Cleveland native Kid Cudi testifies in Diddy trial, alleges Combs blew up his Porsche

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4 days ago

Cleveland native Kid Cudi testifies in Diddy trial, alleges Combs blew up his Porsche Kid Cudi, a Cleveland native, dated Diddy's ex, Cassie Ventura Fine, briefly in 2011.
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Sean Combs' former personal assistant testifies in Diddy trial
George Kaplan, Sean Combs' former personal assistant, testified about his work relationship with the embattled hip-hop mogul.
Rapper Kid Cudi testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-crimes trial, alleging Combs broke into his home and locked his dog in a bathroom after learning Cudi was dating Cassie Ventura Fine.
Cudi also alleges Combs was responsible for firebombing with his car with a Molotov Cocktail after the home break-in incident.
Combs is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Testimony also included details of a raid on Combs' Miami mansion where drugs, weapons, baby oil, and lubricant were found.
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
Rapper Kid Cudi took the stand in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-crimes trial, leveling bombshell allegations that Combs broke into his home and locked his dog in a bathroom – and that his vehicle blew up in another incident – after the embattled mogul found out he was dating Cassie Ventura Fine.
The rapper, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, dated Ventura Fine briefly in 2011. But she told the court last week that when Combs learned of their relationship, he lunged at her with a corkscrew and kicked her in the back. On May 22, jurors heard Mescudi's recollection of Combs' alleged abuse.
The incidents are just some of the violent acts prosecutors say Combs undertook during a 20-year scheme to coerce women, including Ventura Fine, to take part in drug-fueled sex parties known as "freak offs" and prevent them from leaving his orbit.
Jurors also heard from George Kaplan, a former assistant who alleged he saw Combs physically abuse multiple women during his time working for the rapper. Mylan Morales, a celebrity makeup artist, also told the court she saw injuries on Ventura Fine.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
Former makeup artist for Cassie recalls fight with Diddy
Following Mescudi's testimony, Morales, a celebrity makeup artist who worked for both Combs and Ventura Fine, recalled a violent January 2010 incident.
Morales remembered falling asleep on a couch in a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she was staying with Ventura Fine the weekend of the Grammy Awards. She woke up when Ventura Fine entered the hotel room, and Combs later burst in and demanded to know where Ventura Fine was.
He went into the bedroom and shut the door, and Morales told jurors she heard 'yelling and screaming.'
'I was just frantic and I didn't know what to do,' Morales said, adding Combs then opened the door and stormed out. She didn't see any injuries on Combs, but she said Ventura Fine 'had a swollen eye, and a busted lip, and knots on her head.'
She said Ventura Fine seemed 'distraught, upset' but refused to go to a hospital.
'I feared for my life because if he could do that to her...' Morales said, before Combs' lawyers interrupted with an objection, protesting that she was going to speculate on what Combs might do to her.
Asked why she didn't call the police, Morales reiterated that she feared for her life, and she never spoke about the incident with Combs or Ventura Fine.
Kid Cudi's dog at center of debate between lawyers
One strange delay in Combs' daily legal proceedings: There was a long exchange between prosecutors and defense lawyers about Mescudi's dog. The defense wanted to make sure that Mescudi didn't testify about the long-term effects the alleged break-in may have had on the dog or how the dog might have been 'traumatized.'
'There might be some dog lovers on the jury,' defense lawyer Brian Steel explained, adding jokingly 'He's not going to testify about what the dog thought …it's a serious issue.'
Combs laughed at exchange, and the lawyers agreed there would be no testimony about how the dog's apparent emotions, but prosecutors could ask about the immediate effects after the break-in.
Kid Cudi calls Diddy 'violent'
The rapper was calm throughout his testimony, at times even quippy and sarcastic.
'Why did you have safety concerns?' Mescudi was asked by Combs' attorneys about his relationship with Ventura Fine, to which hit back 'Because I knew Sean Combs was violent.'
Mescudi described a meeting he had with Combs and Ventura Fine at a private members club known as SoHo house after discovering his car had exploded. Combs said he had no knowledge of the damage, and Mescudi said he felt now and at the time that Diddy 'was lying.'
During a long sidebar among lawyers in the courtroom over Mescudi's comments about his dog, the musician sat with his lips pursed, and appeared to grab his knees, letting out a long sigh. Combs had his hands clasped together and was resting his chin in them, staring forward and not making eye contact with Mescudi.
