.

Mark Agnilo and the look to me looks. like I can't even hear her. Like what is. she say? Like what what is she saying? M. there's a lot of parallels in Mia's. testimony that we've been hearing from. others like hotel nights. Mia too. testifies that she had to set up hotel. rooms and she had to take care of quote. all his lotions and potions like baby. oil, astroglide and condoms and a. mixture of cheap and expensive candles. And when Combmes was done with the hotel. room, she would have to go and clean it. up and she called it a nightmare. What. do you mean when you say a nightmare? Just they were really destroyed, really.

messy. I saw a lot of candle wax. everywhere that was just impossible to. get out. There would be lots of wet. towels everywhere. I've seen broken. glass, water all over the floor, sometimes blood, oil all over, you know, furniture and walls and things like. that. You mentioned blood. What, if. anything, did Mr. Combmes tell you about. the source of the blood, that it was. period blood. Mia states that she also. took drugs a few times with Mr. Combmes. She states that one time they were all. at Burning Man, which is like a. festival. Mia says he had put all the.

blackout shades up and like put the. disco lights on and pulled out three. plates and there was white powder on. each plate and it was presented as some. sort of game. He said one was Molly, one. was cocaine and one was ketamine and. people were taking turns going up I. guess playing the game, the guessing. game. She said she tried to nicely tell. him no, I don't want any. But quote, "His tone started to change like I was. going to mess up the whole vibe and he. was monitoring because I tried to fake. it. I I tried to fake snort it and he. got up close to my face and was upset. that I tried to I guess fake it. And how.

did Mr. Combmes react to that? He was. humiliating me and then going he was. just going to separate basically monitor. and separate the amount that I needed to. take. What did you do? I did, but then. when I got away from him for a minute, I. tried to blow a lot of it out of my nose. because I was so scared of the ketamine. watching what it did to others. Mia. asked, "When you were working with Mr. Combmes and you were around Mr. Combs. and Cassie, what if any kinds of. violence did you yourself see? Which, side note, Mio was close with Cassie.

when she was working for Combmes, and. even to this day, she's close friends. with Cassie. She responds, I've seen him. attack her. I've seen him throw her on. the ground. I've seen him crack like her. head open. I've seen him chase her. Things like that. She says one time she. heard scraping, just like thuds coming. from the second floor outside. She sees. she looks outside the window, sees. Cassie hiding behind a bush. Quote, she. looked at me with the most terrified.

look in her eye and was kind of like. waving her hands like don't look. Essentially, like she doesn't want. anyone to know she's hiding here. At. this point, Christian Combmes, leans to. the right so that he seemingly can get. an unobstructed view of Mia. And it just. feels like the entire family is very. engaged and absorbed, at least in the. beginning portion, and they are staring. right at her, which makes sense. You do. want to look at the people who are. talking, but it it could probably also. make things feel a lot more. intimidating. In one part of Mia's. testimony, she's explaining how they.

were all in Turks and Caos once. Cassie. comes screaming into her room saying. that Combmes is going to kill her. She's. screaming for her life. They end up. fleeing out of the resort, running away, to which Mia has these very specific. memories of, "I just remember we were. running like so fast down the beach.". And I remember being shocked at the fact. that we could still be attacked by. mosquitoes as we were running. Which to. the story, Combmes is shaking his head. no and lets out what I feel is an. animatedly large sigh. He rolls his neck.

back and then he just looks around. But. Mia continues that comb starts chasing. after them after them on the beach. He's. running back and forth on the beach. They end up waiting into the water on. these paddle boards and then all of a. sudden a storm approaches and they start. freaking out. Mia said, "I was thinking. I was trying to weigh if it was scarier. to face Mother Nature or to go back to. Puff." What did you end up doing? We. eventually went back to Puff. It just. took a long time. Eventually, the direct.

testimony leads to the more serious. allegations of essay. Over what period. of time did the sexual assaults occur? Over I'm not sure of the years, but they. were sporadic. Mia says Cassie was never. there when it happened and Mia never. told her about any of it. Where were you. the first time you remember Mr. Combmes. as saying you at the Plaza Hotel in New. York for his 40th birthday? Mia says it. was Combmes's 40th birthday. She's. working while he's hosting his party at.

this massive hotel. She had just gotten. the job a few months ago and now she's. running upstairs to the penthouse, running back to the main party in the. hotel downstairs. She says she's. supposed to stay with an eyesight and. earshot. So, she's presumably very busy. that night. At some point, she says. Combmes is like, "Let's talk in the. kitchen of the penthouse." He has. everybody leave. And she says once they. were alone, quote, he was saying that he. noticed what a good job I was doing and. that I didn't have to be nervous or. scared to come to him because at the.

time I was just going through Malcolm, the other assistant, to ask questions or. I wasn't really like going directly to. Puff. And he was saying that he had. noticed and I was doing a great job and. sort of like we were going to be working. closer together, so we should um you. know, things like that. Then he poured. us shots of vodka to cheers for his. birthday. She says that she just. remembers these two shots hitting her. really hard which was confusing to her. because I mean she wondered did I not. eat enough? Like what's going on. afterwards? Quote, "He was just talking.

and I just remember my back I was like. standing against the wall and I just. remember he was talking and all of a. sudden his face got closer. I remember. my eyes couldn't focus on his face. because it was so close and I didn't. really know what was happening. He put. his arm next to my head up against the. wall and leaned in to kiss me and put. his other hand up the side of my dress. She did not consent to kissing him and. she did not want to kiss him. She says, "My next memory is I just remember being. on a chair like in the main room in the. penthouse and like coming to the chair.

and the sun was coming up. She was. clothed and she doesn't really know what. happened." As she's sharing this part of. the testimony, Combmes is like full. businessman posture. He's leaned back. His right elbow is on the armrest. He's. got his thumb on his cheek and his index. finger like curved over his mouth. She. says, "He was my boss. He was a very. powerful person. He was to me like he's. younger than my dad, but I looked at him. like an older like adult. He was the.

boss or the king, like very powerful. person.". Mia starts putting her hand on her chest. at this point and it looks to me to be a. self soothing action. I mean, she might. have heartburn, but it feels like. sometimes when I get anxious, I like rub. my chest up and down. It feel it that's. what it reminded me of. I thought it. would never happen again. I thought, "Oh. my gosh, he's so drunk and I will never. tell anybody." it was probably like a. huge accident and I was sort of like. confidentiality and I just kind of I.

didn't want I thought that he would have. never remembered that and that it was a. huge accident and I was never going to. have I was just going to act like. nothing happened. The more damning part. of the testimony, Mia recounts a time. where she's staying at the Beverly Grove. home, the mansion in LA. Not this one. that was raided, but a previous one. The. room I was staying in was upstairs and. it was it had bunk beds. So, I was. asleep on the bottom bunk bed. She's not. allowed to lock doors, though. Earlier. in the testimony, she stated because. Puff said like, "This is my house. No.

one locks my doors." That's so like my. room was essentially not really, you. know, that was just a place I was. staying in. It was still his house. So, the door is unlocked. She wakes up. feeling quote the weight of a person on. top of me. And during this part of the. testimony, Combmes is like very subtly. shaking his head no. He's grabbing. postits. He's furiously writing. Meanwhile, Mia's friends, a few of them, they're in the row right in front of us. A few of them are dabbing their eyes. Some of them are just like letting tears. fall. Some of them are staring down.

Combmes's family on the other side of. the. courtroom. Yeah. Who was on top of you, Puff? Mia says she just remembers. And. when she describes the. assaults, it's in like almost in slow. motion. I think she has a hard time. articulating what's happening. And so. she does ramble a bit. She does trail. off a bit and sometimes she just has a. hard time even just getting the words.

out. And so when she's responding, she. will say the next step of the assault, but it takes a very long time in the. courtroom. So, it's almost like. everybody is sitting there and we know. where this is going and like we can see. how hard it's affecting her on the stand. to articulate it. M she'll say things. like I. remember I remember it was sort of like. him telling you. that.

somehow be. quiet and. using this just happened so. fast using like one hand to get I guess. his hands or whatever off so like she'll. trail off she further states that Shawn. Combmes put. his he assaulted her, but she uses like. the more um I guess stepbystep terms, like more medical terms. How did you.

react when that happened? I just froze. I didn't react. She is very incredible. on the stand. She's breathing like. heaving breaths into the mic. She said. that she felt terrified, confused, ashamed, and scared. She didn't want. this. And the assault was quote, "It was. very quick, but it felt like forever. How did it end? I don't remember. But I. knew that he didn't that he didn't like. leaving the job unfinished. He wouldn't. leave a job unfinished. Yeah. Whenever. he was done or satisfied or got what he.

want? Basically saying like he's not the. type to never leave a job unfinished. Is. that when it would end? Yes. It's a very. devastating moment in the courtroom. And. at this point, it just feels like it. feels like the air is heavy. M many of. the jurors have even paused on taking. notes. They're just listening to Mia. Mia is asked about another incident in. Combmes's closet and she says, "I wasn't. paying attention. It was going so fast. But the next thing I look up and he was. like standing right in front of me in.

front of my face. He had his private. parts out and he like grabbed my head. and put it in there." And she like. shakes her head as she's telling what. happened. kind of like she's trying not. to think about it or visualize it or. shake away the memory. She's just. shaking her head and then she's looking. down. She's wiping tears from her face. A few members of the jury, they do look. over at Combmes perhaps to see his. reaction, perhaps just to get a look in. that general area. So, Mr. Combmes took.

his penis out. Is that right? Yes. So, that's just an idea of like how graphic. the testimony does indeed get. Mia. states she was forced to perform oral. actions on him. How did you react when. that happened? I just froze and I didn't. do anything. I just let it happen. It. made her feel quote like trash and. scared and ashamed and defeated and like. an idiot. Mia, other than what we have. described so far, were there any other. times in which Mr. Combmes sexually. assaulted you? Yes. Sitting here today,

do you remember the details of those. assaults? No. What generally do you. remember? I just remember like a feeling. like a specific horrible dark feeling in. my stomach that I would get surrounding. certain places, but I don't remember. Can you describe an example of a memory. you kind of have with that dark feeling? I remember one time we were flying on a. private jet and everybody was asleep. Our team was asleep and in the back. between the main area and the bathroom,

there was a separate place where there. was a bed that he would get to sleep. And it was normal. if you had to go to. the bathroom, you just walk through. there. And it was like, yeah, everyone. was asleep. I went to the bathroom and I. remember when I opened the door that he. was standing right there and basically. trying to push me back inside, which I. don't remember what happened. Do you. remember getting pushed back into the. bathroom? Yeah. I remember trying to. like kind of squiggle out of there like, "No, no, no, no, no." I would always in. order to get out of things if I ever. could, I would make it about other. people that could potentially hear or.

see whatever. I remember being like, "No, no, no.". It didn't. work. I just remember feeling like. helpless and like I have lost some layer. of protection and just so unsafe and. just. terrified. Mia, was there ever a time in. which you initiated sexual contact with. Mr. Combmes? No. No. Were you able to. predict when the essays would happen? Never. Never. The They were so random. They were sporadic. it would go so oddly.

spaced out where I would never think. that it would happen again. And the way. that our dynamic was, I was constantly. there, like there were no boundaries. So, it wasn't it wasn't weird for me to. be in his room at all hours of the night. or waking him up or talking to him while. he's on the toilet. And it never. happened in situations like that or like. during a party. It just. No. After an assault, what was your. expectation about whether Mr. Combmes. would ever engage in sexual contact with. you again. I always thought like that.

was the last time and the next time I. would if there ever was a next time I. would somehow be more prepared. You have. now described several times in which he. hasly assaulted you. Just to be very. clear during any of these incidents, did. you want to engage in sexual acts with. Mr. Combmes? No. Did you actually tell. him no? No. I only tried to squiggle out. of them if I could, but otherwise no. Why didn't you tell him no? because I. couldn't tell him no. I couldn't tell. him no about a sandwich. I couldn't tell. him no about anything. There was no way. I could tell him no because then he.

would know that I thought what he was. doing was wrong and then I would be a. target. Combmes lightly shakes his head. no, then rest his right cheek on his. right knuckle, which is not something I. see quite frequently. Meanwhile, the. jurors, a lot of their bodies are. physically pointed towards Mia at this. point. What were you afraid would happen. if you told Mr. Combmes no with regard. to sex? that he would fire me and ruin. my future and somehow twist the story. into making me look like a threat. Why. were you afraid of those things? Because.

