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In the mid-2000s, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs set out to build the next big girl group — and he did it with cameras rolling. On MTV’s Making the Band 3, viewers watched as Combs transformed raw talent and fierce ambition into Danity Kane, a powerhouse pop and R&B group. Combs handpicked five women who could sing, dance, and dominate the charts. And now that Combs is on trial for sex trafficking, the women of Danity Kane are speaking out. Here’s what D. Woods and Aubrey O’Day have to say now that Combs’ trial is nearly over.

Danity Kane member D. Woods believes she and Aubrey O’Day will not be safe if Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is not convicted

As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex‑trafficking trial enters its final stretch, the 55‑year‑old music mogul faced closing arguments after nearly seven weeks of explosive testimony and legal drama. Prosecutors allege that Combs orchestrated a two‑decade criminal enterprise, engaging in racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transporting individuals for prostitution. Danity Kane member Aubrey O’Day remains vocal in her support for the victims. She spoke out against Combs in the past, noting his horrific behavior toward her and the other women of Danity Kane: Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, D. Woods, and Aundrea Fimbres.

In a recent episode of iHeartRadio’s Aubrey O’Day, Covering The Diddy Trial, O’Day and Woods spoke about Combs’ trial and the mistreatment they experienced on Making the Band. O’Day then asked Woods an important question: “Do you think the verdict, whether he gets off or goes in, do either of those verdicts make a significant shift in the music industry?”

“I think it will make a shift … but I don’t know if it will change anything,” Woods answered. “So many people are in cahoots, and so many people benefit off of the way things are. … And I think people just get more careful. They won’t change for the better, they’ll just get more careful. It might even mean that more victims are ostracized and blackballed, as we were.”

O’Day asked Woods if she thinks people will feel “in danger” if Combs walks free.

“Yes, including us,” Woods said.

D. Woods answered said she and the other Danity Kane members are still ‘learning new facts’

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‘Making the Band’ Star Aubrey O’Day Recalls Sexual Comments P. Diddy Made to Her on the Show

During the podcast episode, Aubrey O’Day and D. Woods recounted the mistreatment they experienced at the hands of the MTV series Making the Band.

“It’s very clear that we were in a very unhealthy situation, and a lot of people knew,” O’Day said while speaking to Woods. “Let’s stop acting like nobody was on set and nobody knew. There were chairs being thrown; there were lawsuits occurring during the making of it. There were temper tantrums; there was choking; there were people coming in with f***ed-up faces … there were a lot of things going on.” She added that she frequently heard the phrase “cameras down” whenever unsavory behavior took place.

D. Woods commented on how it feels to take a step back and see the bigger picture years later.

“We were in it, so seeing the forest for the trees right now is a big thing,” she explained. “Hindsight being 20/20 — and it ain’t even 20/20, because we’re learning new facts.”

Closing arguments from the government note Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs created a ‘climate of fear’

Aubrey O’Day and D. Woods aren’t afraid to share their feelings regarding Sean “Diddy” Combs as his trial comes to a close. On Thursday, June 26, 2025, prosecutor Christy Slavik delivered closing arguments from the government. Slavik focused on the racketeering and sex trafficking counts, according to CNN. Slavik also focused on how Combs created a “climate of fear,” particularly for Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who didn’t feel safe walking away from the relationship.

Combs “created a climate of fear that can’t be isolated to one moment in time,” Slavik explained. “Cassie did not have the freedom to make voluntary adult choices.”

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. 

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