Aubrey O'Day Clarifies Whether She'll Testify In Diddy's Trial After Being 'Contacted By Homeland Security'

Aubrey O'Day addressed the possibility of her testifying in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial, despite meeting with Homeland Security.

On a podcast, she voiced support for Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, the rapper's ex, calling her testimony "honest" and "horrific."

Aubrey O'Day highlighted the text exchanges between Cassie and Diddy as signs of grooming and control.

O'Day recently confirmed she will not be testifying in the ongoing sex trafficking trial of her former mentor, Diddy, despite reportedly being contacted by Homeland Security.

Speaking on the premiere episode of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes's iHeartRadio podcast, O'Day addressed the speculation directly: "No, I'm not here to testify for the Diddy trial, that I know of."

O'Day rose to fame as the frontwoman of Danity Kane, the girl group formed under Diddy's Bad Boy Records after winning MTV's "Making the Band 3" in 2005. Over the years, she has publicly criticized Diddy and even referred to his recent indictment as a "win for women."

These past comments, combined with her presence in New York and activity on social media, sparked rumors that she might be called to the stand as the trial entered its fifth day on Friday.

Although the "Show Stopper" singer revealed that she was indeed "contacted by Homeland Security" and even sat down for a meeting with them, she emphasized that her presence in New York has nothing to do with testifying in Diddy's ongoing trial.

"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," she explained on the podcast, per the Daily Mail.

On the podcast, O'Day also shared her reaction to the emotional testimony of Cassie, the former longtime girlfriend of Diddy and the central witness in his ongoing sex trafficking trial in New York.

Cassie, now 38, has accused Diddy of forcing her to participate in hundreds of sexual encounters, referred to as "Freak Offs," throughout their relationship, which began in 2006 when she was just 19 and he was 36.

Their relationship continued until 2018, when she ended things and later came forward with her allegations.

Reflecting on Cassie's testimony, O'Day described it as deeply moving and authentic: "It feels very honest. It feels very open, vulnerable, horrific."

The "Damaged" singer also expressed admiration for Cassie's personal growth, noting how the singer now interprets her past through a more empowered lens.

O'Day noted: "Sometimes I hear her discuss things that she did then and how now she would never, she understands it differently, and that makes me feel like so happy for her that she's come, you know, because I don't know her as a mom, so like to understand that she made that evolution and went to the other side of viewing all of it made me feel like really proud of her."

She further acknowledged the pain behind Cassie's journey, saying, "It's horrific that she had to go through go through so much."

O'Day opened up about a particularly disturbing portion of Cassie's testimony that involved a text message exchange between Cassie and Diddy, one she believes reveals the manipulative tactics of an abuser.

"You know, there was one part of the testimony that was so telling," O'Day said on the podcast. "It's not even anything anyone's really touching on, but there was a transcript that I read that went something like, 'I don't really, or can we talk? I wanted to bring something up to you,' and he's like, 'Okay, yeah, you know you don't want to do the freak out now. You [are] so predictable.'"

"That's a very... It's a statement that groomers make," the singer continued. "If you've ever dated anyone that doesn't really love you, and is like abusive usually, and pushing you into things."

She explained that such tactics are meant to shut down autonomy and reinforce control. "It doesn't even have to be sexual. It could be anything they want you to do. It's like almost training a child, right, like, 'Oh, you want to bring up this? You [are] so predictable, like you [are] just like the rest of them.'"

O'Day went on to describe how victims can be made to question their instincts and submit: "And then you get that feeling as a woman to be like no, wait, I'm not I promise you then talk yourself back into an idea, same way when she was brutally abused in that hallway."

She referenced another part of the testimony where Diddy reportedly texted Cassie, "I'm about to get arrested. The police are here," which was later proven false during the trial—no arrest had taken place. "That was to get her to come back," O'Day explained.

She concluded by calling it what it is: "control, coercion, and grooming."

When asked if any part of Cassie's testimony came as a shock, O'Day responded plainly: "No."

The singer said what struck her most wasn't the nature of the claims, but that Cassie "felt so loved in his company, and she felt he made her feel unlike anyone else, and so she would do these things because it was the only time and chance that she got to really spend in that feeling."

She drew a personal parallel to her own experiences in past relationships, expressing empathy for Cassie's choices.

"There are many ways that I have compromised myself," she admitted. "Not in the same ways as Cassie necessarily, but I don't judge her compromise. A compromise is a compromise."

According to O'Day, the emotional toll of self-betrayal is universal. "When you compromise yourself, you're doing the same damage. It really doesn't matter in what area, it's all the same."