I knew his power and I knew his control. over me and I didn't want to lose. everything that I worked so hard for. like for this world that that was the. only thing that I had. anymore. Mia says that Combmes would. threaten her with the essay incidents. He threatened that he was going to tell. everybody and he was going to telecast. as though I had something to do with it. As if you had something to do with it. Yes. How did that make you feel when you. threatened to tell everyone? Desperate. and terrified and like the worst. scariest situation. I would have done.

like anything to not have it happen. It. was like it was my fault. Mia, when Mr. Combmes was essaying you, did you tell. anyone about it? No. Why not? I was. going to die with this. I didn't want. anyone to know ever. She says the first. time she told anyone about the essay was. within the past year and a half. without. getting into any discussions that you. had with your lawyer. Why are you. talking about the essays today? Because. I have to tell the truth, the whole. truth, and nothing but the truth. And. also, I now have a moral obligation.

because when you're scared into silence, these things continue to happen to. others. Objection, Miss Meiser. Again, another question. Do you want to be. talking about the essays today, Mia? Absolutely not. Why not, Mia? Because it. is the most traumatizing. It's the worst. thing and the most shameful thing that. has ever happened to me. The first day. of direct examination ends around the. time of the conversation of the essays, which could potentially be intentional. So, the jurors can go home and that's.

the last thing that they remember and. they sit with the weight of this. testimony all night long until they're. back in court again the next day. Regardless, as the jurors are dismissed. for the day, this was kind of strange, or at least I perceived it as strange. Combmes jumps up out of his chair before. the judge is even fully dismissing them. because the judge has his like don't. talk to anyone about the case. If you. see it on TV, turn it off. Don't go on. social media. Don't look up anything. about this case. Like he has these juror. instructions. As he's talking the jurors. are still in their seats. Combmes like. jumps. up and he's standing and he starts.

stretching his chest in the air which. was just such an odd series of. movements. It was just so odd. Once the. jurors are out of the room, he's the. first to sit back down and everyone in. the courtroom is still standing because. usually we're all waiting for Father. Arun to be like, "Please be seated." So. then he glances around, notices. everybody's still standing up. So then. he hops back up and it's just like a. really weird series of movements. I don't know if that indicates. nervousness. I don't know because like I. think nervousness is not indication of.

guilt. It's just would you not be. nervous if you were a defendant? Does it. indicate he's excited for the cross? Not. excited, but he's very confident for the. cross. Like, I don't know what it. indicates. Maybe he's very confident for. the cross, which Brian Steel will be. doing the cross- examination. We were so. shocked by that. Everyone wholeheartedly. thought one of the female attorneys. would have done the cross- examination, but no, Brian Steel, and I will say to. his credit, normally Brian Steel is a. very charismatic attorney. There's. really no other way to put it. Does that.

mean that everything he says is. agreeable or that he makes solid points. or that we should like whoever he. defends or even like him? No. But there. are certain people where the charisma. and regardless, it's hard not to feel. some of their likability when you spend. 8 hours looking at them. So, it it's. another thing if I'm not in the. courtroom, I could just be like, "Oh, well, I wouldn't defend someone like. this." is where you could have all these. different opinions about these defense. attorneys, but when you're forced to.

stare at them for 8 hours a week, it's. hard to not at least see some of their. liability. Yeah. Yeah. Even when he. talks to the judge, he's overly formal. I wanted to alert this honorable court. He has a strong southern gentleman. flare. When he describes not seeing eye. to eye with the prosecutor, he tells the. judge, "The honorable prosecutor and I. have a disagreement." I mean, this man. just lays it on thick. He's also kind of. a gramps which works in his favor. He. calls the VMAs the Vimas. During a. sidebar, the judge is asking him, "You.

understand the objection, Mr. Steel?". Not 100%, but I'm sure I will, your. honor. Like, what does that even mean? This is a good man, and I get to show. the truth about that song. Your honor, I'm I'm not begging. I am respectfully. requesting, please permit me to try this. case so the man has an opportunity to. get the truth out. It has been. maligned. But it's just like when you're. in that courtroom and I wonder if it has.

the same effect on the jurors. It's very. difficult to hate the defense team. For. example, we run into Xavier Donaldson. all the time near the bathrooms. And. like I don't think he's seen our videos. because that would be very awkward if he. has. But he is very kind, very. courteous, honestly charismatic. Like he. is always smiling. And I will say that. some people did have very strong. opinions about the defense team after. this cross-examination though after. Brian Steel. Yes. Okay.

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pound529 from your cell phone. That's. fthepeople.com/rotten or pound. law529 from yourself. This is a paid. advertisement. Brian Steel starts his. cross by asking because of Shawn. Combmes, you suffer a great deal. Yes. And then after confirming Mia's story. and trauma through a series of questions. such as because that's the trauma that. you've carried since meeting with.

working with Shan Combmes, right? And he. made you you told the jury in front of. this honorable court do things that are. unthinkable. Is that fair to say? And. that includes sleeping in a room without. a lock, right? Coming into that room and. violating you in the most unthinkable. manner. True. And then pretty much. immediately afterwards, Brian Steel. starts admitting a ton of exhibits, mainly social media posts from Mia's. personal accounts, one from January. 30th, 2013. It's a picture of Mia with. SAC bottles and the caption is what we. do when you're not around. I am Diddy #.

Sarak. Which I think the point of this. is just to ease us into the exhibits. because the next one is a picture of. Cassie and Mia with bracelets. Then. another one from October 2nd, 2013. It's. Mia and Combs at a coffee shop. The. caption reads, "Just the number one guy. on the Forbes list getting me a vanilla. latte. No big deal. Regular people at I. am Diddy # Starbucks. On your personal. account, you post a picture of Mr. Combmes." Yes. The person who terrorizes. you. Fair. Yes. Then the.

cross-examination questioning pace picks. up. The jurors, a lot of them just look. like they're at the US Opens. It's like. a tennis match just bouncing back and. forth between Brian Steel and Mia. Look. at the next one which is an evidence. 1705. Now this date is November 4th, 2013, right? Yes. And November 4th, 2013. is a memorable date in your life. True. In his life or in my life? I guess both. It's his birthday. Brian Steel has Mia. read what she posted. Last nonbday shout.

out to my mentor at IMD. Thank you for. always letting me give birth to my. dreams. The accompanying picture is of. Mia in a hospital gown and Combmes is. delivering a fake baby from Mia's. hospital gown. It's for a video shoot, but Brian Steel asks, "And you have here. that you posted on your personal. account, your rapist delivering the. baby, right?" Which I think the Rword. throws her off. I mean, I don't know. I. just know that it kind of threw me off. It came out of nowhere. A juror looks up. through their lashes at Combmes whilst.

taking notes, which I guess if I were a. juror, I would want to see everyone's. reactions as well. Mia kind of starts. stuttering. This was a comedy video. shoot so that I didn't write. And this. was but the fra the phrasing. Could. Could you ask me the question again? I'm. sorry. You chose to post this to your. personal account, right? And it's the. image of Mr. Combmes being a doctor and. delivering a child. Your child. True. The character. Yes. It's a funny. video that I was proud that Andy Samberg.

directed. So I was proud that I was in a. funny video. A few of the jurors have. their eyebrows crinkled together like. kind of like scrunched up faces almost. like they're wincing but not as. dramatically. It's kind of like. um like kind of a little bit like this. And what's interesting is when you're. watching the jurors, you really don't. know what they're thinking in the sense. of they could be reacting to Brian. Steele's line of questioning and his. usage of the Rword. They could be. wincing at the photograph, the exhibit. They could be wincing at Mia's response.

to it. It's just hard to say and maybe. each juror has a different reaction for. that witz, but she's asked and you. wrote, "Thank you for always letting me. give birth to my dreams, right?" Yes. Then another social media post. There's. like 90 trillion of them in this. cross-examination. One particular photo. is of the two of them wearing costumes. in what looks like a trailer. It clearly. looks like they're doing something for. work. And Combmes is posing whilst kind. of holding his private parts through his. pants. I feel like that's a pose that.

you might see on Instagram from a lot of. guys. I don't know, but like I imagine. that would be something. And Brian Steel. has her read the caption. Happy. anniversary to your birthday last year. Since this year, you've changed your. birthday date on some real puff daddy. [ __ ] Thank you for constantly inspiring. me and giving me an extended family for. life. You are forever one of my greatest. friends. Thank you also for being funny. because you'reing funny. Like really, really, really funny. I love you at I am. Diddy. And you post this image of you in. what I'll call a tutu. Is that correct?

Correct. You're next to Mr. Combmes, right? Yes. Right. The person who. terrorizes you, right? Yes. And he's. holding, it looks like, and please. correct me, his private parts in his. hands, if that's what you see, I guess. so. And this is what image you picked. out, right, Mia? Yeah. And you put this. on your page, right? Yes. Your friends. get to see it who are on social media. with you, right? Yes. Your family gets.

to see it who are on social media with. you, right? My family. Some of my. family. Yeah. And you are proud of Mr. Sean Combmes. That's why you wrote this, right? No, I wrote this because. Instagram was a place to show how great. your life was, even if it's not true. And because I had his fans following me. as well as his official Diddy fan site. And I also didn't want my family and. friends to know the misery I was in. So, of course, you post the great times. The. highs were highs and the lows were low. and he also saw my Instagram. You chose.

to write, "Thank you for constantly. inspiring me and giving me an extended. family for life." exclamation point. You. are forever one of my greatest friends. That's what you wrote to the man who. traumatized you, right? Yes. And it's just non-stop. photos and captions. Brian Steel asks, "In any of these postings so far, or any. of your postings, do you ever ever say. anything that you can bring forth here. that Mr. Combmes violated you?" Never.

