REDIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember being asked on cross-examination about Instagram posts that you made?
MS. SMYSER: Did you post on social media as part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: Do you remember looking at posts promoting Ciroc?
MS. SMYSER: Was that part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: Do you remember looking at a post promoting the Diddy door?
MS. SMYSER: Was that part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: Do you remember looking at posts promoting the Bad Boy reunion tour?
MS. SMYSER: Was that part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: And do you remember looking at posts promoting Mr. Combs himself?
MS. SMYSER: Was that also part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: Ms. Gavin, could you please pull up Government Exhibit 3T106R. Could you just zoom in on the second full paragraph there.
MS. SMYSER: That starts with: All of PD's social media presence. Do you see that, Mia?
MS. SMYSER: Was it, in fact, part of your job, to manage all of PD's social media presence?
THE COURT: Hold on, Ms. Smyser. Is this already in evidence?
MS. SMYSER: Yes, your Honor.
THE COURT: I think it's not being shown to the jury.
MS. SMYSER: Oh. Can we please publish to the jury?
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: So, Mia, was it, in fact, part of your job to manage all of PD's social media presence?
MS. SMYSER: And as part of that, did you post on your personal Instagram account?
MS. SMYSER: And did other employees post on their personal Instagram accounts?
MS. SMYSER: What kinds of things did Mr. Combs do when he thought that you were not doing your job?
MS. SMYSER: And in what way would you be punished?
MS. SMYSER: You can take that down, Ms. Gavin.
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember being asked about social media posts that you posted for Mr. Combs' birthday?
MS. SMYSER: Was that also part of your job?
MS. SMYSER: Did other employees also make posts for Mr. Combs' birthday?
MS. SMYSER: What did you expect would happen if you did not post for Mr. Combs' birthday?
MIA: It would be really weird, and I would have gotten some sort of -- I would have been in trouble.
MS. SMYSER: Do you remember being shown a video of you wishing Mr. Combs a happy birthday in 2013?
MS. SMYSER: And was that for a club Diddy post?
MS. SMYSER: And were you drinking a bottle of AQUAhydrate water in that post?
MS. SMYSER: What is Mr. Combs' relationship with AQUAhydrate water?
MS. SMYSER: And do you remember saying, at the end of that post, Revolt?
MS. SMYSER: Is that the business that you worked for?
MS. SMYSER: The business that Mr. Combs owned?
MS. SMYSER: And when you were posting on Instagram, did you post about the good times or the bad times?
MS. SMYSER: Why didn't you post about the bad times?
MIA: That's not what social media was for, for a myriad of reasons. Yeah, that was like the highlight reel was Instagram.
MS. SMYSER: Is that why you didn't post about Mr. Combs slamming Cassie's head into the corner of a bed frame?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: That's overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: And is that why you didn't post about Mr. Combs throwing a computer at your head?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: That's overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Is that why you didn't post about Mr. Combs sexually assaulting you?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember being asked about a scrapbook that you gave Mr. Combs for one of his birthdays?
MS. SMYSER: And do you remember testifying that you thought the scrapbook would make him happy?
MS. SMYSER: Why did you try to keep the person who abused you happy?
MS. SMYSER: And do you remember Mr. Steel referring to Mr. Combs as the man who terrorized you?
MS. SMYSER: Did Mr. Combs always terrorize you?
MS. SMYSER: Were there also times that you had fun with him?
MS. SMYSER: Could you just explain to the jury how it can be both terrifying at times and fun at times?
MIA: Yes. The dynamic would shift quite often, where, when he would refer to me or treat me like his best friend or his family, then we would have -- it would be great, I would be safe, it would be so much fun. And then it could dramatically shift, based on his moods, to the abusive, scary versions.
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember Mr. Steel referring to Mr. Combs' birthday as the anniversary of the initial sexual abuse?
MS. SMYSER: Why do you not remember it that way?
MS. SMYSER: Because you wanted to keep it moving; is that right?
