Diddy‘s federal sex trafficking trial got underway on Monday (May 5), but another storm is brewing as the case impacts his extended family.
Misa Hylton and R&B legend Mary J. Blige are embroiled in a legal case that captivated the internet, but Hylton’s lawyer said the Diddy matter has shaken the family up.
Nicholas Ramcharitar, Hylton’s counsel, told AllHipHop she’s a great mother trying to protect her children.
“The number one thing I can say about Misa Hylton is that she is a wonderful mother,” he said. “She has beautiful kids. Both Christian and Justin are fantastic young men. I’ve had the opportunity to meet them, work with them in some capacity, and it’s clear they are a testament to how well Misa and Sean raised them.”
Ramcharitar also stated it’s been difficult to maintain normalcy in the midst of the legal chaos: “Now, with the trial going on, the kids being close to their father, and Misa maintaining a great working relationship with Sean, it’s been tough.”
Ramcharitar also revealed that the legal action against Mary J. Blige for alleged breach of contract over rapper Vado has impacted his client emotionally. According to the complaint, Vado, who’s signed to Blige’s imprint, was removed from key music opportunities, including tours and recording sessions. Misa Hylton maintains that this is in violation of their agreement.
Ramcharitar said she tried to avoid it.
“This has taken a real emotional toll on her,” he said. “We genuinely tried everything we could to avoid this. Misa would call me five, six times a day. She’d call my office staff just as much, asking, ‘How do we keep her out of this? How do we not involve Mary?’ Because she didn’t want this. This isn’t what she needed right now.
“But unfortunately, it became warranted. And yeah, it’s taken a toll. She’s not happy about it. This is not something we wanted to do. We tried for nearly a year to avoid this. But the breach had serious financial consequences for Misa, and it left Vado in limbo.”
Hylton is a trailblazing fashion architect credited with defining early Bad Boy style and co-parenting her son Justin Combs.
The lawsuit against Blige comes just as Diddy, Blige’s longtime friend and collaborator, begins one of the most high-profile criminal trials in entertainment history.
Diddy faces a sweeping federal indictment that includes charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transporting women across state lines for illegal purposes. The government alleges that over the span of two decades, the mogul used his influence to create a network of coercion and abuse.
For Hylton, who shares a son with Diddy and has remained connected to both him and Blige through decades of friendship and collaboration, the timing couldn’t be more complicated.
Diddy’s trial began today with jury selection under tight security. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors are expected to present testimony and evidence, including the 2016 surveillance video involving his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. His legal team will argue that all relationships were consensual.
But for Hylton, she’s involved in two personal fallouts related to two people she once called family.
“She didn’t want this,” Ramcharitar said. “She’s not happy. But she’s standing on what’s right.”
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