You were in fear of Shawn Combmes every. day. Is that true? On the days that he. would he was calling me his best friend. and treating me like that, I I wasn't in. fear of him. You weren't in fear of the. man who took your. innocence, which like I think some. people had some issue with that wording. Yeah. Oh, I wasn't in. fear. Yeah, I was in fear anytime Puff. was not happy. Yes. Because I wanted to. make sure he was because then I knew I.

was safe. Then more social media posts, mainly pictures of Mia posting on Shawn. Combmes's birthday. And after each. exhibit is shown and not each but very. often Brian Steele would ask her. something along the lines or some. variation of that's again November 4th. 2015 right the anniversary 6 years later. of you starting with Mr. Combmes and he. supposedly sexually assaulted you. God. forbid, right? It wasn't the anniversary of when. I start but again I didn't recognize.

that date as a celebration. Can I ask. you a question if I interrupted you? Go. ahead. No. When you say that you did not. recognize Mr. Combmes's birthday of. November 4th of every year as. significant that he supposedly drugged. you and simply assaulted you, how did. you not put that together? because she. had said that the assault took place on. her his 40th birthday. How is that not a significant date in. your mind? Please explain that to the. ladies and gentlemen of this jury. It. was Puff's birthday. This is what the.

date was and I tried to forget that. night and shoved it down. I never wanted. to think about it again. I know it was. Puff's birthday. Then another post, Brian Steel has her read out loud, "Puff. Daddy, noun, a larger than-l life. cultural phenomenon known for his. world-changing legacies and inability to. tolerate [ __ ] assness. Also see legend, king, swag, rapper, actor, entrepreneur, cheesecake lover, bad boy for life, my. friend, heart emoji. 46 years ago, an. extraterrestrial was born. Happy.

birthday, Puff Daddy. Thank you for. showing me the path to Pluto and beyond. I love you, heart, heart, heart." When. you wrote that on your personal social. media account, you just put aside the. fact that you tell the story that you. have been sexually abused by Mr. Combmes. Absolutely. You just put aside. the fact that you saw Mr. Combmes. abused, supposedly abuse your best. friend, Miss Ventura. Yes. You put aside. the fact that Mr. Combmes made you go. sleepless for 5 days where you got. physically ill. Yes. You put aside the. fact that Mr. Combmes made you not use.

the bathroom while on your time of the. month where you bled out. Yes. You put. aside the fact that Mr. Combmes comes. into your bedroom, gets on top of you, and does the unthinkable according to. you. Yes. You put aside the fact that. you live in terror because of Mr. Combmes. Yes. And November 4th, 2016, the jurors will remember it's the day. that you remember as Mr. Combmes's. birthday. Nothing else attached. Right. Now that you bring it up, I. remember it. But I was always, it was.

Puff's birthday to me. and Puff's. birthday to you also included you being. sexually assaulted, right? It was not. I. didn't associate the two until you. brought that up today. Read what you. wrote. So, he brings up another post and. he's like, "Read what you wrote. Happy. birthday, Puff Daddy. Thank you for the. birthday dinner and a movie night. You're the coolest alien rockstar. unicorn pizza slice and we [ __ ] love. you." Emojis. Did you feel that way when. you were writing this? Did I feel like. happy birthday, Puff, thanks for the.

birthday dinner? Yeah. I mean during. this post, how about you are the coolest. alien rockstar and unicorn and pizza. slice and we effing love with multiple. V's you with two exclamation points. I. did do a little bit of I did believe. that he was the coolest alien rockstar. unicorn. I was just trying to compliment. him in a unique way. So the whole time. he's arguing, here are your social media. just praising, loving, showing all of.

these things about Diddy, which to me. sounds very expected. That's what I. would expect for her to post for 10. years working under Diddy. I don't think. this means anything whatsoever. Yeah, he's arguing otherwise. Like, why would. you even say that on social media? Now, what does the jurors and everyone in the. courtroom feeling looking at this? Is he. making sense to everyone? I have no clue. what they're feeling. Of course, I can. only see what I can observe with my. eyes. Right. It's interesting because a.

lot of people in the courtroom, not the. jurors, but people from the public, the. gallery, I have seen some of their. online posts and I think a lot of people. have sympathy for Mia, but they also. think that Brian Steel did what he. needed to do in this cross. And I can. see how they feel that way because when. I look at the jurors, it does kind of to. me feel like maybe Brian Steel is making. some points with them. Did I feel like. I'm sitting there in the pews like, "Oh,

he's making so many points." Mhm. No. So, you're saying some people does agree. with his logic? Uh, again, not in the. jurors. I don't know cuz I can't like. really tell you how the jurors think. I. know that some people in the public. agree with his logic. Some people in the. courtroom, some people in the overflow. rooms, they agree with his logic. They. think he ate this cross. They think this. is one of the biggest defense wins. Like. they needed this win. But I'm saying. like even thus far, like this whole. social media thing, they're like, "Oh, yeah, that's correct. Why would you ever.

say that?" Yeah, that is so weird. I. that's that so far. I mean, that's what. I would expect her to post on social. media, especially 10 years working under. someone like him. Like, what else do you. expect her to post? Yeah. And I also. another thing I don't think any of these. captions are particularly intimate or. emotional. It's like you're my greatest. inspiration and mentor in life. It's. like okay one thing I will say that when. you are sitting in that courtroom there. is something about stimulation because.

you are sitting there for 8 hours a day. and you are listening to people talk and. I think this is. about oh my goodness it's probably what. like 20 hours condensed into this one. video but when you're sitting there for. 20 hours different witnesses have. different cadences different modes of. speaking different attorneys have either. either very. highpaced, very high stakes crosses or. they're like going in circles and you're.

just like what's happening right now? And even though you know the subject. matter is so tense, it almost becomes. monotonous because you're like I don't. even know what they're talking about. Like why are they asking about this? Like I'm so confused. Like you can see a. lot of people are falling asleep a lot. of the days. Yeah. So clearly something. is happening inside that courtroom. Now, anytime you get visual stimulation. exhibits, I think the value of it goes up more, I. think seeing the pictures feels like.

we're seeing something we shouldn't be. seeing, right? Even though when you look. at it, you're like, I there's nothing to. see, but when you see them pop up and. they're like defense exhibit, you're. like, ooh, I'm seeing something like an. expose. That's almost the feeling. because we're so understimulated. visually. Visually speaking. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's very interesting. how there is that Yeah. aspect. I see. And I mean, the defense does do a good. job at just doing like photo dumps. That's what they're doing here. They're. just dumping photos. And even during the.

rereading of the coolest alien rockstar. unicorn, I don't know if it's the way. that it's read, but I did see some. people in the room kind of grimaced or. look kind of like yikes. And I don't. know if it's yikes because they think. this caption is damning. I don't know if. it's yikes because it's like kind of. cringe unicorn coolest alien. But there. is this very fascinating part where. Brian Steel has her read the caption to. another post. 21. Stop growing up. You're making me feel old. I love you my. little brother. So proud of all you've.

become and you're about to be. Happy. birthday at Prince JDC. Tell the jury. who Justin is. Justin is one of Puff's. sons. The jurors see a picture of Justin. and Mia and then a few of them, a lot of. them look over at Justin in the pews as. well and Justin comes. I don't know if. he was prepped, which would make sense. I would be prepped too, but his body. language is facing towards the jurors, which doesn't seem to be a natural. sitting position. And side note, later. Brian Steele will do it again where he.

will just have me a list off random. people in this massive group photo that. nobody knows. They're not celebrities. Nobody cares. And it's like, I don't. know who any of these people are. And. then I feel like I see the point of the. photo and there's Mama Combmes and it. feels like everyone in the courtroom is. turning to see Mama Combmes, Christian. Combmes, Justin Combmes, and everyone. again. It's like, what do I know about. the evidentiary value of something like. this, but it just felt like a way for. Brian Steel to say to the jurors, see. that's his family sitting in the pews.

Look at his family over there. Got it. That was the vibe because I. didn't know what I was getting out of. that. I think the reason that a lot of. netizens are talking about the juror's. reactions to Mia's testimony is mainly. because it just felt like a lot of them. were having some obvious observable. reactions. What those reactions actually. mean nobody will ever know. Like I can. tell you a juror shook their head at. this time of questioning. What do we. know that they're shaking their head at? It could be something unrelated to the. case. It could be at the defendant. It.

could be at the witness. It could be at. the attorneys. It could be at the US. Marshalss. Brian Steele shows another. text message thread December 15th, 2019. Sending you and the family love and. prayers today with a heart emoji. Just. reaching out to Mr. Combmes, right? Kim's birthday. And then another text. from December 31st, 2019. Then another. from May 14th, 2020. Later, Mia explains. some context to another message where. Mia's telling Combmes that she's going. to look for some footage to send him. She says that Combmes made her carry.

around a little flip camera. This is. before he hired full-time videographers. and she would record a lot of things and. he was making a documentary recently so. she was going to send them stuff. Brian. Steele asks her a bunch of questions. before asking. So my question is do you. have any recording of Mr. Combmes. berating you? Objection overruled. No, I. would not have been allowed to film. that. I was filming whatever he wanted. me to film. But did you ever just put on. your iPhone recorder to capture Mr. Combmes in a moment of rage like you. described to the jury? Absolutely not.

Do you have any text message that you. sent to a friend or family member of. what was going on according to you that. Mr. Combmes was somehow berating you, being violent to you, humiliating you? Do you have anything like that? Objection overruled. I would, like I. said before, I never told anybody. outside and I never would have know that. would have been a huge break of trust, loyalty, and confidentiality. But Brian. Steel is saying it's just weird that. there's no messages showing her talking. about the abuse, which she says she. would never. He says, "All of these.

messages are positive. Would you agree. with me?" "Yeah." At this point, Combmes. turns to Mark Agno, whispers something, and then smiles, showing almost a loving. relationship from you to Mr. Combmes. True. Brian Steel has her read another. message. Can you read to the jurors what. you wrote to Mr. Combmes? Life is. [ __ ] insane, and supposedly it all. happens. Just go a little slower. Okay, thank you. Life is [ __ ] insane, and. supposedly it all happens for a reason. in order to elevate us in our human. experience, but it's rough. I've been.

tapping into spirituality a lot lately, and it really makes sense. I've also. been thinking about you so much and. feeling your pain. And just so you know, I love you with all my heart and I'm. still here for you forever. We have so. many hilarious ass memories and stories. OMG GG. I will send you the videos and. even random notes I have in my phone. titled like quote, "Funny shit," Puff. said. Do you have any random notes in. your phone talking about being. brutalized by Mr. Combmes. Objection. sustained. Do you have any notes like.

you did here? Like you memorialized here. in this text message that Mr. Combmes. was violent towards you. I don't know. I. I don't think so. I I would never have I. don't think so. I mean, Puff used to. make me follow him around and write down. all the funny stuff he would say that. day. That's why I have stuff like that. Mia, didn't you have time away from Mr. Combmes where you could write a note to. yourself? Today, he sexly assaulted me. God forbid. No objection. overruled. I did not. Did you ask me if.

