On Monday, the sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs unfolded in Manhattan, with three witnesses taking the stand to corroborate and elaborate on the alleged physical and emotional abuse inflicted by the defendant upon his former long-term partner, Cassie Ventura. Ventura herself had earlier detailed her turbulent years with the embattled rap mogul from the witness box.
Ventura, once a member of the girl group Danity Kane and later part of Combs' trio Diddy-Dirty Money for three years until its dissolution in 2012, gained fame through Combs' MTV reality series "Making the Band." This show often portrayed Combs issuing harsh commands and insults to the members of Danity Kane, teetering into abusive behavior.
Richard, who filed a lawsuit against Combs in September accusing him of physical and sexual abuse, recounted a harrowing incident in court on Friday. She alleged witnessing Combs beat Ventura with a skillet filled with eggs in 2009, choking her, and dragging her by her hair upstairs at his Los Angeles residence. Following this alleged assault, Richard testified that Combs threatened them, warning, "if we said anything, we could go missing" and hinting at even graver consequences: "we could die."
Richard further revealed that those close to Combs were cautioned to stay out of his personal relationships, lest they face severe repercussions. She recounted Combs' chilling warning: "Stay out of my relationship or else we would pay for it, or else something bad would happen to you."
Prosecutors are leveraging Richard's testimonies from Friday and Monday to demonstrate a consistent pattern of behavior by Combs, while also reinforcing Ventura's account of a decade-long abuse. Richard affirmed from the stand that she had witnessed numerous instances of violence, which the jury had heard and seen on hotel surveillance footage last week.
"He frequently punched her, choked her, slapped her mouth, kicked her, and punched her in the stomach," Richard vividly described to the Manhattan courtroom. "It could stem from Cassie asserting herself. It could be arbitrary. It could be due to her expressing her own opinions. She would often remain silent, but whenever she dared to stand up for herself, he would retaliate with violence."
The defense team's approach was to scrutinize Richard's testimony, highlighting inconsistencies in her accounts of her time around Combs. This included the skillet incident and her observations about Combs carrying firearms. Richard conceded from the stand that her narrative of these events had evolved over time but emphasized that she had recalled more details as time passed.
Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed out to Richard that in a previous interview, she had claimed Combs had remarked, "this was a love thing," and had never mentioned any talk of "people going missing" at the time of the incident.
In September, Richard initiated legal proceedings against Combs, leveling accusations of both physical and sexual assault. On Friday, she recounted to the court a harrowing tale of witnessing Combs strike Ventura with a frying pan laden with eggs in 2009, his arm tight around her neck as he hauled her upstairs by her hair at his Los Angeles residence. Subsequent to this alleged episode, Richard testified that Combs issued a chilling warning: "If we utter a word, we might vanish" and "face the grim reaper." She further revealed from the witness stand that those ensconced within Combs' inner circle were cautioned to steer clear of his personal relationships, lest they too would "bear the brunt" or "suffer dire consequences."
In September, Richard initiated legal proceedings against Combs, leveling accusations of both physical and sexual assault. On Friday, she recounted to the court a harrowing tale of witnessing Combs strike Ventura with a frying pan laden with eggs in 2009, his arm tight around her neck as he hauled her upstairs by her hair at his Los Angeles residence. Subsequent to this alleged episode, Richard testified that Combs issued a chilling warning: "If we utter a word, we might vanish" and "face the grim reaper." She further revealed from the witness stand that those ensconced within Combs' inner circle were cautioned to steer clear of his personal relationships, lest they too would "bear the brunt" or "suffer dire consequences."
Prosecutors are leveraging Richard's testimonies from Friday and Monday to underscore a consistent pattern of behavior exhibited by Combs, while also reinforcing Ventura's assertions of enduring a decade-long ordeal of abuse at his hands. From the witness box, Richard affirmed her eyewitness accounts of numerous violent episodes, which the jury had meticulously heard and witnessed through hotel surveillance footage the previous week. "He would punch her, choke her, slap her across the face, kick her, and punch her in the stomach with alarming frequency," Richard narrated to the Manhattan courtroom. "These assaults could stem from Cassie asserting herself, or they could be unprovoked. Whenever she dared to speak her mind, he would retaliate by inflicting pain upon her."
The defense's tactic revolved around dissecting Richard's testimony and highlighting contradictions in her narratives concerning her time in Combs' company, encompassing the frying pan incident and her observations of Combs' firearm possession. On the stand, Richard conceded that her accounts of these occurrences and observations had evolved over time but clarified that, as her memory sharpened, she had been able to recall more intricate details. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed out to Richard an earlier interview where she had claimed Combs had remarked, "this was a matter of love," and that the mention of "people going missing" was an omission at that juncture.
The intense envy that characterized Combs' and Ventura's relationship was attested to by Morgan on the witness stand, who, by her own account, had been a close observer throughout most of their years together. Ventura harbored jealousy towards Combs' ex-wife, Kim Porter, with whom he shared children and celebrated holidays, sidelining Ventura on those significant occasions. Conversely, the mogul became envious of actor Michael B. Jordan when Ventura struck up a conversation with him while she was filming a movie out of town.
During her testimony last week, Ventura recounted to the court how she and Combs had separated during her several weeks-long stay in South Africa for a film project. It was during this time, she said, that she engaged in conversation with the actor, sparking Combs' jealousy.
Morgan recounted to the court a harrowing incident in 2018, when she and Ventura were in the singer's apartment enjoying music, only to be attacked by three rap moguls. She narrated how Combs grabbed her by the neck, leaving finger marks, and struck her head with a wooden hanger. "He sneaked up from behind, choked me, and hit me behind my right ear with the hanger," she told the court, adding that Combs was accusing her of cheating at the time of the attack. "Cassie was in the bathroom."
Ventura, gathering her belongings, fled the apartment with Morgan, who later took her to a local urgent care facility to check for concussions. Morgan explained to the court how she felt dizzy and had "vomited a few times" following the alleged assault. Although she hired a lawyer, Morgan never pursued legal action against Combs, instead signing a nondisclosure agreement and receiving $30,000 from him. This incident, and Ventura's subsequent response to it, marked the end of their long-standing friendship, she testified.
"The reason I ceased communication with her was her lack of support after that incident. I cannot condone physical abuse," Morgan stated, later informing the jury, "We haven't spoken since. The night of the assault was the last time I spoke to Sean, and the last time I saw Cassie was when I signed the NDA."
The final witness of Monday was Sean James, a former assistant to Combs, who vividly described to the court how security personnel surrounding Combs were always armed. When he inquired about it, he was instructed to "stay in your lane." James became emotional on the stand as he recounted how an executive pointed to a picture of the wealthy mogul on the wall, captioned: "This is Mr. Combs' kingdom, and we are all here to serve in it."
James also recounted a conversation he had with Ventura about Combs and their relationship: "He controls my career, pays my allowance, and pays my rent," she had said, according to his testimony. James is scheduled to return on Tuesday for another hour of questioning before cross-examination.