MS. SMYSER: What do you mean by "keep it moving"?
MIA: Keep it moving meant you -- there was no time for any sort of emotional reacting or assessment of what happened, you just have to keep working and keep going, otherwise, you were labeled as dramatic, crazy, too much to deal with.
MS. SMYSER: And who at Combs Enterprises taught you to, quote, keep it moving?
MS. SMYSER: In fact, what did Mr. Combs tell you to do the first time you ever apologized to him after he was angry with you?
MS. SMYSER: And did you follow his instructions on that?
MS. SMYSER: What would happen if you didn't follow Mr. Combs' instructions?
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember being asked on cross-examination questions about why you didn't disclose Mr. Combs' sexual assaults of you earlier?
MS. SMYSER: Why did you not tell human resources about the sexual assaults?
MIA: For a million reasons. Human resources only punished unjustly. They also fired Kayla for even discussing Cassie -- Cassie's abuse. They wouldn't have believed me, and I would have been fired immediately.
MS. SMYSER: Mia, you mentioned Kayla. What did Mr. Combs tell you to do -- or tell you you would have to do after Kayla was fired?
MS. SMYSER: And what did Mr. Combs tell you you would have to do after Capricorn left?
MS. SMYSER: What did Mr. Combs call it when other people went against him?
MS. SMYSER: What were you worried would happen if you disclosed that Mr. Combs sexually assaulted you?
MIA: That I wouldn't be believed, I would be wiped out, I would be abused, fired, and somehow made out to look like it was -- I was a crazy person, making everything up.
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you remember being asked on cross-examination whether it was great when Brian Offutt told you that Revolt Films was no more?
MS. SMYSER: And do you remember responding that, in hindsight, it was fantastic, but at the time, it was the worst thing ever? Is that right?
MS. SMYSER: Why, at the time, was it the worst thing ever?
MIA: Because that was what I worked so hard -- so hard for. It came out of nowhere, and there was no explanation. And that was, again, my entire world.
MS. SMYSER: And why, in hindsight, was it fantastic?
MIA: Because now I've been surrounded by the support that I need, and I needed, and I've seen other worlds that are not like that.
MS. SMYSER: To be clear, Mia, at any point in time when you were working for Mr. Combs, did you feel like you could leave your job?
MS. SMYSER: Was there ever a time that you tried to leave?
MS. SMYSER: When you tried to leave, did a chief of staff tell you to go back?
MS. SMYSER: And what were you worried would happen if you didn't go back?
MS. SMYSER: What specifically were you worried would happen if you got in trouble?
MIA: That I would have been completely stripped of any credibility, I would have lost -- I wouldn't have been able to get a job in the same or any industry that I wanted, and I would have lost everything I knew.
MS. SMYSER: Were you bothered about your physical safety at all?
MS. SMYSER: Why?
MIA: Because my physical safety was -- had been -- I'd been abused physically before, and had also seen -- I just knew his power and his wrath.
MS. SMYSER: And who had abused you physically before?
MS. SMYSER: Okay, Mia. Sometime after meeting with the government, did you engage a pro bono lawyer?
MS. SMYSER: Are you paying for that lawyer?
MS. SMYSER: Was your lawyer engaged for the purposes of representation in this criminal case?
MS. SMYSER: Mia, do you also remember being asked about how many times you met with the government?
MS. SMYSER: You testified that you met with the government quite a bit, right?
MS. SMYSER: Why did you meet with the government so much?
MIA: I met with the government so much in order to -- in order to understand my story and because I was so terrified, and I was learning, at the same time, how --
MR. STEEL: Objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: It's overruled. A. -- I was learning how the things that happened to me were wrong, and, from my understanding, everybody --
MR. STEEL: Objection, your Honor.
THE COURT: Overruled, but let's finish with the answer.
THE COURT: Mia, do you have anything further?
THE COURT: All right. Ms. Smyser.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Mia, you said you were terrified. Why were you terrified?