I had time away to write that? Of. course, that's my question. No, I did. not and I would not have. There are. other mannerisms that a lot of people. have pointed out that might have made. some people feel less engaged with Mia's. testimony. On one occasion, Brian Steel. plays a video for Mia to refresh her. recollection. She wears headphones. We. only get to see her watching the video. This is the birthday video. And she kind. of has a soft. smile. And then she looks confused,

squints, and then she smiles as she's. watching it, which a lot of people think. there's no way that I could be smiling. if I was watching myself giving a happy. birthday video to my abuser, especially. in hindsight once I know what he's done. I think the conversation around Mia is. multifaceted. I think there's clearly a. conversation about why victims might not. be collecting evidence as they're being. traumatized. I think as well as there's. another conversation of why victims. might still show affection towards. someone that's abused them. I mean, there's so much conversation to be had.

there. But there's also conversation to. be had on the fact that I think a lot of. people are nitpicking Mia's mannerisms. and demeanors in the courtroom. I think. it's interesting that because she's. quiet and timid for the most of the. testimony, then if she shows herself not. being timid and quiet, it comes off as. fake. Yeah. I think it just reminds me. that society still wants a perfect. victim. I also think it's a reminder. that society likes to group. specifically, I think, a lot of women. into different categories. So, if you're.

a weak and timid woman, you should. always be a weak and timid moment. If you show strength, if you show. courage, then maybe you were faking. being weak and timid. Yeah. Maybe you. were manipulating people into thinking. you were soft so that you could have. this moment where you win. Like it's. always like you need to have a. very rigorous like this is your. personality and this is it. Like it's a. very strong category that I think a lot. of women are put into. I think that's a. good conversation to have. And it's just. interesting that a lot of people only. feel sympathy for victims if they are.

the type of victim that we want to see. on the stand. Now, that's not to say I. don't think that we should ever just. like go on a criminal federal case and. say, "Hey, whatever they're saying on. the stand is the truth." I think that. it's okay to think and to process of, "Is this a believable story? Does this. make any sense? Does this make factual. sense?" I think that's a good thing to. do. However, just nitpicking on her. demeanor is bizarre to me. Yeah. One. thing I kept telling and just felt like.

maybe the jurors were not as engaged. within certain parts of Mia's testimony. It has a lot to do with the word. psychology and therapy. Sometimes Brian. Steel would ask me a question and she. would reference psychology or her. therapist which appeared to me visually. through my notes that many multiple of. those times a juror or two would. physically look away from Mia or would. do a downturned frown. like one would even smirk again. It. could be a coincidence. It could be.

something else. It could be that maybe. they don't like this particular method. of answering questions. Brian Steel asks. why Mia kept promoting combs on her. personal social media accounts. He asks. well why would you promote the person. who has stolen your happiness in life. which I hear someone from the public. side go m which I thought was kind of. insane. Mia responds the well those are. the only people I was around so that was. my life promoting was part of it you. know you had to support the things that. puff supported and it was also very I'm.

not a psychiatrist or a psychologist but. was a very confusing like cycling of ups. and downs and violence and things that I. guess I'll leave up to the experts to go. into it felt like anytime Mia said she's. not a psychologist a lot of people. didn't particularly seem engaged or. receptive to that response is the. feeling I God. I could also be feeling. things that don't make sense. But in. another part of the cross, Brian Steel. asks her, "How do you have a good moment. with Shawn Combmes when you're terrified. of him?" Because it's it's easy because.

the dynamics would shift. So when things. were good, you felt really safe and you. forgot. You almost forgot about those. things. How do you forget about being. woken up with a man on top of you. getting his way with you? Because it's. too horrible to think about. So you. don't and you don't have time to either. and you just want it to go away. You. were in constant fear, right? Constant. fear. I I said when he was abusive, I. was in horrific fear. I was in fear of. being in trouble. I was in fear of. upsetting him. I was in fear of any. moments that were not the best friend. good moments. How are you best friends.

with a person who has treated you the. way that you said to the jury? I mean, I. guess we can ask my. therapist. It was a very psychological. He was vulnerable with me quite a bit. So, I feel responsible for helping him. and then I would feel bad for him and. then I don't know I mean I can describe. it but I'm not a psychiatrist or a. therapist I don't think I'm allowed to. Now I will give some context. Previously. in the direct testimony Mia says that. she hasn't been able to work because of. quote I suffer from complex like severe.

PTSD. Okay this is my theory as well. I. don't know maybe this is like a. conspiracy I have. It appears that money. and lifestyle have a strong impact on. the jurors. It seems like even when Mia. stated that she can't work because of. complex severe PTSD, but then when you. kind of see how she is dressed, it's. more of like the LA Hollywood and then. you see how the jurors are dressed and. then you kind of see like small like.

like pursed lips when she states things. like this. I can't tell if they feel bad. for her or if it's kind of like they. feel like it's a copout. Not saying that. it is, but I do think it's like a very. complex socioeconomic. I mean, like even just looking at social. media, you see these sentiments are. like, "Oh, you chose this for the money. for example, right?" Yes. So, the jury. pools could be a reflection of the. world, right? There's bound to be a. percentage of people feel certain way. about money and suing or working with.

Diddy and this and that. So, it does. make a lot of sense. And I think it also. plays into how society still wants the. perfect victim. So, if she's not. working, I think society wants a perfect. victim who is not put together at all, who does not look well tailored in their. attire to court. I don't know. That was. just like a speculation I had that has. nothing to do with anyone's innocence or. guilt, just like a pure food for. thought. But she said that she suffers. from complex severe PTSD. And Brian.

Steel objects and there's a brief. sidebar where Steele argues that's a. diagnosis from a doctor. We are not. examining the doctor at all. I would. like it to not be coming through this. witness. I have no idea if she has PTSD. or not. This is a diagnosis from a. doctor. I don't know if it's truthful or. not or if it's being used for the truth. of the matter. To which the judge does. tell the prosecutor, Miss Meiser, I. think you can avoid the objection by. making sure that the witness understands. to not be referring to any diagnosis. just based on her feelings and. experience why she is unable to have a.

job. You can ask it that way. So maybe. that's why she keeps saying, "I'm not a. therapist. I'm not a doctor.". Like maybe the prosecutors told her in. her direct like cuz she can talk to the. prosecutors while it's direct. Once the. cross starts, she cannot talk to the. prosecutors. So maybe they told her in. the direct like, "Hey, maybe when we ask. you these questions, don't put diagnosis. on it." And maybe that's why in the. cross she kept saying, "I'm not a. therapist. I'm not a psychiatrist." I. don't know. I'm just speculating. But it. was very frequent and I don't think a. lot of people received it. Well, it kind.

of gave like copout answer vibes, but I. can see maybe why. So, like every time. they ask something like a little bit. like challenging, she just goes, "Okay, but I don't know. I'm I'm not a doctor.". Certain times, but there's other times. where I think she explains it in a way. that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's it's maybe it's like she. was told not to say I don't know. I see. Now later Mia explains that she can't. work because quote I would have to leave. because I would be triggered by really. normal situations with an overwhelming.

sense of fear being in trouble like. overreacting to normal just overwhelmed. me. So she said misinterpreting simple. emails or if someone said where are you. like freaking out and thinking and. trying to explain where I was and why I. was there and it could be someone I just. wanted to see if they wanted to get. coffee if someone called my name. If. someone said my name from across the. room, all those feelings of getting in. trouble would come flooding back. I just. triple guess myself in everything I did. Then later in the direct, Brian Steel. asks about why she wrote such sweet.

things to him when quote, "The man who. you say has ruined your life. This is. what you write to him." At the time, as. low as he would make me, he would also. make me feel the opposite as well. Again, I can tell you what my therapist. said, but I'm not a professional to. explain that. How is it possible that. you are even around Mr. combs after the. way you say he treats you and your best. friend and your other loved ones. It's. called like psychological abuse. Again, it wasn't horrible all the time. If it. was, it would have been easy getting. punished after reacting to his violence.

where then I'm confused and begging for. to make it all better so that I could. ignore what happened. Like nobody. around, no one around us ever reacted. Everyone acted like it was normal. Adults that I thought were authority. figures in the office, they all upheld. his behavior and punishment towards me. I didn't have like Yeah, it was a fun. recipe. At this point, we noted that. Combmes appeared to have rested his. right cheek into his right index finger, leaning on the side of the chair. Meanwhile, Brian Steel is just gearing.

up. He's locked in. He has his arms. crossed. What could be more horrible. than how you described this supposed. conduct that you endured at the hands of. Mr. Combmes? Objection. It's. argumentative. How did you find any. goodness with Mr. Combmes after what you. described to the ladies and gentlemen of. this. jury? Easily. Because no one in my life. had ever said the mean things that he. had said to me. No one in my life had. treated me like that. And the second. that it went back to good, I was elated.

I was searching for that sort of. approval because I was confused what I. had done wrong. Again, I'm not a psych. major. I I didn't know what was. happening. It's very, but I think. there's a lot of textbooks out there. that will explain it very easily. It's. an abusive relationship. Um, the cycle. of violence. But you're not dating, Mr. Combmes. A relationship doesn't mean it. has to be romantic. A relationship could. it means anything. Ma'am, why do you. blame yourself when you're trying to use. a bathroom on an airplane and Mr. Combmes comes and confronts you and you.

say, "No, no, no, no, no." And then. don't have a memory. What did you do. wrong? What? So, because she was saying. that she kept blaming herself for the. essays and I think the question was at. least the feeling that a lot of us had. was I'm sure every essay victim could. explain why they felt like they were in. the wrong like that is pretty much a. pillar of essay trauma which he states. again I think that could be explained. with any sexual assault victim and the. shame that they carry. I'm not sure in. hindsight everything but when you're in. it I don't know how to explain it. I was. young and manipulated and just eager to.

survive. Again, I'm unraveling a lot of. this now in therapy. Nobody told me. Nobody was there to say these things. were happening were wrong. There was no. there were no like streaming. documentaries. There was nobody standing. up. There was nobody around us ever even. flinched at his behavior. So I don't. know how to explain that. I was always. in trouble and I was just trying to find. ways not to be in trouble. Then things. were great. Things were so great because. so if I'm just looking objectively at. the situation that I have no involvement. with, of course. But when you're my.

logic brain and my trauma brain and my. trauma brain wins all the time and okay, the feeling that I get is that I feel. like she really is just unpacking it. recently in therapy. Like the words and. how she describes it, it's like it still. sounds like she's trying to understand. and these sounds like these sound to me. like things perhaps maybe her therapist. is telling her to try and get her to. understand, but it feels like she hasn't. fully grasped it. it doesn't feel like. she's fully maybe emotionally absorbed a.

lot of it to be able to sit there and. confidently tell people like, "Okay, so. this is what I know it to be." Instead, it's just like I don't even really know. how to feel about it, but like my. therapist is telling me this is normal. And so, I'm just trying to tell you what. my therapist is telling me. Yeah. That's. the feeling I get. She's saying my. trauma brain wins, you know, all the. time. everybody. I mean, eventually it. becomes normalized and you're just. trying to get back to the good. I mean, you make excuses for people. I'm a. people pleaser. I'm an empath. I'm a.

rule follower. I just wanted to do just. wanted to do my best and make everybody. happy all the time. So, I tend to take a. lot more than normal people. I I don't. know how to explain that. I I don't know. if I should apologize for that. I. forgive people all the time for things. like that. Very soon after this line of. questioning, there is a brief sidebar. where we noted Combmes turns around and. appears to make eye contact with Justin. Combmes, his son, and they're both. nodding at each other. Brian still gets. back to the lectern and gets back to the. line of questioning. Mia, you're not a. weak person, are you? I'm not sure. It.

