Dawn Richard testifies she saw Sean ‘Diddy' Combs get violent with Cassie Ventura ‘often'
Dawn Richard testified about how once in 2009 she saw a 'belligerent' Sean 'Diddy' Combs attack Cassie Ventura.
Richard said Combs was 'screaming, belligerent, asking where his food was and proceeded to hit [Ventura] over the head and beat her on the ground in front of us.'
Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs and Dawn Richard perform onstage during the 2010 BET Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
Getty Images
Richard said she saw the Bad Boy Records founder get violent with Ventura 'often.'
Richard — a singer in a band founded by Combs, Danity Kane — described how Combs screamed 'where the f–k was his eggs' and then took a skillet with the eggs inside and tried to his Ventura over the head with the pan.
Ventura managed to partially deflect the pan by balling up into the fetal position on the floor, Richard said.
But then Combs continued the vicious beating by punching and kicking Ventura before putting his arm around her neck, grabbing her hair and dragging her upstairs, Richard testified.
She said she was so shocked and scared that she didn't intervene or go to the police over what she saw and the next day Combs locked Richard and another person in he recording studio in his house and threatened them.
'He said what we saw was passion and what lovers in passionate relationships do,' Richard recalled. 'He said [Ventura] was OK and it would be in our best interests if we didn't say anything.'
Combs told them he was trying to take them to the top of the industry before menacingly saying, 'where he was from, people go missing if they talk,' the witness said.
Then he gave them flowers, Richard said.
She said she understood Combs was threatening 'death.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
The woman at the center of Diddy's inner circle may take the stand
The woman at the center of Diddy's inner circle may take the stand Show Caption Hide Caption Witness describes moment Diddy allegedly held her over a balcony A witness in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-crimes trial testified that he dangled her over a 17-story balcony and threatened to kill her. For weeks, Sean "Diddy" Combs has watched from a courtroom table as witness after witness has taken the stand, unraveling a wide-ranging tale of alleged abuse and conspiracy. The common thread uniting many of the witnesses? They used to work for Combs. Ex-assistants, stylists and artists for his label Bad Boy Records have come forward – some willingly and some not – and testified about a man whose status as a public icon allegedly enabled him to be a private monster. On Thursday, June 5, a statement from prosecutors that they may have caught the big kahuna: Kristina "KK" Khorram, Combs' former chief of staff and right-hand woman. In an aside with the judge, lawyers for the government called Khorram "an agent and co-conspirator," marking the first time she has been referred to that way. The language implies Khorram has likely reached an agreement with the prosecution and will testify. Diddy Inc.: How Sean Combs' closest aides are unraveling his jet set empire in court Should she take the stand, she would likely be the closest person inside Combs' alleged criminal enterprise to do so. The government has accused the music mogul of leading a Promethean lifestyle powered by wealth and fame and propelled relentlessly forward by a combination of intimidation, manipulation, violence and even rape. To accomplish that, Combs enlisted an entourage of paid support staff and enablers who lived a life most mortals could only dream of – lavish, nonstop and, like Combs himself, at the white-hot center of fame, money and power atop the entertainment world, prosecutors say. And at the center of it was Khorram. In March, two months before Combs' trial began, she denied any involvement in the case or the flurry of civil lawsuits aimed at her "former boss," calling any allegations "untrue." "For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss," Khorram's statement read. "These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone. "The idea that I could be accused of playing a role in – or even being a bystander to – the rape of anyone is beyond upsetting, disturbing, and unthinkable," the statement continued. "That is not who I am and my heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault." If Khorram testifies, she will join a growing cadre of ex-employees who allegedly helped Combs run his empire, and now may be the cause of its undoing. Diddy team admits to violence, but not sex trafficking. Will the jury see a difference? Some legal experts say their testimony, and that of more insiders to come, will bolster prosecutors' allegations that Combs oversaw a movable party operation that crossed the line into becoming a global criminal enterprise designed to "fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct." "It seems like each and every day, the testimony gets worse and worse for Sean Combs," said David Ring, a civil trial lawyer specializing in sexual assault cases who represented one of Harvey Weinstein's victims in a civil case, in a previous interview with USA TODAY. "And I think we're going to see more employees come forward who have to admit on the stand that they enabled these criminal actions because they felt like they were pressured into it." Contributing: Josh Meyer, Jay Stahl
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SCOTUS Eases Path for 'Reverse Discrimination' Lawsuits
