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Witness "Mia" Decides Not to Speak at Combs' Sentencing; Sean Combs Sentencing Underway. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired October 03, 2025 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: The defense attorney for Combs is saying that in addition to Combs wanting to make a statement for his sentencing, some of his children wish to speak on his behalf. And of course, we know that the defense has asked for that video to be played, that 15-minute video of Combs interacting with his children. All right. Stand by. We're going to take a quick break, and we'll be back as we continue to monitor the sentencing for Sean Diddy Combs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're continuing our special coverage of the sentencing of Sean Diddy Combs. It's underway right now. Let's go straight to CNN anchor and chief legal analyst, Laura Coates. She's just outside the court for us. Give us the latest information we're getting, Laura.

[10:35:00]

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: You know what? We are learning right now that who we thought was going to speak today as a victim impact statement giver, a pseudonym witness named Mia, who was a former employee of Sean Combs who described allegations of abuse and violence and sexual assault during her testimony, will no longer speak in the courtroom today.

The prosecution blaming her decision not to speak today on an inappropriate defense letter to which the judge seemed to agree that there was something inappropriate about it. The prosecutor calling it bullying. As we learn to try to find the details specifically about what aspect will bring that to you. But suffice to say, this was somebody who the parties were in great debate about whether she should testify in the sense of a victim impact statement at all.

Her testimony during trial ultimately did not go to factor into the convictions of transportation to engage in prostitution. For that reason, the defense said it would be inappropriate for her to speak as a victim impact statement provider. We also know that the judge has referenced a video produced by Diddy's team where he describes him as a family man. It shows him with his children at various stages of their lives and him in his charity work as well. We're told that there is a request to have two of his children, perhaps more, he has seven of them, the youngest being just two years old, but two of them speaking on his behalf today as character witnesses. I will tell you that the prosecution described some irony in what they viewed as a choice by the press, by the defense to try to silence the voice of victims in favor of so-called character witnesses to buttress the credibility of that three-page letter that Diddy provided to the judge. We are waiting to see what's going to happen, Wolf. It is a really anxious time in this courtroom.

BLITZER: And Laura, just to be precise, several key members of his family, the children and others are in the courtroom in his support right now, and potentially that could have an impact, right?

COATES: Yes, they have been here throughout, his mother, his children, various people, the mothers of his children, except for the one who had died several years ago, who Sean Diddy Combs referenced in his letter as -- with her passing, making him the only parent to four of his children as well. Their support and letters that have been written from people like Young Miami, also victim three, who is the woman who was spoken about in the indictment, but ultimately did not testify or called to testify in this trial, says that the prosecution essentially was forcing her to pretend to be a victim, that she was not in fact feeling as though she'd been victimized by Sean Diddy Combs, and that they wanted her to essentially give that testimony, and she did not ultimately do that. That will also factor in here judge's decision.

BLITZER: All right. Laura, we'll stay in very close touch with you. Thank you very much. This case, of course, has been almost two years in the making, beginning back in 2023. I want to look back right now at how this case unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cassandra Ventura, who was the girlfriend of Sean Diddy Combs, she also, according to the complaint, was an employee of his for the duration of those years. She is alleging that she was caught up in a cycle of violence, that there was abuse, it was vicious, and it was controlling.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Sean Diddy Combs and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, have reached a settlement after she accused the music mogul of rape and physical abuse. Combs now says that we have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The search warrant activity at both of the homes belonging to Sean Diddy Combs is related to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seizing items, including his phones, three AR- 15s with the serial number scratched off, and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. New surveillance footage obtained exclusively by CNN appears to corroborate some of the allegations of abuse against music mogul Sean Diddy Combs. The video, captured on multiple cameras, shows Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hallway at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sean Combs says he is disgusted by his actions and he's not asking for forgiveness in an apology video that he posted on Instagram.

Sean Diddy Combs, rapper: I was -- up. I mean, I hit rock-bottom. And I make no excuses.

COATES: Sean Diddy Combs has now been arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, in a New York federal courtroom, the search is on for the 12 jurors and alternates will decide the fate of Sean Diddy Combs. The big question, of course, finding that group of people who haven't already formed an opinion on a case of this magnitude.

[10:40:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 38-year-old singer Cassie Ventura took the stand, saying Combs forced her to participate in drug-fueled sex marathons called freak-offs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deliberations are underway in the Sean Diddy Combs trial.

BROWN: Jurors in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs have reached a verdict on all counts.

COATES: He has been found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, RICO. Not guilty. He's also been found not guilty of sex trafficking of Cassandra Ventura.

He's been found guilty of the transportation to engage in prostitution count involving Cassie Ventura. He has been found not guilty of sex trafficking of Jane, who is the girlfriend that he was dating as well, and guilty of the transportation to engage in prostitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And there we have some of the background leading up to this important day right now, the sentencing of Sean Diddy Combs. We're staying on top of all of these issues. We're getting all the latest information from inside the court as the sentencing hearing for Sean Diddy Combs is underway. And we'll have a lot more right after the break. Stay with us.

