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Diddy's legal team recently filed a motion to remove the claims made by clinical psychologist Dr. Dawn Hughes in her testimony on May 21, 2025. The lawyers alleged in the motion that Hughes did not follow the limits of the court, and her claims should be removed as they could influence the jury, as per a report by Yardbarker dated May 26, 2025.
Diddy's attorney, Alexandra A.E. Shapiro, mentioned in the legal documents that Hughes used the prosecutors' questions to deliver speeches that shifted into "outright advocacy." Shapiro also said in the motion:
“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.”
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Shapiro said that Dr. Dawn Hughes' testimony often included information not directly relevant to the questions asked, and therefore, diverted focus from the topics being discussed in court.
Hughes' testimony also received criticism as she said in her testimony that a person should not be considered dishonest if they are unable to recollect certain memories. In addition, Shapiro continued addressing the issues with Dawn's testimony and stated:
“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.”
According to All Hip Hop, the court did not allow Dr. Dawn Hughes to speak about how to deal with coping strategies, memory, and delayed disclosure. Apart from that, the clinical psychologist was told to address only the necessary details related to the reasons why abuse victims stay in relationships. She was also restricted from speaking on coercive control and analyzing the motivations of the abusers.
Dr. Dawn Hughes testifies about why victims remain in abusive relationships
Vibe magazine reported that the defense told the court during the psychologist's testimony that she did not know the complete details of Diddy's ongoing case. Notably, Hughes was told to speak up on the impact of abusive relationships.
Dr. Dawn Hughes said in her testimony that domestic violence victims preferred to stay with their alleged abusers since they believed that they didn't have other options. Hughes stated that victims feel like they are trapped in a relationship and added:
“Sexual abuse can bring shame and humiliation, which leads victims to worry about keeping this harm private – which again keeps them from seeking an ultimate end to a bad relationship. Victims suffering from psychological abuse walk on eggshells and focus on how to stay safe in the moment rather than a big picture solution, such as exiting a toxic relationship.”
As per People magazine, Hughes elaborated on why the reporting of abuse cases takes many years, saying that the victims prefer to open up about the assaults by unknown individuals at first instead of their partners.
According to Dr. Dawn Hughes' LinkedIn page, she has been a clinical and forensic psychologist since 1997. She was previously a program co-chairman for the Trauma Psychology Division for a year and has been an expert in psychological problems common in the legal system and professional workplace.