depends. In another part, she's asked. about reading text messages where she. says again, it's a pretty long. psychological explanation. She goes on. to explain the context of the message, but I think those statements I could see. hypothetically why some people might. speculate of it rubbing the jurors the. wrong way because I think just. sporadically and maybe the delivery in. which she said you can again you can ask. my therapist I guess it could come off.

that she's not trying to answer the. question and just throughout the days of. Mia's testimony I personally felt, and. again, I I I don't know any of these. jurors. I don't know what they're. thinking. I'm not a mind readader, but. it just appeared to me visually that a. lot of the jurors were becoming less and. less engaged as the testimony went on. Even during the cross, one of the jurors. in the front was just picking at their. nails. Do I know what they're thinking? Maybe that's how they focus is to fidget. with their nails. But the body language.

to me, I observed, was not engaged and. not really resonating with Mia's. testimony, even compared to the other. testimonies we've had thus far. There. would be moments throughout Mia's. testimony where a juror is smirking. I. Everybody knows who this juror is. because in the hallways, people would. talk about like, "Oh, this juror was. smirking." And everyone's like, "Oh, I. know exactly which juror you're talking. about." Others are staring at their. nails here and there. Others are. glancing around the room a bit more. It. feels which mind you the witness sits.

really close to the jurors and this is. why I think maybe they're less engaged. or less resonating with Mia's testimony. The witness is close to the jurors than. we are. Can you explain like how far. they are? Cuz when you told me it's like. crazy close um like how you're sitting. you're sitting like what 2T from me? Uh. no no this is not 2 feet. Like let's say. we're 6 feet apart and that's really. freaking close. I can see everything on. your face. So, it's the judge, it's the. witness, and then the jurors. Like, they're really close. I think they're. honestly closer than we might be. It's a.

pretty cramped space. I mean, I haven't. been able to walk up there, obviously, so I can't tell you exactly, but from my. perspective, it looks very close. It. looks like I mean, they see her whole. face. They see everything. They can see. every minute facial expression. And so, a few times during sidebars, the jurors. are just kind of leaning over and. chitchatting. The energy feels so light. during sidebars. their body. And this is. the sidebars during Mia's. cross-examination are intense. Brian. Steel keeps asking questions that get.

sustained and they're very intense. questions of like, "This is the man who. terrorized you. Why are you like they're. very um some call it aggressive." So, these are high tense moments. Sidebar. happens. White noise comes on and the. jurors are kind of chitchatting. Some of. them, okay, there's like a few that are. chitchatting, not a lot. Some of them. are just kind of sitting like they seem. very the demeanor comes off casual. I. don't know what that means. While Mia is. sitting like right there, couple feet.

away. Yes. Right. Do I know what they're. thinking? No. I'm just thinking if I. were in the driver's seat and someone's. story is resonating with me and they're. telling me some of the most traumatic. things in their lives. I don't know if. during a break I would just be like. smiling at the person next to me whilst. she's sitting right there. Yeah. One of. the researchers wrote during a sidebar, "A few of the jurors seem to be. chatting, giggling, yawning, and at one. point, one of the jurors even uses their. notebook to cover their mouth from the. pews to talk to the other juror, which I.

thought was weird." Then on the other. side of the courtroom, a few others. don't look as engaged as well, which. again, what do I know? But at points, Combmes is glancing at the jurors. Other. times, he looks like he's dozing off. My. researcher and I were passing notes and. this is speculation. Sean Combmes's. statue because he might be dead. asleep. At one point, he even starts. rubbing his eyes mid testimony with his. thumb and his index finger like very. vigorously. His son Justin is in the. back. He looks like he's in REM sleep.

At one point, it appears that his. grandmother looks at him and gives him a. look because he looks like he's dozing. off. Christian King Combmes. He's not. dozing off, but he looks like he's. fighting every inner demon to not fall. asleep, but it looks like all of his. brain power is to stay awake. Sometimes. Combmes would just scratch his head like. a board kid in class. This is Diddy. Or. he will be very still. My researcher. writes, "Come is sitting there like a. 14th century royal king getting his. royal portrait painting. Just so still,

not moving." There was another time. though where Combmes turns around and it. appeared that one of his family friends. is just fully asleep and I don't know if. he was doing this towards the family. friend or whoever. This is just the. motion that I. saw. He looks back at the pews at his. family and friends and then he very. dramatically forehead. palms and then turns back to the front. Mhm. And then later the family friend. wakes up or appears to be more awake. than before. And I'm just going to be.

transparent. Some of the jurors also. looked tired. Some of them looked, in my. opinion, again, these are just opinions. I don't know if they're tired, they. looked slightly annoyed. Okay, so let me. tell you, there would be times when Mia. would respond to a question and would. say a very specific phrase and a few. jurors looked like they wanted to roll. their eyes. One specific juror kind of. just like a lot of them would um Okay, like one of them would side eye and look. away every time Mia would say it. just.

like, "Wow." And their lips would kind. of press. Some of the jurors, well, one. juror in particular, would be taking. notes and anytime she said this phrase, their lips would kind of press and their. neck would go back a little like. like I don't know what that means. I. guess it could be anything, right? Mia. starts off the testimony when asked. about what it's like working for Combmes. and she says it was chaotic. It could be. toxic. It could be exciting. the highs. were really high and the lows were.

really low. Then not too long after she. says about Cassie's relationship with. Combmes, it was a cycle of like highs. and lows. Then later she's asked again. by the prosecutor, "You testified about. how the highs were really high and the. lows were really low when you worked for. Mr. Combmes. Is that right?" Yes. And at. the end of the day yesterday, you spoke. about different times in which Mr. Combmes assaulted you. Is that right? Yes. Were those times some of the lowest. lows? They were the lowest lows. Yes. And like I think at this point it's not. that repetitive, but then it just.

becomes more and more and like this. phrase just ends up coming up. I don't. even think it came up that many times, but I think it's so distinct and. specific that every time it did come up, it felt like at least one or two jurors. had some sort of observable reaction of. like a crinkle in their brow or like one. always did the neck back and like small. pursing of lips. I think the defense caught on and. perhaps because she frequently used this. or maybe they caught on that maybe some. of their guesses also were that jurors.

don't like it based off their body. language cues but during the cross Brian. Steele even asks Mia and you're telling. the jury you use the term the highs were. highs the lows were lows do you remember. saying that multiple times the highs. were super high and the lows were super. low correct similar reactions but my. question I would like you to answer if. you don't mind is how could any high. cover up the lows that you talked about. being threatened with your life. Objection. That's overruled. One of the. jurors adjusts forward in their seat to.

listen to Mia's response. Oh, because I. felt safe and I felt like everything was. great again. When you were with your. family or friends outside of Mr. Combmes's presence and outside of your. work environment, why wasn't that time. to explain the horror that you're. describing to this jury? Like, why. aren't you telling them? Because it's. way more complex than that. Again, the. highs were super high, the lows were. super low. the dynamic shifted all the. time. I mean, there's so many reasons. In reference to another picture she. posted where Muhammad Ali had passed.

away, Brian still asks her, "This is the. type of things that you were doing at. times in your job. True. The highs were. high and the lows were low." Yeah. Then. another one, November 4th, 2014. And. this is also Mr. Combmes's 45th. birthday. Does that sound right? I guess. so. Yes. And tell the jurors what you. wrote. Happy birthday, Puff Daddy. I was. very close to posting an open mouth. sleeping pic to return the favor of my. birthday post, but you signed my. paychecks. Thank you for being the good. kind of crazy and continuing to inspire. me every day. And thank you for all the. quote unquote people write books about.

this moments. I know there are many more. to come and thank you for being a friend. and bringing friends into my life that I. can call family forever. I love you at I. am Diddy with all of my heart. Welcome. to the seventh element. # Happy Birthday. Puff Daddy # Can'tStop OneTop # broke. people sleep #appy birthday daddy # I'm. so hot I'm throwing panties at myself. #revolt. #puffdaddy it's Sean Combmes and you or. Sean Combmes himself in the pictures. right cuz it's like a collage of. pictures correct and you had Mr. become.

shirtless in two of the pictures. True. Yes. He's always shirtless next to you. in four of the pictures, right? Of. course. And at this point, you have. taken in so much trauma from him. That's. what you told the jurors, right? I've. taken in so much trauma from him. Sure. Yes, I have. But again, it was when the. highs were high and the lows were low, you just fought so hard to stay in like. the highs. Brian Steel argues, you. remember telling them that the sexual. assault occurred so often, more times. than you can count. I don't remember. phrasing it that way. I remember saying.

that there were more. I don't remember. all the times. I don't remember how. many. Well, by this time on November 4th. of 2014, it is 5 years and you have been. sexually assaulted multiple times, right? I don't know about I'm guessing. so. Yeah. And this stays with you to. this day. This has ruined you, right? Um. what has ruined this part? Your. testimony, if I'm correct, and correct. me, is that Shawn Combmes's conduct. towards you, sexual abuse towards you, has made you broken, right? Sexual abuse. was part of the ways that he ruined me. Yes, there were many other ways as well.

Well, in addition, there are other ways, but in 1718, on the fifth anniversary of. the initial sexual abuse, you were. saying to Shan Combmes on your social. media account for everyone to see. Thank. you for being the good kind of crazy and. continuing to inspire me every day. Right. Of course, because I want my. friends and everyone else to think. I. want to highlight the highs. I don't. think people wrote bad stuff about their. life on Instagram back then. Then later. she rephrases it saying that on social. media she never posted the bad stuff. Quote, "So these are all the high. points. You know, back then you at least.

didn't post the low points." She's later. shown a scrapbook that she put together. for one of Combmes's birthdays with all. the archival articles about him. And. there's a few notable moments where it. felt like a few jurors had the same thin. lipped press like when taking notes. during Mia's response. And it's when. Brian Steel shows her the scrapbook she. made and asks her, "And this is. something that you did." Yeah. So nice. of me. One more time. Yes, I was very um. Mhm. I'm sorry. I heard you say it's.

very and then I couldn't hear you. Sorry. Yes, I did. I was saying it was. so nice of me, but I didn't mean to say. that and I saw like a thin lipped press. Then he shows a handwritten card from. Mia Domes for his birthday and I guess. arguing that she wasn't just posting. about it on social media as part of her. job. This would be 45th birthday. So. this would have been November 4th, 2014. Is that fair to say? Yes. If you can go. slow and read that to the jury what you. wrote to Mr. Combmes. Puff, sometimes. life goes by. I'm gonna interrupt you. and I apologize. Can you read it slower? Sure. Sometimes life goes by at.

catastrophic speeds where you never get. to live. I think I don't know why it. just looked like um it just looked like. some people in the courtroom had very. distinct facial expressions to this. Like I guess it goes to the maybe she. had a more timid demeanor and it sounded. maybe a little more like passive. aggressive. almost. But I don't know if that's like. I don't know if that has anything to do. discredit her story. Yeah. Because it's.

just like so if you're timid you can't. ever get mad cuz like Brian Steel was. going in on her for 2 days. Yeah. and. asking I mean some people thought a lot. of out of pocket questions and so she. can't even have a moment where she's. like okay you know what I'm going to be. passive aggressive so it's I don't know. I mean a lot of people are interpreting. it differently another time she's asked. about this very lengthy birthday card. that she writes him where it's talking. about how much she loves him and Mia. says that it was prior to all of this he.

had come to her and said that he feels. jaded with life he's already kind of. done everything and she just felt he she. just felt it was a depressing ing. conversation. So, she wanted to make him. this birthday gift, the scrapbook, and. write a beautiful birthday card to make. him feel better because he felt like he. was in a vulnerable place and she wanted. to help. And she says, quote, "That is. just my empathic nature." Previously, when she said empath, someone behind me. kind of sighed. I don't know if it's. like a society thing. I feel like we. have an adverse reaction to the word.

empath. Like when people call themselves. empaths, I feel like people don't like that. Really? Yeah. cuz I don't know what's. been happening cuz I think like when. people call themselves empaths, they're. usually not empaths has been the. sentiment online when you have to keep. telling people I'm an empath. I'm an. empath. H okay. So I don't know if it's. that but it just felt like every time. she said it's my empathic nature or I'm. an empath. One juror had again the thin. lipped press while taking notes of like. Yeah, got it. That's a very loving card.