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[10:45:00]

BROWN: All right. Welcome back, everyone. We are monitoring the sentencing for Sean Diddy Combs. As you see on your screen there, the latest is the defense has opposed the idea, what the prosecution is arguing for sentencing, arguing for a lenient sentence for Combs. The prosecution wants more than 11 years for Sean Diddy Combs. The defense is arguing for no more than 14 months. For context for that, he's already served 13 months in jail. So, that is important to note.

Also, I just want to go through all the key evidence and the testimony leading up to this point. I want to bring in our analysts. We have Alyse, Elie and Elliot. To start with you, Alyse, one of the key parts of the trial was, of course, Cassie Ventura's testimony. Cassie Ventura was Sean Diddy Combs' ex-girlfriend. And she had some testimony that was critical for the prosecution. She said that Combs was controlling and abusive. As you see right here on your screen, she described details of the 2016 hotel assault that CNN obtained video of. And she accused Combs of rape. How important was her testimony in all of this, Alyse?

ALYSE ADAMSON, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND HOST, "AT-LYSE YOU HEARD IT HERE" PODCAST: Well, Pam, her testimony was critically important. She was the government's star witness. Again, the top counts, there was ultimately acquitted of. But there is still this element of coercive conduct, which is still relevant now. I mean, we heard about that during the trial, that was the heart of the government's case. And again, with respect to the trafficking in RICO, the jury ultimately acquitted.

But right now, the defense and the prosecution are fighting over the applicable guideline ranges. That's why there's a huge disparity between the 14 months and 11 years. And one of the things that the government is arguing for is a sentencing enhancement that is based upon coercive conduct. And we heard Elie mention earlier the relevant conduct.

And so, all of that evidence of coercion would be relevant in the judge's discretion as he makes those findings as to whether or not to apply this enhancement. Now, again, whether or not it's applicable, there are arguments on both sides, and we'll have to see. But that is why Cassie's testimony is still so key, even in this phase of the case.

BROWN: To bring you in, Elie, there was also the Jane testimony. Jane was a pseudonym, where Jane described the drug-fueled sexual performances called Hotel Night Story in her relationship with Combs, alleged drug trafficking and drug use, and alleged emotional and physical abuse. How might her testimony during the trial play in to what the judge might consider for Combs' sentencing?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, so this is another person, Pam, who the prosecution alleged and continues to allege was a victim. The jury did not necessarily see it that way. And this bit of testimony from Jane, who was an ex-girlfriend of Sean Combs, it sort of backfired on the prosecution at the trial. Because at one point, Jane was saying that she was forced to participate in what she called these hotel nights. Yet the evidence, the texts show that at times she had arranged them. And she was confronted on cross-examination and asked, well, if you were not willingly involved in this, why were you setting them up? And she did not have a good answer.

And, Pam, just to that point, I saw just one of our recent updates a few seconds ago said that the defense is objecting to the term victim as applied to Cassidy Ventura and to Jane and to others in this proceeding. But the judges overruled that. So, the judges said, for our purposes here at sentencing, it is OK to refer to them as victims. But again, the jury gave a decidedly mixed verdict on that -- on those counts.

BROWN: They certainly did. And you see the judge said that the trial evidence established that they, who you just mentioned, were transported for the purpose of engaging in a commercial sex act. And just to remind our viewers, Sean Diddy Combs was acquitted of the more serious allegations of racketeering and sex trafficking.

I want to bring you in, Elliot, as we continue to monitor the side panel, to talk about other evidence that came out during the trial. And that, of course, was that hotel video that we talked about. It was from 2016. This was surveillance video from a hotel in Los Angeles showing Combs physically assaulting then-girlfriend Cassidy Ventura.

Combs' defense team attempted to exclude this video, claiming that it was, quote, "inaccurate." How might this play into today's sentencing, Elliot?

[10:50:00]

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST AND FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: And again, Pam, it's important to step back when we think about sentencing. We were talking about this a little bit earlier, this idea that almost anything goes at sentencing. The rules are certainly far lower at -- than they are at trial. And judges can bring in and consider things that are really outside the four corners of what the defendant was sentenced with. Now -- or what convicted him, pardon me.

Now, again, here, the defendant is convicted of these two counts of prostitution. And the question at sentencing will be how much other stuff can come in. Now, this video was certainly evocative. It was certainly power. And it was a key piece of evidence that prosecutors used to rely on to show that Sean Combs engaged in acts of force, coercion, and violence. He's literally doing it on camera.

