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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former protégé Aubrey O’Day has confirmed that she will not be testifying in the former rapper’s ongoing sex-trafficking trial.
In 2005, the 41-year-old singer rose to fame when she appeared on Diddy’s MTV show “Making the Band” and became a member of the girls’ group Danity Kane. On May 14, O’Day shared a post on her Instagram Story that fueled speculation that she would testify as a witness at the highly-publicized federal trial in New York City.
“Hey New York!!! Where y’all think I should head first?” O’Day wrote in a video taken in Manhattan. The former Danity Kane member added a balance emoji, which is a common symbol of justice.
However, O’Day set the record straight during an appearance on the first episode of the podcast “Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial.”
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“No, I’m not here to testify for the Diddy trial — that I know of,” O’Day said when questioned by hosts Robach and Holmes.
However, O’Day went on to claim that government officials had reached out to her regarding the trial.
“I was contacted by [the Department of] Homeland Security and I did have a meeting with Homeland Security,” she said, noting that she had been asked not to provide further details about the meeting.
“I posted on my Instagram that I was here in New York and enjoying myself because I wanted to make it clear to everyone that I am not here testifying,” O’Day explained.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was the government agency that conducted the raids on Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment.
When Holmes pointed out that the podcast was being recorded “right up the street from where the trial is taking place,” O’Day said, “I didn’t even realize that.”
Despite earlier reports that O’Day would be testifying, People magazine reported that the TV personality was not subpoenaed by the prosecution or the defense.
The trial against Diddy began May 12 at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Authorities charged Diddy with multiple counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution in an indictment unsealed in September 2024.
The Bad Boy Records founder has denied the allegations made against him and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura testified for four days against the former rap mogul. The 38-year-old became emotional at times as she sat on the witness stand detailing the alleged abuse that she suffered during her relationship with Diddy, whom she dated from 2007 to 2018.
Her husband, Alex Fine, was in court throughout his pregnant wife’s testimony.
Cassie claimed she was physically abused and forced into participating in “freak offs,” where Diddy would coerce her into having sex with a male escort while he watched.
Though O’Day was not involved with the court proceedings, her former Danity Kane bandmate Dawn Richard testified to allegedly witnessing Diddy assaulting Cassie in 2009. Richard told the court on Friday that one day after an alleged altercation in which she “observed Cassie being attacked,” the “Last Night” rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship.
O’Day first crossed paths with Diddy while competing on season three of MTV’s “Making The Band” nearly two decades ago. Three years later, the rapper fired O’Day from Danity Kane during the season four finale.
Years before Diddy’s arrest, O’Day had spoken out about her contentious history with the rapper on multiple occasions – often alluding to his past allegedly abusive behavior.
“[Diddy] plays one of the dirtiest games there is around,” O’Day previously told Cosmopolitan of her former boss.
During an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in 2022, O’Day claimed she was let go because she “wasn’t willing to do what was expected of [her] – not talent-wise, but in other areas.”
After Diddy was hit with additional allegations of sexual misconduct by 120 accusers, including minors, in October, O’Day spoke up on X (formerly Twitter), claiming his “behavior could’ve been stopped,” but said his arrest is a “win for all women.”
On Saturday, O’Day shared her thoughts on the trial in a statement to People Magazine.
“This trial is bittersweet for me, as I’ve been speaking the truth about Diddy for 20 years now,” she said.
The singer went on to explain why she had teamed up with Holmes and Robach to cover the trial in their new podcast.
“This podcast is the first step in reclaiming my voice and career that I was robbed of when I was abruptly fired from my band in order to appear discredited,” O’Day said.
“My heart goes out to all the victims, especially those who could have been spared, had anyone taken these claims seriously prior,” she added.
“My sincere hope is that justice will prevail and for there to be further systemic changes within the music industry to prevent all forms of abuse from those in a position of power.”
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
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