Over the past three weeks, jurors at the federal court in Manhattan have heard from a series of witnesses detailing the dominance exerted by the influential rapper and producer, Sean Combs , famously known as P. Diddy , over his employees and ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie Ventura . A significant figure in the hip-hop industry for the past three decades, Combs has amassed wealth through his ventures in fashion and liquor. Now 55 years old and facing severe allegations, he stands accused of sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise .
His alleged misconduct reportedly includes forcing several women, including Cassie, to engage in sexual activities with other men to satisfy his desires, dating back as far as 2004 . Among the circle of employees surrounding the artist, Mia was one of his privileged assistants. She has decided to testify under a pseudonym to maintain her anonymity.
Having been close to the couple, Mia recounts, at times out of breath as though reliving the events, numerous instances of violence that Cassie endured, such as her “swollen lips,” “bruises,” and “black eyes” that required treatment or at the very least, concealment during high-profile Hollywood premieres.
“I Couldn’t Say No”
Guided by the prosecutor’s questions, Mia recalls vacations where she accompanied the couple. One night, Cassie burst into her room, panicked. “She screamed, ‘Help, he (P. Diddy) is going to kill me'” , Mia recalls, her tone halting. “We pushed furniture against the door… He was screaming and banging,” she adds.
Mia confirms, as other witnesses have, that hotel rooms were prepared for sex marathons where Cassie had to deliver her body, often under the influence of drugs, to paid men. This entailed stocking the rooms with condoms, body lotions, candles , and afterward, it was her responsibility to “clean up” —described by Mia as a “nightmare.” Meanwhile, P. Diddy’s defense aims to portray Cassie as a willing participant in these sexual encounters.
Working for the founder of Bad Boy Records , who has collaborated with some of the biggest names in rap, could be thrilling, Mia shares, using the affectionate nickname “Puff” for Combs. However, it also meant subjecting oneself to his violent outbursts and demanding desires: “I couldn’t say no, ever,” she summarizes.
“He threw objects at me. He threw me against the wall. He tossed me into a pool. He hit me with an ice bucket. He slammed my arm against a door. He also sexually assaulted me,” she lists, unveiling a painful and traumatic reality.
“Someone Very Powerful”
Describing these episodes of sexual violence as “sporadic,” Mia finds them the most difficult to recount. The first instance occurred at the Plaza Hotel in New York during the artist’s 40th birthday celebration, leading her to believe it would never happen again. Yet, the prosecutor prompts her to recount further incidents, including two accounts of rape . With a choked voice, trying to articulate her story, Mia expresses how she felt “frozen,” her head bowed in shame even years later.
“It was the boss, the king, someone very powerful,” she whispers, depicting a closed-door trap. “We were years and years before social media, MeToo, or any moment when someone successfully stood up to someone as powerful as him,” she emphasizes.
Mia recalls how Puff’s authority overshadowed even that of the police. One day while driving too fast in Los Angeles , she was pulled over. Yet, when she handed her phone to the officer to pass it to “Puff,” the officer started laughing, saying, “Oh my God, Puff Daddy… and she let me go,” Mia recounts.
Her testimony is set to continue this Friday, adding more layers to the complex and unsettling narrative surrounding one of hip-hop’s most prominent figures.