MS. SMYSER: And, Mia, in your many meetings with the government, did anyone ever tell you what to say here today?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: That's overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: In your many meetings with the government, what is the only thing that the government has asked you to do?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Mia, can you explain how you feel about public speaking?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Could you just explain how you feel that way when, for example, on cross-examination, you testified that you had been in comedy videos before?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Ms. Smyser, could you rephrase that question?
MS. SMYSER: Yes.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Do you remember talking about being in a comedy video that was related to an Instagram post, Mia?
MS. SMYSER: And you also just testified that you're terrified of public speaking?
MS. SMYSER: Could you just explain how you can be terrified of public speaking and also be in comedy like that?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: And how does the experience of, for example, being in that video compare to talking about Mr. Combs sexually assaulting you on this stand in front of all these people?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: It's overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Have you ever been able to talk about Mr. Combs sexually assaulting you without looking down?
MS. SMYSER: Why is that?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: That's overruled.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Are you getting any money for being here today?
MS. SMYSER: Are you getting any fame for being here today?
MS. SMYSER: Do you want to be here talking about this today?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Overruled.
THE COURT: All right, Ms. Smyser.
BY MS. SMYSER:
MS. SMYSER: Just one final question for you, Mia. Why are you testifying here today?
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: That's overruled.
MR. STEEL: Objection.
THE COURT: Hold on. That's overruled.
MIA: I can't look my niece and my Goddaughter in the eyes and ever advise them in the future if they happen to be in this situation.
MR. STEEL: Objection, your Honor; move to strike.
THE COURT: That's overruled. Ms. Smyser, anything further?
MS. SMYSER: No, your Honor, no further questions.
THE COURT: All right. Mr. Steel, anything further?
MR. STEEL: No, sir.
THE COURT: All right. Mia, you're done. Thank you very much.
THE COURT: Unless you want to stay.
(Witness excused)
THE COURT: The government may call its next witness.
MS. JOHNSON: Your Honor, we have one administrative matter before we call our next witness. We just need to admit a few exhibits that were initially offered during Ms. Ventura's testimony.
THE COURT: All right. Do you need that for the next witness?
MS. JOHNSON: It will be very brief. I'm just going to offer one document.
THE COURT: Okay. Go for it.
MS. JOHNSON: If Ms. Gavin could pull up Government Exhibit 1502, which is a demonstrative. The government offers every exhibit listed on this demonstrative, Government Exhibit 1502, at this time.
THE COURT: Any objection?
MS. GERAGOS: No, your Honor.
THE COURT: All right. So the exhibits identified in Government Exhibit 1502 will be admitted.
(Government's Exhibits B-219, B-223, B-224, B-238, received in evidence)
(Government's Exhibits B-249, B-260, B-261, B-329, B-338 received in evidence)
(Government's Exhibits B-356, B-405, B-409, B-423, B-424, B-426 received in evidence)
(Government's Exhibits B-430, B-511, B-619, B-620, B-627-B received in evidence)
(Government's Exhibits B-627-C, B-629, B-630, B-635, B-638 received in evidence)
(Government's Exhibits B-640, B-642, B-645, B-650 received in evidence)
MS. JOHNSON: We will provide a copy of this to the court reporter so that it will be reflected in the transcript.
THE COURT: Thank you very much. With that, Ms. Geragos, anything further?
MS. GERAGOS: We just have four exhibits to admit after this, which is Defense Exhibit 1376R, 1373R, 1410, and 1411R.
MS. JOHNSON: No objection.
THE COURT: Those exhibits will be admitted.
(Defendant's Exhibits 1376R, 1373R, 1410, and 1411R received in evidence)
THE COURT: The government may now call its next witness.
MS. FOSTER: The government calls Sylvia Oken. SYLVIA OKEN, called as a witness by the Government, having been duly sworn, testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: Can I please ask you to give the Court your first and last flame and spell your first and last name.