Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: Combs' ex-assistant 'Mia' to continue testimony next week

The Sean Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial resumes Wednesday with the expected testimony of an alleged victim of the criminal enterprise federal prosecutors have accused Combs of leading: a former employee who will appear under the pseudonym Mia.

In the government’s opening statement, prosecutor Emily Johnson described Mia as “an employee who the defendant worked to the bone for years." Johnson said Mia would testify “about the times that the defendant 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.”

Defense attorney Teny Geragos countered in her opening statement that Mia allegedly had “unbelievable love” for Combs and questioned her motive for testifying against him.

“What are the reasons she is saying what she might be saying now, what she never said before, and certainly never said when she first started cooperating with the government?” Geragos said.

First, the jury will hear from a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator who responded to rapper Kid Cudi’s home when his Porsche 911 Cabriolet was set on fire with a Molotov cocktail in 2012. Prosecutors will also call stylist Deonte Nash, a friend of Cassie Ventura’s who is expected to testify regarding allegations that Ventura told him Combs was making her participate in a so-called "freak-off" sexual encounter on her 29th birthday. Combs has maintained that his encounters with Ventura were consensual.

On redirect examination, federal prosecutors suggested that Capricorn Clark returned to work for Bad Boy Records because Combs allegedly stymied her attempts to work elsewhere in the music industry.

“He held all the power as it related to me,” Clark testified through sobs.

Prosecutor Mitzi Steiner also sought to reaffirm Clark’s earlier testimony about Combs allegedly carrying a gun from the time he showed up at her apartment to the time they drove to Scott Mescudi’s house.

“Was Mr. Combs carrying a gun?” Steiner asked.

“Yes,” Clark answered.

“And was that gun visible to you?” Steiner asked.

“Yes,” Clark replied, further telling the court that she feared at the time that if she did not oblige Combs’ demands, "I would be hurt.”

Court has adjourned for the day. The next scheduled witnesses include a Los Angeles Police Department officer; a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator; Deonte Nash, who is a stylist in the Combs circle; and a former Combs employee whom the prosecution alleges is another Combs victim.

After Capricorn Clark testified earlier Tuesday that a gun-carrying Sean Combs forced her into a car to confront Scott Mescudi, aka rapper Kid Cudi, in December 2012, the defense asserted on cross-examination that she had a different motive.

“Isn’t it true that you went so that Mr. Combs wouldn’t do something stupid?” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked.

“No,” Clark answered.

“You went because you were afraid he was going to do something stupid,” Agnifilo insisted.

“I went because he told me he didn’t care that I didn’t want to go,” Clark responded. “I did not want to go and it was not my choice, sir.”

Agnifilo also questioned Clark about her testimony regarding events at Mescudi’s house and her call to Cassie Ventura.

“You’re telling this jury you 100% said the word ‘gun’ on that phone call?” Agnifilo asked.

“Yes,” Clark answered. “I said it very quickly. I said, ‘Puff came to my house with a gun."

In her earlier testimony, Clark said that before she telephoned Ventura, she called actress Lauren London.

“Tell us why you did that,” Agnifilo asked Clark.

“She was the only one that was sort of in our orbit. She was like my sister at the time. I just wanted someone to know where I was in case this all went really bad. I called her for my protection,” Clark responded, her voice shaking with emotion.

“Are you aware that Sean Combs and Lauren London were friends for years after this?” Agnifilo asked.

“Yes,” Clark responded.

Clark again broke down in tears and sobs when confronted by several emails she sent to Combs, which were shown to the court. One, sent in 2014, read, "Hopefully you’ll forgive me soon. It’s been long enough. I feel like you’ve forgiven everyone else but me.”

A second email presented by the defense, which Clark sent to Combs in early 2015, said, “Sending you blessings and love for a new year.”

Clark also became emotional when Agnifilo showed her yet another email that she sent to Combs on his birthday, Nov. 4, 2015. “My hope for this year is that you make good on your promise to get over things and actually be my friend again,” the email read.

Through sniffles, Clark testified that she “felt that I was somewhat of a protector for Puff. That email is me pleading, like, dude, let it go.” Clark told the court that the stakes for her were high because her parents are gone and her son has autism.

Agnifilo kept asking Clark why she wanted to work with Combs again.

“I wanted my life back, sir,” Clark testified.

“You want to work with him again,” Agnifilo said.

“I wanted to work in the music industry,” Clark replied.

Redirect examination by the prosecution has now begun.

Before the defense resumed their cross-examination of former Sean Combs assistant Capricorn Clark, federal prosecutors said outside of the jury's presence that their case is running ahead of schedule and could be finished in a total of five weeks, rather than the six weeks they previously said they may require.

Once cross examination resumed, Clark compared Cassie Ventura's talent to that of music legends Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey in her testimony, telling the court that Ventura's talent fell short of that level.

When Ventura performed live it “wasn’t the greatest,” Clark testified under cross-examination.

The defense has asserted that Combs' alleged coercive control over Ventura didn't deprive her of career opportunities, as prosecutors have alleged.

“She got top-tier talent to support her to become a star,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo asked Clark, who agreed.

“Were there other artists in Bad Boy who were getting less attention and support than she got?” Agnifilo asked, referring to Comb's record label, Bad Boy Records.

“She got a considerable amount of support. That was the early days,” Clark responded. “The lion’s share of Bad Boy was on Cassie at that time.”

Clark told the court that In 2012, for the single “King of Hearts,” she had Ventura dye her hair bright yellow. The jury was shown a photo of Ventura with the hairstyle.

“She had the shaved head before,” Clark testified. “I wanted to depart from that. I wanted something edgier, bolder.”

Agnifilo asked, “You wouldn’t do this against her will would you?”

"No," Clark replied.