NEW YORK (TNND) — A former celebrity stylist for Sean “Diddy” Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, took the stand again on Thursday as the defense continues its cross-examination in Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial.
Deonte Nash testified on Wednesday that he witnessed Combs threaten Ventura and physically abuse her, and also threatened him with violence in 2013 when Nash said Combs threw him at a parked car.
Nash also told prosecutors that Combs and Ventura would go to a hotel about once a week, and he would often see her pack sex toys in a duffel bag.
Nash’s testimony was followed by Los Angeles arson investigator, Lance Jimenez, who said he responded to rapper Kid Cudi’s home in 2012 to investigate a fire set to his car.
The defense unsuccessfully called for a mistrial on Wednesday, claiming misconduct by the prosecution, after Jimenez discussed finding fingerprints during their initial sweep of Cudi’s home in 2011. Evidence that was later destroyed in 2012.
Testimony from Victim-4, who goes by the pseudonym “Mia,” began on Thursday and will last through Friday.
The former employee was briefly mentioned in opening statements by prosecutor Emily A. Johnson, who described Mia as being “worked to the bone for years,” the New York Times reported. Johnson also mentioned that at some point, Combs “forced himself on her sexually, putting his hand up her dress, unzipping his pants and forcing her to perform oral sex, and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her against her will.”
The former personal assistant testified that Combs sexually assaulted her, threw her into a swimming pool, dumped a bucket of ice on her head and slammed her arm into a door during a torturous eight-year tenure.
The woman has alleged that he put his hand up her dress, forced her to perform oral sex and climbed into her bed to have sex with her against her will. She touched on the allegations briefly at the start of her testimony and continued to discuss them in detail during her questioning.
Mia said that Ventura was never present when Combs sexually assaulted her and the assault happened sporadically, according to CNN.
She testified that she felt like she could not say no to Combs because was afraid that “he would fire me and ruin my future and somehow twist the story into making me look like a three.” This also made her afraid to say no to sex with Combs due to her fear of him physically harming her.
Mia, speaking slowly and haltingly at times, portrayed Combs as a brutal, controlling taskmaster who put his own needs and desires above the health and well-being of his staff and loved ones. She said Combs berated her for mistakes, even ones made by other employees, and loaded her up with so many tasks she didn’t sleep for days.
When describing the assault, she spoke in a whisper, with the first sexual assault occurring on the night of his 40th birthday party. She said that she never initiated sexual contact with him, according to CNN.
“It was chaotic. It was toxic,” said Mia, who worked for Combs from 2009 to 2017 and co-founded the Revolt Films studio with him. “It could be exciting. The highs were really high and the lows were really low.”
Asked what determined how her days would unfold, Mia said: “Puff’s mood,” using one of his many nicknames.
Mia said Combs’ employees were always on edge because his mood could “change in a split second,” causing everything to go from “happy to chaotic.”
Mia testified that she saw Combs beat Ventura numerous times, detailing a brutal assault at Ventura’s Los Angeles home in 2013 that the singer and her longtime stylist, Deonte Nash, also recounted in their testimony. Mia said she was terrified that Combs was going to kill them all, describing the fight as “a little tornado going on.”
The witness recalled jumping on Combs’ back and attempting to stop him from hurting Nash and Ventura. Mia said Combs shook her off, threw her into a wall, and slammed Ventura’s head into the corner of a bed, causing a deep, bloody gash on the singer’s forehead. Other times, she said, Combs’ abuse caused Ventura black eyes and fat lips.
Mia said Combs sometimes had her working for up to five days at a time without rest as he hopped from city to city for club appearances and other engagements, and she started relying on her ADHD medication — a slow-release version of the stimulant Adderall — as a substitute for sleep. At times, Mia said, she was Combs’ only personal assistant, taking on duties typically performed by four or five people.
Mia said that Combs would treat her as a best friend and at other times treat as “a worthless piece of crap” and humiliate her in front of others.
Combs, with residences in Miami, Los Angeles, and the New York area, let Mia and other employees stay in his guest houses — but she wasn’t allowed to leave without his permission and couldn’t lock the doors, she testified.
“This is my house. No one locks the doors,” Combs said, according to Mia.
Mia’s testimony echoed that of prior prosecution witnesses, including several of Combs’ other personal assistants and his longtime girlfriend, Ventura, who saw him as demanding, mercurial and prone to violence. She is the second of three women to testify about alleged sexual abuse by Combs.
Mia didn’t appear to make eye contact with Combs, who sat back in his chair and looked toward her as she testified. Occasionally, he leaned over to speak with one of his lawyers. Mia kept her head down as she left the courtroom for breaks. She testified that she remains friends with Ventura.
At the time, Mia said she did not know that she could report the assaults to the police since “nobody else saw” it happening. Mia said that while she did not ever want to talk about the sexual assaults again, she felt like she had a moral obligation to speak about her experiences.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment and faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all charges. He is facing charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, transportation for purposes of prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024, about roughly six months after federal authorities raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. He has been jailed in Brooklyn since his arrest.
Ventura, a key witness, testified at the beginning of the trial due to the fact that she was nearing the end of her pregnancy. She gave birth on Wednesday to baby number 3 with husband Alex Fine.
After departing the trial, Ventura, who dated Combs for a decade, released a statement through her lawyer saying she hoped her testimony would help others “heal from the abuse and fear.”
She testified for four days about Combs forcing her to have sex with male escorts and describing “freak offs” in detail.
A third woman, using the pseudonym “Jane,” is also expected to testify about participating in freak-offs.
The trial judge has permitted some women accusing Combs of sexual abuse to testify under pseudonyms for their privacy and safety. Subramanian instructed court sketch artists not to draw Mia and told reporters and members of the public not to describe her appearance.
Mia will continue to testify Friday morning.
If you or someone you know is struggling with abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help.
