Dawn Richard is opening up about her experiences with Sean "Diddy" Combs, revisiting a chapter that began when she was a contestant vying for a spot in his girl group during the 2004 reality show, 'Making the Band.' As a former member of Danity Kane, Richard has taken the stand in Combs' high-stakes trial, where he faces severe allegations including racketeering, sex trafficking through force, fraud, coercion, and facilitating prostitution.
On May 16, her testimony kicked off with a riveting account of an incident where Combs supposedly threatened his ex-partner, Cassie Ventura, and hit her with a frying pan filled with eggs. Fast forward to May 19, her second day of testimony, and Richard—who later became part of Diddy – Dirty Money post-Danity Kane's disbandment—delved deeper into that harrowing episode.
"He declared, 'You could go missing,' implying our very lives were at risk," Richard recounted, as reported by NBC News. "I was both stunned and terrified, unable to fathom that this ominous start would pave the way for our journey with Dirty Money."
The 41-year-old artist also painted a harrowing picture of Combs' alleged violent behavior towards Ventura, despite his plea of not guilty to the charged against him. "He would punch her, choke her, slap her face, kick her, and punch her in the stomach with alarming frequency," Richard alleged. "It could stem from Cassie asserting herself, it could be arbitrary, or simply because she dared to have an opinion of her own."
She further elaborated, "Cassie often remained silent, but whenever she gathered the courage to stand up for herself, he would retaliate with violence."
After the prosecution's rigorous examination, it was the defense's turn to cross-examine Richard, challenging her assertion about Combs threatening her with death or disappearance. They pointed out that she hadn't mentioned the missing threat detail in earlier interviews with prosecutors in October and March.
Combs' lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, suggested that Richard had previously stated that Combs, 55, had downplayed the incident as a "love thing," without mentioning any threats of people going missing.
"That's not accurate, I don't recall omitting that," Richard countered regarding the love claim, later adding about not previously mentioning the threat, "I didn't remember it; it was a distant memory, and I did my best. I vividly recall every detail I'm sharing with you now."
E! News reached out to Combs' legal representation for comment.