Would you agree with that? Yes. I'm a. very loving person to the person who. sexually abused you. Yes. Much of Brian. Steel's cross-examination is on the fact. that Mia does not have proof for the. jurors about the abuse that she suffered. at the hands of Shawn Combmes. Now, that's his point. Something very, very. important to note. The witness has no. burden to bring forth evidence of what. they're testifying to. That is not their. responsibility or burden in a criminal. trial. The burden of proof solely lies. on the government. It is not Mia's.

responsibility to show proof that the. these things happened. So technically, the defense constantly asking her for. proof in some way, shape, or form is, according to prosecutor Smiser, quote, totally improper in front of the jury to. be suggesting that the witness in this. instance should be bringing forth. evidence to support her claims. The. judge agrees, however, Brian Steele can. question her on if she has proof. He. can't ask her to bring it to the court. and prove it, but he can just be like, "Hey, do you have something in your. possession? M you do have something in.

your possession. Okay, great. Like. that's I think what is being implied. Brian Stale continues his line of. questioning asking about the running. away debating of mother nature or Shan. Combmes is scarier that incident when. they're on the paddle boards. Remember. Cassie and Mia in Turks? Are you aware. of any text message or email or other. recording that that incident happened? I. don't think so. Any photographs? No, we. were on paddle boards. Mia, was that. just made up by you? Mhm. No. How is it.

that all of these events have no. photographs or text message or email. from you? Can you explain that, please? Objection sustained. In one text message. from 2020, Combmes text me up. Glad. you're well, love. Please send me all. the footage cuz we're working on our doc. and know that I only remember the good. times. Love you. Want you to know that. Yes. Now, did you respond to him? You. know, it's 2020. The Me Too movement has. been strong for approximately two and a. half years and you should remember what. you did to me. You didn't say that. Objection. Mr. Seal, can you rephrase.

the question? When Mr. Combmes wrote to. you, I only remember the good times. Why. didn't you respond? Well, I only. remember the bad. times. Sorry, why didn't I say that? Because. that I I would have never responded that. way. Because it's not true. Is that. true, Mia? Wait, what? That's Brian. Yeah. He's like whispering like because. none of this is true. Huh? Is that true? Mia, objection overruled. I'm sorry.

What was the question? Your testimony. and statements said it was. You were the. victim at the hands of Mr. Comb's. brutality and sexual assaults is not. true, is it? I've never lied in this. courtroom and I never will lie in this. courtroom. Everything I've said is true. So, can you read what you wrote to Mr. Combmes in response to his writing to. you, send me all the footage and we're. working on our documentary. I only. remember the good times. Love you. Want. you to know that. Love you too. And the. only things I remember are the good.

times. And Can you just go slower? Oh, sorry. Love you, too. And the only. things to remember are the good times. And those are the only memories I have. Haha. Like [ __ ] hysterical ones. I'll. send you everything I've got. I remember. even before you had videographers with. us, I carried around the little IV vid. thing. I found those, too. Completely. forgot about them. So many magical. hilarious things like drinking 1942 on. the parrot K beach and champagne under. the Eiffel Tower at 4:00 a.m. in the. dark and singing with Jimmy at Innercope. and Mcjagger trying to take me home but. I ran away and Aiza caves where I got a.

7-in scar in Hawaii 5.0 know when you. punch that dick [ __ ] for talking [ __ ] to. me and la and launching revolt and that. random underground Bakarat game where. JLo wouldn't pay out and I stayed only. and you won 650 grand and that little. prick ran away from me and Leo grabbed. my pink bedazzled Blackberry and you. said that that Titanic [ __ ]. doesn't know [ __ ] he won 10K I won 650k. Side note, Brian Steel starts shaking. his head as she's reading like.

like a dad that is very disappointed. Haha. Um gosh, there are trillions of. stories that are amazing. Of course, I'll send it to you. And also, what. documentary without me? I will say I. reflect back and I know I did really. [ __ ] great with Can't Stop, Won't. Stop. I was just bamboozled by Heather. because I didn't realize how shitty. people could be and I believed everyone. was good. But you taught me so much and. I appreciate that. When you said in this. message to Mr. Combmes, it's in the. fifth line up from the bottom starting. at the center. I was bamboozled by.

Heather because I didn't know I didn't. realize how shi ty people could be. Yeah. Brian Steel doesn't curse in. court. And I believed everyone was good. You see that? Yes. Well, you're kidding. So he doesn't like when he he just. spelled it out. Yeah. Yeah. Always. Always. Any curse words? Yeah. The only. Yeah. The only one that did curse was um. raspberry error Jason Driscoll. Yeah. He. like recently was talking to the judge.

in open court and he was reading a. message and he just said [ __ ] like. and everybody was staring at him because. I don't think they were expecting. But. usually they just skip over the curse. word. It really depends on the attorney. Oh, some people will just say it because. it's in there. That is so interesting. Like cuz they're talking about some of. the most crazy vulgar like like well I. don't know if vulgar is the right word. but I see what you mean. Yes. Yes. Like. some some you know like some of the more. um not vulgar like dark things of.

humanity and then it's like oh but we. can't curse. That is it is interesting. Yeah. Why didn't you say and Mr. Combmes you. bamboozled me as well? Because I was. still brainwashed. Who brainwashed you? Ia puff. How did he brainwash you into. thinking that it's okay to be woken up. from your slumber with a man's private. part being inserted into your person. without permission? Objection sustained. How did he bamboozle you to believe it.

was okay when you were orienting. different items in a closet? Objection, your honor. That's sustained. How did he. Why didn't you write how. he was one of the people that caused you. to believe that not everyone was good? Because I was brainwashed. That's your. answer. Objection sustained. What does. brainwash mean? Objection. That's. overruled. Brainwashed meant I was in an. environment where the highs were really. high and the lows were really low, which.

created a huge confusion in me trusting. my instincts. I was punished whenever. Puff would be violent or I would react. Therefore, again, confusing me and. making me believe I had done something. wrong. I mean, again, I just I was. constantly seeking his approval. He was. my authority figure. The only authority. figure. One juror at this point. seemingly still not really paying. attention. I mean, they could be. I. don't want to say that they're not, but. just they're like hardcore looking at. their nails. Maybe that's how they. focus. In the direct though, Mia says. that she never went to the police. because quote, "I believed Puff's.

authority was above the police." She. also states this was also a time period, this is years and years before social. media, me too, or any sort of example. where someone had stood up successfully. to someone in power such as him. Also, like I was taught to believe that this. all fell under the confidentiality or. loyalty of Puff's business. Well, now in. the cross, Brian Steel is asking, you. told the jurors yesterday that part of. the reason that you never said anything. about the essay, you remember you gave. several reasons. Yes. You explained that. the Me Too movement, it was way before. that. You stated that social media.

wasn't kicked in, right? Not in the. capacity as now. They're like there was. no Tik Tok. There was nobody talking. about sexual abuse. There was no at this. time Instagram was all about. highlighting the highs of your life, not. the lows of your life, and just showing. people the great times that you were. having. That that's what I meant. Social. media is not like it is today. Well, by. 2017, the Me Too movement was viral. Not. until about a few months after the. initial person was brought to the. forefront of the Me Too movement was. months after I left. That was October.

15th of 2017. Does that sound correct? Correct. That's when the Me Too movement. went viral. Right. I I don't know when. the movement went viral, but I know the. catalyst for it was somewhere around. that time. Then he brings about her. messages to Shawn Combmes. Brian Steel. says, "You were aware of the Me Too. movement for years by August 29th, 2020, right? One that he was not affected by.". Correct. Well, what does that mean? He. was not affected by it. By August 29th. of 2020, you were already aware for.

years of the Me Too movement, right? Correct. And you told the ladies and. gentlemen of the jury one of the reasons. you did not outcry earlier was because. there was no me too movement around when. you worked for Mr. Combmes, right? I was. saying back then there was no Me Too. movement, that there was no social. media, there was no mental health. awareness. Sorry, social media as though. it is today. Every adult that I reached. out to within the organization or the. people that witnessed what happened to. me. Nobody acted like what was happening. to me was wrong. And threats about that. he was going to tell Cassie about what. happened made me internalize blame and.

shame. So your testimony before the. story is that Mr. Combmes told you. threatened you is your word that hey I. have a mind to tell Miss Ventura that I. sexually assaulted you. Objection. overruled. That was not his wording. He. threatened to tell Cassie everything. I. can't hear you. The words you used were. not the words he used. He threatened the. words he threatened to tell Cassie. everything which made me feel like I had. done something wrong. I don't know how. to explain what that does to a person. Are you finished? Yes. Why didn't you.

respond by saying, "Great. Let's tell. everyone what happened that you violated. me." Objection sustained. Why didn't you. respond by saying, "Absolutely. Tell. Miss Ventura and everyone else. That. would be great." Objection sustained. Let's move on. By 2020, August 29th, you. knew according to you what you said. earlier on direct examination that you. have a moral obligation to speak up. Do. you remember saying that to the jury? Objection. That's overruled. I now have. a moral obligation. Yes. Why didn't this.

moral obligation happen in 2017? You. said, "Why did it?" Why didn't it? Why. didn't it? Yes. Why didn't it? Why. didn't you have the moral obligation to. say, "This is my experience with Mr. Combmes." Because I was terrified and I. was brainwashed. Why in 2018 didn't you. have the moral obligation to come. forward and make these allegations. against Mr. Combmes that he has sexually. abused you? Objection. It's overruled. The same reason. Why in 2019? Same. question. That's a stain. Next question. When did the moral obligation come to.

your mind that you need to say this. information that you're putting forth. that Mr. Combmes violated you in a. sexual manner and other ways? When I. started witnessing him being held. accountable for his actions and being. told what happened to me was wrong. When. it began, I guess when it all came out. in the media, when he was being held. responsible, that's when you said, "Me, too." No, that's not the first moment I. did. It's been a long process. Again, I'm still untangling things. I'm in. therapy. like there's a lot of support. I've been given that I didn't have or. know what to do with before. Then Brian.

