Diddy’s legal team moved to strike expert testimony from his ongoing trial over the weekend after his attorneys accused the government’s witness of repeatedly ignoring court-imposed limits.
His defense filed an emergency motion to Judge Arun Subramanian asking that the entire testimony of Dr. Dawn Hughes be removed, arguing that her statements were “unfairly prejudicial” and went far beyond what the court had permitted.
Dr. Hughes, a board-certified forensic psychologist known for her work in high-profile cases like Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard and R. Kelly’s federal trial, was called by prosecutors as a “blind expert.”
She did not examine any individuals in the case but offered general insights into trauma, memory and abuse dynamics.
The court had ruled that Hughes could only speak on “coping strategies, delayed disclosure, and memory” and offer limited context on why abuse victims may stay in relationships.
Hughes was explicitly barred from discussing “coercive control” or speculating on the motivations of alleged abusers.
Despite that, Diddy’s attorneys say Hughes repeatedly referenced banned terms like “interpersonal violence” and “coercive control” and that prosecutors encouraged her to do so through their questioning.
“Hughes…continually used the prosecutors’ questions as merely prompts to begin speeches that quickly veered into outright advocacy,” defense attorney Alexandra A.E. Shapiro said.
Shapiro argued that Hughes’ responses often went beyond the scope of the questions, making it difficult for the defense to object in real-time.
“Right off the bat, the government showed that it had no intention of abiding by the Court’s ruling and that whatever instructions it gave Hughes about the permitted scope of her testimony were woefully inadequate,” Shapiro said.
The defense also took issue with Hughes’ tone and delivery, accusing her of trying to emotionally sway jurors by using inclusive language like “we” and “you.”
“Hughes also repeatedly personalized her testimony for the jury, seeking to enlist the jurors’ empathy in her campaign…None of this was accidental. Hughes is a highly experienced witness and knew exactly what she was doing,” Shapiro stated.
Another point of contention was Hughes’ explanation of memory. She told jurors that memory is subjective and that inconsistencies should not be interpreted as dishonesty.
The defense labeled that “junk science” and said it could mislead the jury.
“The government chose to put on an expert witness knowing that the testimony it elicited would violate the Court’s ruling—knowing that if it and its witness pushed hard enough, the defense would not be able to keep out all of the improper and unfairly prejudicial testimony,” Shapiro added.
Diddy’s team wants to strike all of Hughes’ testimony, arguing that the government’s conduct could taint the trial.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday (May 27).
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