The defense has repeatedly pushed back on the use of this video, particularly at sentencing, because it doesn't specifically speak to Sean Combs' acts of prostitution or transporting people. Now, that's a very reductive and simple way of looking at how -- you know, at looking at how people are sentenced.

And so, the judge is going to consider it. It is incredibly powerful. It also -- you know, we're going to keep saying the word again, it's relevant conduct. It's conduct of the defendant's misbehavior that can potentially be used to increase the kind of sentence that the judge might consider.

BROWN: Right. And going back to you, Alyse, as we await this for the prosecution to speak, the other piece of evidence that came out during the trial was the apparent hotel bribery, that you had that former hotel security officer testifying that Combs gave him $100,000 in cash to obtain the surveillance video of that assault we just saw of Cassie Ventura and signed paperwork declaring the video was the only one and an NDA. So, how might that play into today?

ADAMSON: Yes, Pam, there's a few ways it can play in. I mean, the defense is objecting to this as well, because, again, this was part of the RICO conspiracy, which Combs was ultimately acquitted of. But it really demonstrates two things. One, again, it speaks to another potential sentencing enhancement. I don't want to go too far in the weeds. I always joke you really need another degree just to calculate these sentencing guidelines. But there are some enhancements regarding obstructionary conduct, and this is all very helpful context.

And then, also just understanding who Combs is. If I'm a judge and you're trying to fashion a sentence, that also takes into consideration the potential for future harm to the community. And we see, look at Combs' prior behavior and what he would do in an attempt to skirt away from his conduct. Because on the one hand, we have this three-page letter where Combs is saying he's sorry and accepting responsibility, and his legal team is arguing he should even have a point reduction for acceptance of responsibility. But here we have other conduct that came out through trial testimony where he is trying to hide what he is doing.

So, I think all of this, it both goes right to the sentencing calculations, but also to the context and the lens in which the judge must view Mr. Combs in determining what kind of individual he is and what the likelihood that he will reoffend would be.

BROWN: What about the drug and weapons possession that federal agents testified about, Elie?

HONIG: Yes. So, that will come in. I mean, it's relevant to the judge's assessment of what type of a person is this, right? He had drugs illegally, had weapons that were possessed illegally with defaced serial numbers, which of course renders that possession illegal. So, count on prosecutors pointing to that fact. You can understand, I think, readily why that would be relevant if a judge is trying to assess is this person a risk moving forward? How dangerous is this person?

And again, though, count on Sean Combs' lawyers citing the refrain that this is not what he was convicted of. They will argue he's not here to be sentenced for whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, he's here to be sentenced on what he was convicted of.

One other notepad that's important. We're going to hear a lot of mentions today, Alyse just talked about the U.S. sentencing guidelines, the federal sentencing guidelines. Those are really important. As Alyse said, there's a lot of nuanced, detailed sort of head-spinning calculations, plus two points for this, minus four points for that. But the thing to know is it is important the judge will calculate a number and say, this is the sentencing guidelines range. Many years ago, that was automatic. Whatever the sentencing guidelines said, that was what the sentence had to be. But that was changed about 20 years ago. So, now that number is really important on the judge, but it's not binding. It's sort of a starting point. So, that's what they mean when they're referring to the U.S. sentencing guidelines.

BROWN: Elliot, I'm curious what you think about the fact that Mia withdrew. She was going to be put forward by the prosecution to give a victim impact statement. She apparently withdrew from doing that today because of the defense's letter saying that she was lying when she called -- when she said she was a victim. And she was a former employee of many years Sean Diddy Combs and recounted multiple alleged instances of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by Combs and testimony during the trial. So, even though she's not giving that statement there today, how might her testimony during the trial factor in?

[10:55:00]

WILLIAMS: It's certainly something the judge can consider. Now, Pam, I really do think there are two different ways to think about Mia and the decision not to have her testify today. One is the backdrop to all of this, which is that sexual assault cases are very difficult for victims and survivors, coming up and testifying forces them to relive acts that they really don't want to want to relive often. And that might have factored into the decision here that it was just risky. It was painful. It was so on.

You know, there's a more cynical way or at least more legalistic way to look at it, which is that it's actually better not to put her on because of the legal risk of the legal cloud over her potential testimony here. All three of these august legal analysts here have made the point that there is some back and forth as to exactly how much prosecutors are allowed to bring in here. Are they allowed to bring in evidence of violence and fraud and coercion that spoke to the RICO accounts, but not the one Sean comes was actually convicted of?

And an argument can be made that bringing in Mia to testify in the first place actually puts the prosecution at some risk if there's an appeal of this down the road. So, maybe it might have been more cautious not to put her on. Again, it would have been heart wrenching, whatever it was, even in light of any legal cloud. So, it's just hard to know what was behind either decision to not put her up.

BROWN: All right. You all stand by. We'll continue to monitor this and we're going to take a quick break.

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[11:00:00]