Kid Cudi pressed on break-in claims, Cassie break-up
During cross-examination, Mescudi said he left his door unlocked the day of the alleged break-in and that there was no forced entry or damage to furniture, just opened Christmas gifts and his dog in the bathroom.
He confirmed that Combs was calm on the phone when they spoke after the alleged incident, not cursing at or threatening him. Asked whether he thought Combs would return to his home with a firearm, Mescudi said 'at that point I didn't know. Maybe he would … This crossed a line.'
Asked about Ventura Fine's reaction to the alleged break in, Mescudi said his one-time girlfriend was 'just really shook by the circumstance of him finding out about us,' he said.
Mescudi confirmed that Ventura Fine had told him about Combs' alleged physical abuse, 'that he would hit her, sometimes kick her.' When asked whether he was in love with her, Mescudi said 'yeah.'
'Ms. Ventura was leading two different lives,' defense lawyer Brian Steel said, to which Combs gave a slight nod. "She played you. That's your words," Steel said, implying that Ventura Fine had made both Combs and Mescudi believe they were the only person she was seeing.
Mescudi nodded and said yes.
When asked about their breakup, Mescudi said they ended things because of 'the drama.'
'It was just getting out of hand' he said, adding he 'just wanted to give it some space, for my safety and for her safety.'
Kid Cudi gives soft-spoken testimony as Diddy sits stoic
Mescudi's testimony was mostly soft-spoken as he recalled a brief courtship with Ventura Fine – and the alleged ire it drew from Combs. Mescudi didn't appear affected by the packed courtroom and frequently asked the prosecution to repeat questions.
Kid Cudi did quip back at Combs' attorneys during his cross-examination. One lawyer asked whether Mescudi and Cassie had an "intimate relationship" and said they did everything together. That included hiking, to which Mescudi retorted, "Exercised? No, no. We watched a movie or two."
Steel said they did drugs together, and Mescudi responded with a mocking, puzzled expression. "When you say drugs, what do you mean?" he asked, adding "we smoked some weed, yeah."
Combs, sitting at the defense table, appeared unphased by Mescudi's testimony, staring forward and not reacting to the fellow rapper's statements. He briefly looked at the photos of the car show to the jury and at one point held his hand up to his mouth, appearing to yawn.
Kid Cudi recalls home break-in after Combs learned of Cassie relationship
Mescudi testified that Combs broke into his home after learning of his relationship with Ventura Fine.
The "Pursuit of Happiness" rapper said the incident started after he received a call in December 2011 from Ventura Fine, who sounded 'scared' and told him Combs had found out about them.
'I didn't think she was still dealing with him,' Mescudi said, adding that he picked up Ventura Fine and took her to a hotel because he wanted to make sure she was safe.
Later in the day, Mescudi said he received a call from Combs' former assistant Capricorn Clark saying the rapper was inside Mescudi's Los Angeles house. Mescudi said he began driving to his home and called Combs on the way, asking if he was inside. Combs, who sounded 'calm,' responded that he was waiting for Mescudi to arrive and that he wanted to speak to him.
Mescudi said that when he arrived at his home his home, no one was inside. But his dog was locked up in the bathroom, whereas Mescudi normally lets his dog roam around the house freely. Some gifts he received from the luxury brand Chanel had also been opened.
The rapper told the court he reacted to the alleged break in by getting back in his car and calling Combs again because he wanted to 'confront' and 'fight him.'
Combs said he was willing to meet with Mescudi, but after Mescudi reconsidered 'the gravity of the situation,' he decided against it. 'I didn't know who he was with,' he said. 'I didn't know what his intentions were.' Mescudi said he called the police and made a report.
After the incident, he also said he saw changes in his dog's behavior, as the animal became "jittery and on edge all the time."
Kid Cudi alleges Diddy blew up his car with Molotov Cocktail
In January 2012, Mescudi said he got a call from his dogsitter saying that his car was on fire. Mescudi told the court that by the time he returned home, law enforcement officers were on the scene and he saw a Molotov cocktail and the major damage to his vehicle.
Jurors were then shown photos of the destroyed Porsche. There was a large hole in the roof of the car, and smoke damage on the car doors and interiors.
The testimony is setting the stage for an expected argument that Combs orchestrated the explosion.
The incident came weeks after Mescudi said he went to Connecticut with Ventura Fine to visit her family for Christmas. During that time, Combs texted him a couple times, wanting to speak and 'get to the bottom of it.'