An exterior view of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 20, 2024. Credit - Andrew Harnik—Getty Images Lawsuits for 'reverse discrimination' will face an easier path after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously sided on Thursday with a woman who argued that she was passed over for a promotion and later demoted because she is straight. The court's ruling is a departure from previous court decisions that have set a higher bar in cases where people who are part of a majority group, such as those who are white and straight, filed lawsuits alleging discrimination under federal civil rights law. But the Supreme Court said in its ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, among other characteristics, 'draws no distinctions between majority-group plaintiffs and minority-group plaintiffs. Rather, the provision makes it unlawful 'to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.'' 'By establishing the same protections for every 'individual'—without regard to that individual's membership in a minority or majority group—Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone,' Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote for the court. The case was brought by Marlean Ames against the Ohio Department of Youth Services, where she started working in 2004. In 2019, she applied for a promotion, but was turned down and a colleague with less seniority—who was a lesbian woman—received the promotion instead. Ames was later demoted and her previous role was given to another colleague who had less seniority, a gay man. She sued under Title VII, alleging in her lawsuit that she was denied the promotion and then demoted due to her sexual orientation. Her supervisors, however, said Ames was passed over for the promotion because she didn't have the vision and leadership skills needed for the role and demoted because they had concerns about her leadership skills. Lower courts had previously ruled against Ames, saying her lawsuit failed to demonstrate 'background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.' But the Supreme Court ruled that requirement was 'not consistent with Title VII's text or our case law construing the statute.' Contact us at letters@
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Phil Mickelson Drops a Bomb on US Open at Oakmont Being His Last
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. For years, Phil Mickelson has chased the one major that would complete his Grand Slam. An exclusive circle that includes Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. But after six runner-up finishes and decades of near misses, it looks like Lefty has convinced himself to let go. Mickelson had a disappointing show at the Masters, where he missed the cut, and another early exit at the PGA Championship. Now, with his U.S. Open exemption set to expire, the 54-year-old dropped a bombshell at LIV Golf Virginia. BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Phil Mickelson of the United States acknowledges the crowd from the ninth green during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17,... BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Phil Mickelson of the United States acknowledges the crowd from the ninth green during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by) More Getty Images "I haven't thought about it too much," Mickelson said when asked if he thought Oakmont might be his last U.S. Open. "There's a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven't really thought about it too much," he admitted, leaving room for speculation. This will be Lefty's 34th U.S. Open appearance— credit to his 5-year exemption earned from the 2021 PGA Championship win, where he became the oldest major champion at 50. But beyond 2025, his road back looks uncertain. LIV Golf offers only two qualification spots for the 2026 U.S. Open—one for topping the 2025 season standings and another for sitting in the top three by May 2026. If Mickelson wants another shot, he'd need a dominant LIV season, which, based on his recent performances, and his age, feels highly unlikely. Before his supposedly final show at the US Open, the 6-time major winner will be swinging clubs at LIV Golf Virginia, which mirrors Oakmont's conditions. And Phil wants to focus on that, treating it as an unofficial warm-up. "What I have thought about is how similar this week's course is set up to what we'll see next week," Mickelson explained. Phil Mickelson says there's a "high likelihood" that next week is his final U.S. Open. 👀 The U.S. Open is the last leg missing for him to complete the career grand slam. — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 4, 2025 "We have greens that are rolling 14 to 15 on the Stimpmeter, just like we will next week. We have contours, undulations—just like we will next week. I think it's a great way to prepare for next week." He continued, "Short game, touch, chipping around the greens, rough, speed, lag drills, and touch on the greens—all that's critical here. Same thing as next week. It couldn't be a better spot to get ready." A look at Phil Mickelson's US Open heartbreaks The outspoken LIV Golfer's U.S. Open record is brutal. He's finished runner-up six times—including heartbreaks in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013, but never hoisted the trophy. His first heartbreak came in 1999 at Pinehurst, where he lost to Payne Stewart by a single stroke. The moment became even more emotional when Stewart (Phil's ex-caddie) famously told him: "Good luck with the baby. There's nothing like being a father!" This came just before Stewart's tragic passing months later. Then came 2002 at Bethpage Black, where Mickelson finished three shots behind Tiger Woods, unable to close the gap on Sunday. FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 16: Phil Mickelson walks with his caddie during the final round of the 102nd US Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York on June 16,... FARMINGDALE, NY - JUNE 16: Phil Mickelson walks with his caddie during the final round of the 102nd US Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York on June 16, 2002. (Photo By) More Getty Images Perhaps the most painful of all was 2006 at Winged Foot, where Mickelson needed a par on the final hole to win. Instead, he hit a driver off the tee, found the trees, and made a disastrous double-bogey, handing the victory to Geoff Ogilvy. Reflecting on the challenge years ago, Mickelson admitted just how much winning the U.S. Open meant to him: "I think that if I'm able to win the U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam, I think that's the sign of a complete, great player. I'm a leg away. And it's been a tough leg for me." Now, at 54, the coffee lover faces the reality that his U.S. Open exemption is expiring, and his chances in front of the World No. 1, who is currently fully charged, are slim. But if history has proven anything, it's that Lefty has never been one to back down from a fight. More Golf: Bryson DeChambeau Seen Playing Golf at 'TPC White House'
