Introduction to Dr. Dawn Hughes
In the coming weeks, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will go on trial in separate Manhattan courtrooms. The two defendants face different charges, different judges and different potential punishments.
Common Element: Dr. Dawn Hughes
But the proceedings will share at least one element in common: testimony from a clinical and forensic psychologist named Dawn Hughes.
The upcoming court cases will not be the first time Hughes has played a key role in dramatic legal sagas at the nexus of celebrity and power in the post-#MeToo era. In recent years, Hughes has taken the witness stand in other high-profile sexual misconduct trials that drew national attention.
Past Trials
When the NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere went on trial in 2019, Hughes was on hand to explain to jurors how serial sexual abusers “gaslight” their victims. Two years later, Hughes testified at R. Kelly’s federal trial, telling jurors that the R&B singer had subjected victims to “psychological entrapment.” Raniere was found guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking and possession of child pornography. R. Kelly was convicted in 2021 on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a law that bars transporting people across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Defamation Trial
Hughes reached a new level of national awareness after testifying at the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial. She took the stand in May 2022, during the second month of the case, and rendered her professional judgment in no uncertain terms. “Ms. Heard was the victim of intimate partner violence,” Hughes told jurors inside a wood-paneled courtroom in Fairfax County, Virginia. She had based that assessment in part on the nearly 30 hours she spent evaluating Heard, Depp’s ex-wife. He vehemently denied her abuse claims.
Expertise and Qualifications
Hughes’ professional specialties include interpersonal violence, traumatic stress and anxiety disorders, according to her website. She keeps an independent practice in New York City, where she is a clinical assistant professor of psychology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital – Weill Cornell Medical College. Elizabeth Geddes, a former federal prosecutor who was part of the legal team that secured a conviction against R. Kelly in Brooklyn in 2021, said Hughes is skilled at explaining to jurors what many perpetrators of sexual abuse have in common — as well as behaviors commonly exhibited by victims of sexual misconduct.
Upcoming Trials
Combs’ lawyers have forcefully resisted prosecutors’ plans to call Hughes as an expert witness. In a 35-page motion filed earlier this month, the rapper’s team asked a judge to block her from taking the stand, arguing in part that her testimony would be “advocacy masquerading as expertise” and must be “excluded in its entirety.” Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the Combs case, said Friday he plans to rule on the scope of Hughes’ testimony next week. In the Weinstein case, Judge Curtis Farber ruled that Hughes can provide testimony about the psychological and traumatic effects of rape and sexual assault.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen how Weinstein’s and Combs’ lawyers will attempt to puncture Hughes’ expertise as they defend their clients. Weinstein faces one count of rape in the third degree and two counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree. Combs faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy to engage in prostitution. Both men have pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
FAQs
Q: Who is Dr. Dawn Hughes?
A: Dr. Dawn Hughes is a clinical and forensic psychologist who has testified in several high-profile sexual misconduct trials.
Q: What are Dr. Hughes’ areas of expertise?
A: Dr. Hughes’ professional specialties include interpersonal violence, traumatic stress and anxiety disorders.
Q: What trials has Dr. Hughes testified in?
A: Dr. Hughes has testified in the trials of Keith Raniere, R. Kelly, and Johnny Depp-Amber Heard, among others.
Q: What is Dr. Hughes expected to testify about in the upcoming trials?
A: Dr. Hughes is expected to testify about the psychological and traumatic effects of rape and sexual assault in the Weinstein case, and about the dynamics of victimization and abuse of power in the Combs case.