Stale brings up another text message. where Mia I guess Sean Combmes was vis. visiting Mia's hometown but she was. leaving because her grandma was in. hospice care so she wasn't going to see. him and she sends a very lengthy message. of like you're doing great things miss. you disappointed I can't see you and you. were disappointed that you won't be able. to see him in person right well that's. what I'm saying but yes well isn't it. true no why isn't that true because I. did not want to I was just saying Not. I. can't hear you. I did not want to. I was.

just saying that. Mia. Yes. Who made you. write this text message to Mr. Combmes? What? Objection. It's overruled. Nobody. Why would you lie in this text message. that I wanted to see you, but you really. didn't want to see Mr. Combmes? Because. I didn't want to see. I don't know. It. provided me with like safety, I guess. I. didn't want to let him know. I'd never. said something direct and mean to him. before in my life. I wasn't going to. start. Why write this at all if you.

didn't want to see Mr. Combmes? Because. he was going to be in my hometown, which. again doesn't get that sort of I believe. that I would have almost been like. expected to be there. That's all. When. did Mr. Combmes ever expect you to be. anywhere after you left his employment. in March of 2017? Objection. That's. sustained. Would you agree to me that. all of these messages that the jurors. have heard, that you have authored, everything is positive and loving from. you to Mr. Combmes? Would you agree with. that? Yes, of course. You just keep on. this communication with this man who you. are terrorized. Excuse my language.

Objection. Why don't we get a fresh. question? Brian Steel brings up another. text message. It's dated November 4th, 2023. He asks her to read it out loud. It says, "Happy birthday. Yay, Puff. Daddy." With a black heart emoji. However, Mia does she states she does. not recall sending this message, but. Brian Steel is doubling down, stating. just a few days later, November of 2023, Cassie Ventura's lawsuit is public. And. do you remember in the lawsuit that Miss. Ventura alleged sexual abuse at the. hands of Mr. Combmes? Yes. And by the. 16th day of November of 2023, you were.

aware of the Me Too movement. True. True. And by November 16th, 2023, social. media had billions of users. True. True. And by November 16th, you were no longer. working with Mr. Combmes in any type of. everyday or even casual relationship. where you would see him. True. Correct. And there is strength in numbers for. people who have been truly victimized of. sexual assault. Objection sustained. Did you tell your. sister, Miss Ventura, like best friend's. sister, after reading the lawsuit and.

her claims of sexual assault? Me, too. That's sustained. You've got to rephrase. the question. Did you call Miss Ventura. after reading her allegations against. Mr. Combmes of being sexually abused? Are you done? Uh, are you just asking. me? Did I call her after her article? Correct. Did Did I call her or. communicate with her? Um, yes. Uh-huh. She called me afterwards. Did you advise. Miss Ventura in November of 2023 that. you allege Mr. Combmes supposedly did to. you? Did I tell her then? That's my. question. Absolutely not. Why? Just.

because you find something doesn't mean. you just immediately snap out of it. I. was still deeply ashamed and I wanted to. die with this. I never wanted to tell. anybody ever. December 2023. Did you. learn that the United States Attorney's. Office and federal agents were looking. into an investigation concerning Mr. Combmes which included sexual assault? I'm not sure when I learned about the. investigation, but I did learn about the. investigation. Until you get a lawyer in. 2024, you never ever claimed to anyone. that Mr. Combmes was sexually violent to. you. Is that true? Unless it was to my. privileged therapist, you're correct.

When you say privileged therapist, could. you wave that privilege? The judge. interrupts. Let's move on. Next. question, but he will come back around. and ask one smart. All right. Let me ask. you, do you recall being given the. opportunity to have your therapist's. notes permitted to be seen by the. parties? Objection. That's sustained. There's a brief sidebar where the judge. asks, "All right, now since this is the. third or fourth time we're addressing. this therapist issue, which wasn't. previously raised to the court, what's. the issue? Let's figure it out." Brian. Steel says, "The government met with and. asked the lawyers for Mia whether Mia. would sign a release and wave.

confidentiality for her therapist notes, and the 3500 says that they would not do. so." Okay, but how can you possibly ask. this witness about those discussions? It's her agent. It's her lawyer. And I. believe that constant statements and. testimony of this witness saying, "You. have to ask my therapist, and my. therapist told me, and this is all. explained in my therapy, and my. therapist explained to me, I think that. opens the door." The judge turns to. prosecutor Smiser. Let me clear up the. record, your honor. First of all, the. government never asked for Mia's. therapist notes. There was one text. message exchange when we searched Mia's.

phone. We didn't realize it was with her. therapist. We were going to use that in. trial and then her lawyers and Mia. asserted privilege over that. That was. the end of that conversation. So, I just. wanted to make that clear. The judge. states the objection is sustained. Brian. still goes back out there. With regards. to you being here today, you're still. represented by council. True. True. And. isn't it true that you sought a lawyer. because you wanted to sue Mr. Combmes. for money? No. And that you joined the. Me Too money grab against Shawn Combmes. Is that true? What? Objection sustained. There is a person.

in the gallery at this exact moment and. you hear m I don't know what that m. means. I don't know if it's I can't. believe he asked that or if it's like. good point. I have no clue. It It was. not from one of the jurors. Brian Steel. points out that when Mia first hired a. lawyer and you asked for you told the. jury or your lawyer asked for $10. million, right? I think I believe my. lawyer started that as the negotiation, the start of the negotiation. Side note, it just felt I I felt like the entire.

courtroom did perk up to the mention of. $10 million because Ba balcony incident. Remember Bana the best friend? Yeah. She's also um it's a $10 million lawsuit. against I think there was a $10 million. demand against Shawn Combmes. Mhm. So I. think a lot of people perk up with these. seven figure numbers. Mhm. 10 million is. eight figures. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Eight figure. I mean they're. all like eight figure numbers. Yes. And. during that time you had to articulate. through your lawyer why you were owed.

this money, right? Yes. You never. mentioned at the mediation anything. about sexual assault. Is that true in. the mediation itself or any part of it? I'm sorry. Well, the answer is no. I. just don't know if I'm talking about. something privileged. I'm not a lawyer. I want to make sure. Is it true that you. never mentioned as part of this seeking. of $10 million that you were sexually. assaulted? True. Now, by the time that. this mediation ended, you were aware of. the Me Too movement. No. Did this. mediation end October 2017? So, she went. into mediation after she was let go from.

her position and there was a demand of. $10 million. She ends up settling for. $400,000 and her lawyer takes half. She. only gets $200,000 which is a lot of. money but you know like he's there's a. lot of emphasis on this $10 million. Mhm. And now Brian Seals keeps trying to. introduce the attorney that she's hired. and there's a lot of questions about um. a lot of objected questions about this. attorney. At the sidebar, we read the.

transcripts and it reveals that Brian. Steel is telling the judge that she. hired a lawyer that just received an $83. million verdict. Brian Steele argues to. the judge during the sidebar. It goes to. this witness's motive interest and bias. and that she will be receiving money. Back in open court, he tries again. because the judge is like, with this. line of questioning, it's just not going. to work. Isn't it true that June 18th of. 2024, a meeting with the government and. the agents was the first time that you. ever mentioned anything about sexual. abuse at the hands of Shawn Combmes? I. have no idea when I first mentioned it.

I didn't see I have no idea when I first. except it was after I had. representation, which side note, I do. think this is like a personal thing, but. when you come forward about abuse is not. an indicator of whether the abuse. happened or not. I think that a lot of. people don't come forward for a very. long time, even when it seems like there. are opportunities presented where they. could potentially say something. But. Brian Steel continues, "You want money. from Mr. Combmes based upon your. testimony." True, don't you? No. No. You. testified that you would give up all the.

money if there was no sexual abuse. Do. you remember that conversation that you. had with the prosecutor? Yes. Have you. had any discussions? I'm not asking for. any type of attorney client matters. Did. you have any discussions with anybody. that you believe that you will be making. money by testifying against Mr. Combmes. in the manner you testified today? No, that's not even a thing. Brian Steel. during the cross just also casually asks. Mia if she told Cassie quote told her. that the money has to come to her just. like men get that money, right? Wait, what? Yeah. Saying like she needs to.

leave Shawn Combmes. This is like back. when they were dating. And he's just. saying, "You told Cassie that the money. has to come to her just like men get. that money, right?" I think it's just to. show they're trying to prove that. they're like obsessed with money or like. money opportunist. I don't know. I don't. remember what you're saying. Isn't it. true that Mr. Combmes never had. unwanted, non-consensual, forcible. sexual contact with you? Isn't that. true? I'm sorry. You started with, "Isn't that untrue?" And then you said, "Isn't that true?" What I said in this.

courtroom is the truth. I have not lied. to anyone at all. Isn't it true that. although unforgivable for any person to. put their hands on a woman, especially a. man, isn't it true that it did not. happen as many times as you just said to. this jury? Everything I've said in this. courtroom is true. Then why would you? If you're being sexually assaulted and. your sister is being brutalized. physically, why are you making a. scrapbook for Mr. Combmes? It's a lot. more complicated than the way you phrase. it. It's called It's abuse on all. levels. And I'm sorry. Go ahead. Oh, no. I was just going to say, I guess you. could talk to any sexual victim advocate.

or any abuse victim advocate and they. could explain it to you much better than. I could. What if you're not a victim of. sexual assault? Then what? Objection. sustained. Now, side note, I did notice. one of the jurors making a facial. expression that one could liken to be a. smirk during this part. And maybe their. smirk is not a smirk. Maybe that's like. how their face works. Or maybe they're. smirking because Brian Steel is so. ridiculous. But I don't know. In my. personal opinion, it felt like a lot of.

people in the other parts of the. courtroom, not the jurors, felt like. Brian Steel quote. ate. And maybe that juror also felt that. the cross was brutal. It just felt it. was a lot to the point where midday lead. prosecutor Comey says to the judge. outside of the juror's presence, "At. this point, we have now sat through. hours of a humiliating cross-examination. for this witness. And I just wanted it. to be put on the record because I don't. know that the transcript will really do. it justice. Mr. Steel has yelled at this. witness. Mr. Steel has been sarcastic.

with this witness. Mr. Steel has been. argumentative with this witness by. injecting his own views about her. testimony, calling it her position, saying things like, "God forbid." After. repeating things that she has said on. the stand, saying things that suggest to. this jury that she is lying, that he. believes that she is lying through his. questioning, making statements instead. of questions. And meanwhile throughout. that whole tone and approach to this. cross, this witness is having to pick. apart social media post after social. media post after social media post which. individually have no probative value.

