Diddy's Team Tries to Shut Down Expert Witness From Depp-Heard Trial, Citing 'Narrative Spin'
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team has officially filed a motion in federal court to prevent forensic psychologist Dr. Dawn Hughes from testifying in his trial, claiming her testimony would unfairly bias jurors against him.
Hughes, who previously testified on behalf of actress Amber Heard during her 2022 defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp, is expected to offer testimony addressing the concept of coercive control and "mind games" allegedly used by abusers.
However, Diddy's attorney, Alex Spiro, contends that Hughes never directly knew anything related to the particulars in Combs' case.
"Dr. Hughes comes to court with no knowledge of the actual facts in this case," Spiro stated in the motion, according to court documents obtained by AllHipHop.
Fears About 'Narrative-Building'
Diddy's attorneys said Hughes is a "professional witness" who "simply uses the same talking points over and over and over again in various high-profile matters" in the 25-page filing.
"Her testimony is not grounded in science. It's aimed at painting Mr. Combs as violent and controlling before any fact witness even testifies," Spiro wrote.
The defense argues that the government is trying to use Hughes to weave a narrative rather than present evidence. They go on to say Hughes' expansive definitions of coercion could confuse jurors.
"The evidence in this case will show, for example, that Combs financially supported his girlfriends. That does not count as coercion under the legal definition, but it would count under Hughes's definition," the motion reads.
Previous High-Profile Cases
Apart from Depp-Heard, Dr. Hughes has also testified at a number of high-profile cases, including those of sexual assault icon Harvey Weinstein and that of Danny Masterson.
Diddy's legal team alleges that prosecutors are using Hughes' testimony to suggest a pattern of abuse and hopes jurors will draw their conclusions before hearing direct testimony from accusers.
The filing states that allowing Hughes to testify would unfairly frame the disgraced music mogul's alleged actions as part of a larger systemic issue of abuse, despite her not having interviewed the defendant or any accusers involved in the case.
The court still has to decide whether it will allow Hughes to testify.
