Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673.
(NewsNation) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, referred to only as “Mia,” testified Thursday the music producer had been violent and sexually assaulted her multiple times while she worked for him.
In her testimony, “Mia” said Combs had “thrown things at me … thrown me against the wall … thrown me in a pool … slammed my arm into a door … he’s sexually assaulted me.”
“Mia,” who is going by a pseudonym in court, is also listed as “Victim-4” in Combs’ indictment. She worked for Combs from 2009 to 2017.
She told the jury that Combs’ moods were unpredictable and could become violent. “Mia” called Combs a “chaotic” and “toxic” boss, and that working for him, “the highs were really high, the lows were really low,” and everything depended on “Puff’s mood.”
“Mia” alleged that Combs raped her in the rapper’s Beverly Hill homes. She said on the stand that while she was sleeping at the residence, she woke up to “the weight of a person on top of me.” The ex-Combs assistant said it was “Puff.”
“I remember, I remember it was sort of like him telling me shh be quiet and using one hand to get his pants undone,” “Mia” said.
While crying on the witness stand, “Mia” said, “I just froze.” She said she was “terrified, confused and ashamed, and scared.”
Combs had gone by the name “Puff” in previous years.
“Mia” comes as the second of four victims described in the indictment. While they are all not named, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura publicly stated she was “Victim-1.”
Diddy assistants testify about abuse and manipulation
“Mia” is the fourth assistant to testify and has already been mentioned by other witnesses, including Ventura and her ex-stylist Deonte Nash.
The former assistant recounted years of alleged abuse, including physical violence, sexual assault, extreme working conditions and psychological manipulation by Combs.
As an employee, she stated she worked at all hours of the day and that there were no professional boundaries.
“Mia” compared her experience to the MTV reality show “I Want to Work for Diddy,” in which contestants went days without sleep. She said her longest period without sleep while working for Combs lasted five days.
She told jurors she took Adderall, a prescription medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, to stay awake.
Eventually, she testified, her hearing became distorted, and she felt like she was underwater before breaking down in tears. That’s the point she said Combs permitted her to sleep.
When she lived at Combs’ properties, “Mia” said she wasn’t allowed to leave the house without permission or lock her doors. Combs allegedly said, “This is my house,” and enforced the rule that no one could lock their bedroom doors.
But others in the house, such as security guards and guests, had deadbolts on their doors, she testified.
Combs is facing the possibility of life in prison and has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution. He’s peladed not-guilty.