Inside P Diddy’s alleged ‘brainwashing’ as experts say it’s not a ‘dramatic overstatement’

Published June 3, 2025 By admin with Comments 0

On June 3, an anonymous accuser of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs wrapped up her testimony during the rapper’s sex trafficking trial.

The woman, who goes by the pseudonym Mia, claimed she was sexually abused by Diddy throughout her term of employment as a personal assistant. She described her experience as being allegedly “brain washed,” which made it difficult to leave the situation or speak out earlier.

“‘Brainwashing’ in the context of sex trafficking or sexual assault isn’t a dramatic overstatement, it’s a neuropsychological reality,” specialist psychiatric nurse and solution-focused hypnotherapist Nicola Noél, told The Mirror US. “When someone is traumatized repeatedly, especially within power-imbalanced relationships, the brain does what it must to survive.”

Nicola described the impact of these relationships on a survivor, pointing out that their “internal compass is completely dismantled.” In fact, it even “normalizes fear.” She further pointed out that there is a sort of bond that forms between the survivor and abuser, “referred to as coercive control or trauma bonding.”

Coercive control remains integral to the case against Diddy as prosecutors seek to convict him of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Additionally, he is facing charges of conspiracy racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Additionally, he vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing against him, including those alleged in civil lawsuits.

Brainwashing, according to private practice counselor Dr. Alissa Beuerlein, includes a variety of tactics. She told The Mirror US, “This includes coercive control, such as threats of exposing to others personal things about them to humiliate them and violence in order to remain in control. This also looks like mental manipulation, or brainwashing. A trafficker may break a victim down mentally so far that they may actually believe everything the trafficker says.”

Mia, who claimed to have gone through therapy for the alleged abuse of Diddy, will have a long road to recovery before her, according to Nicola. The psychotherapist said, “Therapy, especially trauma-informed therapy, isn’t a quick fix, it’s a painstaking process of untangling. We work on calming the nervous system, rewiring belief systems shaped by fear, and slowly rebuilding trust, not just in others, but in themselves.

“When a survivor says, ‘I was brainwashed,’ they’re naming something very real, and when they say ‘I’m still untangling it’, they’re telling you that healing is not linear but it is possible.”

Pria Alpern, Clinical Psychologist (Founder and Director) at Center Psychology Group, further elaborated on the possible types of therapy that might help Mia or other survivors recover. She said, “In my work with survivors, we start with safety and stabilization first. Somatic work helps the body begin to recognizes the cues of safety again, especially when the nervous system has been stuck in survival for extended periods of time. EMDR helps reprocess trauma memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity.”

Content retrieved from: https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/p-diddy-brainwash-trafficking-trial-1186353.