Combs had he was 'in the dark' about his relationship with Ventura Fine, but Mescudi responded: 'You broke into my house. You messed with my dog. I don't really wanna talk to you.'
What did Cassie say about Kid Cudi relationship?
Cassie testified that she dated Kid Cudi for a "brief period" in 2011. She said she got a burner phone for calling Mescudi so Combs wouldn't find out about the relationship.
However, Combs did discover it when he looked through her phone during an alleged freak off. She said he then lunged at her with a wine bottle opener. The opener didn't hit her, and she ran off.
Ventura Fine later went to Combs' house to resolve things. She testified that he was "irate" and threatened to release freak off videos of her. He also allegedly kicked her in the back on her way out, leaving a bruise.
Ventura Fine later sent an email to her mother and an assistant of Combs, Capricorn Clark, saying Combs threatened to release two "explicit sex tapes" of her, one on Christmas Day and the second soon after. She said Combs also told her he would have someone else physically hurt both her and Mescudi while he was out of the country.
Cassie testified that she broke off the relationship with Kid Cudi because it was too dangerous to continue given Diddy's threat to hurt them.
Former Combs assistant testifies he saw Diddy abuse Cassie
George Kaplan, a former assistant for Combs, testified that he witnessed Combs physically abuse Ventura Fine while they were all traveling to Las Vegas on a plane.
He recalled hearing glass break and shatter during the flight and looking back to see Combs standing over Ventura Fine, holding a whisky glass above her. Ventura Fine was on her back with her legs up, trying to create space, and Combs was 'angry,' he said.
There was a 'tremendous commotion,' Kaplan testified, and Ventura Fine screamed, 'Isn't anybody seeing this?'
Kaplan said no one on the plane did anything to help her, adding that he personally did not intervene because he feared checking on Ventura Fine would jeopardize his career.
In another instance in 2015, Kaplan said he walked into the bedroom at Combs' home and found Ventura Fine lying on the bed crying, appearing to have a bruise above her right eye. Kaplan said Combs 'asked me to pick up several over-the-counter lotions,' including witch hazel, which Kaplan later learned they used to create an anti-swelling mixture.
Kaplan said he resigned at the end of 2015 because he wasn't 'comfortable or aligned with the physical behavior I had seen' and felt guilty about covering up alleged abuse.
Kaplan recalls alleged abuse of model Gina Huynh
Kaplan also recalled an incident at Combs' Miami house where the rapper "threw a bunch of green apples" at model Gina Huynh.
The apples were in a decorative bowl displayed near the entrance of the house. Combs was "very angry," Kaplan said, throwing the apples "hard" as Huynh was "trying to shield herself."
Despite seeing the violence, Kaplan said he left and assumed the behavior was normal for the entertainment industry. The same night, Kaplan said he heard a commotion near the front gate of the home between Huynh and other male voices who were screaming.
Huynh reportedly dated Combs on-and-off during the late 2010s.
Former Diddy assistant says he 'desperately did not want' to testify
The court saw a text message that Kaplan sent to Combs in 2018 that featured a photo of Kim Porter on horseback on a beach. The text read: 'No possible words rn. I am so so sorry and sending all of my condolences. Please hang in there. Love you.'
Porter was Combs' on-and-off partner from the 1990s into the 2000s. She died in 2018 of pneumonia, and she's the mother of four of Combs' seven children.
When asked how Porter compared to other girlfriends, such as Ventura Fine, Kaplan said, 'she was a special figure to him,' and 'she was vaunted above' the title of mere girlfriend.
Kaplan praised Combs' children to the jurors and repeatedly spoke highly of the professional opportunities the rapper gave him in his former role. Still, he said, he only showed up to the courtroom because he was subpoenaed by federal officials.
'I desperately did not want to come here,' he said, and he and Combs nodded to each other as he walked by on this way out.
Who is Kid Cudi?
Cudi is an award-winning rapper from Cleveland, Ohio, who has released 10 studio albums, beginning with his 2009 debut "Man on the Moon: The End of Day." He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. He's 41 years old.
Outside of his music career, Cudi has also acted in films like "X" and "Silent Night" and shows like "Westworld" and "Knuckles."
Does Kid Cudi have a wife?
Cudi is not married, but he announced his engagement to menswear designer Lola Abecassis Sartore in November.
Why is Diddy on trial?
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling lawsuit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September 2024 and has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
What is racketeering?
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors claim they have video of.
Where can I watch the Diddy trial?
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff; Reuters
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