And I understand that individually your. honor has found that one by one looking. at these in isolation there is very. minimal prejudice. in particular. The. concern is that given the tone of the. questions, the number of exhibits that. have nothing to do with her credibility. and that are only cumulative, we don't. think it's appropriate to allow this. line of cross-examination with this. victim who has carried herself with. remarkable dignity and grace throughout. the cross. I just wanted to note that in. addition to the prejudice of adding to. the trauma of this victim having to.

testify at this trial, there is a. broader prejudice that eyes are on this. trial and victims in other cases are. going to see how victims in this case. are treated and they are going to see. what level of privacy, respect and. dignity they would get if they decided. to testify. And so our concern is that. if this victim is not protected from. further harassment that it will deter. other victims in other cases from saying. yes, I will testify and I will tell the. truth. So I just wanted to make that on. the record, your honor. And it is with.

that background that we will be. continuing to object to additional. cumulative exhibits and additional. argumentative questioning. I mean look, I understand that you're making your. record. I have not heard any yelling. from Mr. deal and I've not heard. anything that was sarcastic in the. questions. To the extent that there were. improper questions, the court has. sustained numerous objections. My. understanding when Mr. Steel says, "God. forbid is that he's talking about things. that the witness has said that are. extreme in nature." And so he's saying,

"God forbid as an apology to him having. to repeat that and recollect that with. the witness." That's my understanding of. what he's saying. I didn't take that to. be an effort in any way to intimidate or. harass the witness. Now that being said, you raised the issue of the questions. that are argumentative. Is Mr. Steel. here? Yes. Here's the issue. So what we. have is that you're repeatedly asking. these questions that are where the tone. I agree with Miss Comey may be, you. know, on the line, but the form is. improper. So I sustained the objection.

Then you keep asking these questions and. at a certain point I'm going to think. that you're doing that just to get the. question out there so the jury can hear. it. If I start to think that, I'll ask. you to just move on and you're not going. to be able to ask questions on the topic. you're raising. Do you understand? Sure. Yes. At one point, Brian Steel is asking. a question. The question is sustained. He just keeps asking it. To which the. judge tells him, "Hold on. When it's. sustained, that means you move on to the. next question. It doesn't mean you keep. asking the same question." And usually.

he's not this firm in front of the. jurors, you know, like usually, even when he. sustains questions, it's like a soft. sustain. and it's like um rephrase the. question or like let's get a fresh. question. So he doesn't say like that's sustained, you know, he'll be like let's get a. fresh question like we need to rephrase. that. Yeah. It's like giving them a. chance, right? But this is like no, you. don't you can't keep asking the same. question. Wow. Okay. It happens again to. the point where the judge calls for a. sidebar. I'm getting the sense that they.

are being asked not so much to elicit. any answer but merely to have you, Mr. Steel, testify for the jury. So, that's. going to end right now or I will end. this cross- examination. There are ways. to ask these questions that you are. asking in a proper way that does not. violate the rules. You can do it that. way and I know you know how, but you're. not doing it that way. Instead, you're. reasking the same question so that the. jury hears your questions and then. there's an objection which I sustain and. then you try to keep reasking the same. question in the same improper way. So, what's going on? I would not do that and.

I did not do that. My questions go to. the fact that Mia does not outcry at. all. She then hires a lawyer 45 days. after a gigantic verdict was reached by. the lawyer. This is the debate about the. $83 million settlement that was reached. by the attorney. And then she hires the. attorney and he's just like, "Yeah, you're going to move on otherwise I'm. going to end your cross." And I will. say, Father Arun is watching Brian Steel. like a hawk the entire time. And like. when you sit, okay, so sometimes the. press pews, especially when you're in.

the first row, you're kind of sitting. right behind the prosecutor or the. attorney that's at the lectern and you. get like a clear shot of Judge Arun and. like sometimes you're looking up after. taking notes and you can just tell when. he's angry and then you almost get. scared because you're like, did I do. something wrong? cuz he's very he's been. giving a lot of people in the gallery. warnings of not saying things like m you. know well he didn't say it like that but. just no reactions in the gallery and so. it's like a like you get very stressed. and he's the way he's looking at Brian.

Steel making sure every single question. from that point on is like a valid. question is very intense like just. staring daggers into him so in father. Arun we trust and just the whole thing. was depressing Yeah. During the. redirect, prosecutor Smiser takes the. stand again. Mia, do you remember being. asked on cross-examination about. Instagram post that you made? Yes. Did. you post on social media as part of your. job? Yes. And when you were posting on.

Instagram, did you post about the good. times or the bad times? The good times. Why didn't you post about the bad times? That's not what social media was for a. myriad of reasons. Yeah, that was like. the highlight reel was Instagram. Is. that why you didn't post about Mr. Comb. slamming Cassy's head into the corner of. the bed frame? Objection. That's. overruled. Yes. And is that why you. didn't post about Mr. Combmes throwing a. computer at your head? Objection. That's. overruled. Yes. Is that why you didn't. post about Mr. Combmes sexually. assaulting you? Objection. That's. overruled. Yes. Mia, do you remember.

being asked about a scrapbook that you. gave Mr. Combmes for one of his. birthdays? Yes. And do you remember. testifying that you thought the. scrapbook would made him would make him. happy? Yes. Why did you try to keep the. person who abused you happy? Because. when he was happy, I was safe. Mia, do. you remember Mr. Steel referring to Mr. Combmes's birthday as the anniversary of. the initial sexual abuse? Yes. Why do. you not remember it that way? Because I. never wanted to think about that ever. again. What were you worried would. happen if you disclosed that Mr. Comb. sexually assaulted you? That I wouldn't.

be believed. And I would be wiped out. I. would be abused, fired, and somehow made. to look like I was the crazy person. making everything up. Okay. Mia, sometime after meeting with the. government, did you engage in a pro bono. lawyer? Free? Yes. Are you paying for. that lawyer? No. Was your lawyer engaged. for the purpose of representation in. this criminal case? Yes. Mia, can you. explain how you feel about public. speaking? Objection overruled. Terrified. Have you ever been able to.

talk about Mr. Combmes sexually. assaulting you without looking down? No. Why is that? Objection. That's. overruled. Because it's the worst thing. I've ever had to talk about in my life. Are you getting any money for being here. today? No. Are you getting any fame for. being here today? No. Do you want to be. here talking about this today? Objection. overruled. Absolutely not. This is just. one final question for you, Mia. Why are. you testifying here today? I can't look.

at my niece and my godaughter in the. eyes and ever advise them in the future. if they happen to be in this situation. Objection, your honor. Move to strike. That's overruled. Misser, anything else? No further questions, your honor. Wow. And what was the reaction from that or. the energy, I guess? Um, okay. So, honestly, Smiser did a. really good job with the redirect. It. she kind of felt like a mini Comey cuz I.

know Comey is the lead, and I'm not. saying that to say that she's not as. good as Comey, but Comey is the lead. prosecutor, and it seems like she's kind. of guiding a lot of them. it. Everything. was so cleancut. It It helped, but when. I looked at the jurors, the same ones. just still didn't look that engaged in. my opinion. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That is. the testimony of Mia. There was no. recross, but I will say there are a lot. of voices out there. There are voices. discrediting Mia. There's also a lot of.

voices and conversations about what her. testimony means. One reads, "Interesting. A bunch of people think. Mia is discredited. I guess they've. never been in a similar situation of. power, coercive control, physically and. emotionally threatened. Another. comments, "This is how abuse works. It's. not what most people presume. If you. haven't experienced serious abuse, then. you probably can't understand." Another. comment reads, "My mother abused me. relentlessly for 57 years, and still the. last thing I said to her was, "I love.

you." Trauma bonding was real. It's deep. and it's real. For me personally, I. didn't feel like, oh, like the Brian. gotcha. Like the defense got something. out of this. Yeah. Like there's a moment. of, oh yeah, like I see that was not. true or that was a lie. Maybe it's. because like he's just been reading. positive post about Diddy for like 10. hours straight. It feels like nothing. was surprising to me at all. Everything. makes sense. I I feel like personally I.

believe what Mia is saying and and. Brian's question sounds a little bit. like shallow. I'm like, okay, well, duh. This is why I I I totally see why. I. think it's how long these things take. So, I think it's weird that I can kind. of see both sides of sometimes I'll see. people in the courtroom and then they. will talk about the entire cross-. examination later. And it's a very like. specific feeling that you only get when. you're in the courtroom for all the days. there because it's 10 hours of positive.

post. It's, you know, it's a lot of. energy. And I feel like when someone has. a certain energy, you kind of absorb. that energy. you're like, "Oo, this. person said during that part." I'm like, "Wait, am I supposed to feel a certain. way about it?" Like, it's that's why. they tell you not to make noises or. faces in the gallery. It just you kind. of get impacted. And so, it's. interesting because when I talk to the. people that are in the courtroom, they. have a very specific feeling about this. cross-examination, but then when I go on. online and I see people doing snippets.

of the transcript and I see the. comments, it's a completely different. reaction. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And. then it's like I can see why these. people feel this way. I can see why. these people feel this way. Yeah. Because even when you told me when you. came home and told me about the energy. in the courtroom and I I was expecting. something more, I guess, because you. were saying, "Oh my god, this is like. tough and this and that." And I'm like, "Oh my god, what happened?" But now. listening to this, well, I think I get. what Mia is saying. Like I I think I.

understand. And it's like always weird. because when I'm in the courtroom, I'm. like, "Oh my gosh, I don't know how the. prosecutors are going to come back from. this." Like the jurors to me, they don't. look engaged. They don't look like. they're resonating with Mia's story. Like, this is this is not good. And then. everyone around in the hallways, they're. like, "This is not good for the. government." And then I come home and. then I'm like, "Honey, this is not good. for the government." And then I go. through the transcript and I'm like,

wait, okay, this is like when I go. through the transcript, I'm like, this. isn't making sense. But that's what's. interesting. Maybe these are, let's say, this is what happened. This is the. facts. Yes. And the defense attorney, they're doing their best to kind of spin. it or take it at an angle or with their. strategy, the way they ask question to. lead the juror to feel certain way about. them. Right. Yes. And that's not just. the defense that's going to be doing it. when the defense starts their case, the. prosecutors would will do it. That's the. whole point of all cross-examination.

So, we're not saying like the defense is. doing it because it's not true. You get. it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's like at. the end of the day, you just want to. influence Yeah. this group of people to. feel certain way and maybe you can say. that they did a good job in this cross. because they did influence some juror to. feel certain way about it. Even though. the facts is I get it, but the feeling. is like uh for certain people. Yes. So. like even the Don Rashard testimony and.

cross-examination by Nicole West Morland. when it was happening in the courtroom, it felt like a big blow to the. government. It was like, ooh, this is so. bad for the government. Everyone's. walking out of there like, yikes. I. don't know how the government's going to. deal with this type of blowback from the. cross. And then you go through the. transcript and then I'm like talking to. people about it. I'm reading y'all's. comments and everyone's like, "No, but. like it makes sense. It's like not like. what's the difference between putting it. down, throwing it, or like it hitting. her?" Like he threw the frying pan. Like.

it's not that big of a deal. But when. you're in that courtroom, why does it. feel like, "Oh my god." And like I think. that's the whole point of. cross-examinations. It's like an art. They make you feel like oh my god. Yeah. And then the the even with the jurors, I'm sure their feeling also develops. So. from when it happens, they may be like, "Oops." And then a day later, they'll be. like, "You know what? Yeah, I can see. it. I get it." You know, like like us, we're processing this information. So I. guess we really don't know how all of.

them are going to feel. No. At the end, not at all. And I think that's like kind. of crazy. Yeah. to be able to see them. every day and still not have any clue. how they feel about this case. Yeah. Is. so weird. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, what are. your thoughts? Let me know in the. comments. Stay safe and I will see you. in the next one. [Music].