Kid Cudi To Testify Thursday In Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sex-Trafficking Trial About Threats Against Him & Cassie Ventura
It's not exactly the rap battle anyone ever likely envisioned, but May 22 will see Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Kid Cudi going head-to-head as the Happy Gilmore 2 star gives testimony in the Bad Boy Records founder's sex-trafficking trial.
Kid Cudi (a.k.a. Scott Mescudi) will take the stand in Judge Arun Subramanian's lower Manhattan courtroom on Thursday, prosecutors confirmed today.
More from Deadline
Violent & Jealous Sean 'Diddy' Combs Demanded $20K 'Recoup', Cassie Ventura's Mother Testifies In Sex-Trafficking Trial; Family Had To Take Out Home Loan To Pay Multi-Millionaire
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds
"Disingenuous Charade": Blake Lively Mocks Justin Baldoni's Long Delayed HR Probe Of Her Sexual Harassment Claims
Starting off Wednesday's hearing before the jury was in the room by informing the judge and defense team that the 'Man on the Moon' rap star would not be testifying today, the feds unveiled at the end of the day, after the jurors had exited, that Kid Cudi would now be in the witness box on Thursday. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey (Yes, as we've noted before, daughter of former FBI Director, U.S. Attorney and Trump foe James Comey), the feds expect Kid Cudi to be a brief witness. Along with the Grammy winner, the prosecution intends to call a total of five witnesses on Thursday – all to be dealt with quite quickly, they insist.
RELATED:
Joining the likes of Cassie Ventura, a couple of male escorts who were paid to have filmed sex with Ventura in the much-discussed 'freak-offs,' Ventura's mother and some law enforcement officials, Mescudi will be the 13th witness for the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York in Combs' criminal case. Like every day of the trial, jury selection and pre-trial hearings, Combs was in court today, and will be tomorrow.
Predicted to last eight weeks, the criminal trial of the much-accused Diddy follows his arrest last September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more. Incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest, after a trio of failed $50 million bail attempts, Diddy has always insisted he is innocent. He has taken the same position in the dozens of civil suits of abuse and assault that have been filed in the court dockets over the past several months. Rejecting a plea deal from the government, Combs could face life behind bars if found guilty in this criminal trial.
RELATED:
From the moment Cassie Ventura filed her very quickly settled ($20 million) abuse and assault suit against ex-boyfriend Combs in late 2023, the name of Kid Cudi has been connected to the self-described 'toxic relationship' between the 'Me & U' singer and the 'All About the Benjamins' performer.
As various filings, plus testimony from Ventura and her mother have stated, the singer and Mescudi had a short romantic relationship in 2012. Along with various threats against the duo, a jealous Combs promised to blow up Kid Cudi's car in his own driveway to keep him away from Ventura. As Ventura's 2023 filing bluntly said: 'Around that time, Kid Cudi's car exploded in his driveway.'
At the time, reps for Kid Cudi confirmed the car destruction from a decade before.
Cudi will testify right after the jury has heard more from former Diddy executive assistant George Kaplan. In court Wednesday under the duress of a subpoena, like fellow Combs ex-EA David James who testified earlier this week, Kaplan entered the witness box around 11:45 a.m. PT.
Detailing his gofer duties today to the court, Kaplan is known to have left Combs' employ after a year, in some part due to the violence he is said to have seen. Before Kaplan, this third day of the second week of Combs' May 12-starting trial heard testimony from psychologist Dawn Hughes and Homeland Security Investigations special agent Gerard Gannon. The latter was involved in the raid on Combs' Miami residence in the spring of 2024.
Along with the Combs' trial, Kid Cudi will be back in lower Manhattan next month in a completely unrelated manner. Co-starring Kiernan Shipka, Brittany Snow, Haley Joel Osment, Cary Elwes and Brandon Scott, the rapper's short vampire themed film Neverland is set to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 7. Directed by Ti West and produced by Jordan Peele, the short is connected to Kid Cudi's latest single of the same name.
Best of Deadline
Everything We Know About 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' So Far
'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British businessman ‘spied for Beijing and tried to smuggle weapons into China'
A British businessman tried to smuggle missiles and drones into China and attempted to silence critics of Xi Jinping, according to an indictment. John Miller is accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party and faces extradition to the US after his arrest in Serbia. The 63-year-old allegedly referred to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance on an artist who created statues mocking the country's leader. In April, Mr Miller was arrested along with 43-year-old Chinese national Cui Guanghai, in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI and is now awaiting extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 20 years. Over two and a half years, Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly employed a wide range of tactics to harass, intimidate, stalk and threaten a Los Angeles resident, known only as 'the victim', who is a public critic of President Xi. 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,' said Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney Miller is a long-time resident of the US, but also owns a £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Companies House records show Mr Miller has held roles in at least five UK companies, including TEFL Jobs China Ltd, which seemed to facilitate English language teaching jobs, but is now dissolved. A few months before the case began in June 2023, Mr Miller went to China where he met with Chinese government officials in Beijing and Liaoning, a province in north-east China that borders North Korea. He also met someone who works for the governor of Liaoning. During the trip, Mr Cui reportedly introduced Mr Miller to two people, who Mr Miller later referred to as 'big mother------s.' Upon his return, he reportedly boasted that 'the trip couldn't have gone better'. The first incident referred to in the indictment occurred shortly after he returned. In October 2023, Mr Miller and Mr Cui approached two individuals who, unbeknownst to them, were working for the FBI. They enlisted the undercover agents to stop 'the victim' from protesting against Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the following month. Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly installed tracking devices on 'the victim's' car and paid the undercover agents to slash their tires. Mr Miller and Mr Cui also devised a complex plan to destroy a set of statues created by 'the victim'. These depicted President Xi and his wife bare-chested, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, and were potentially going to be displayed at a protest. The 'victim' had previously displayed the statues in Times Square electronic billboards and broadcast the display on X, according to court documents. Initially, Mr Miller had wanted to steal the statues and 'remove the heads' as evidence, but later decided to pay the undercover FBI agents to 'smash up' them up. In 2025, Mr Miller paid the agents $36,500 (£27,100) to convince 'the victim' to desist from showcasing the new statues at an upcoming protest, after 'the victim' had displayed the statues on a 24-hour live feed online. Beyond the intimidation schemes, Mr Miller also allegedly tried to purchase millions of pounds worth of military equipment on behalf of the Chinese military. Mr Miller reportedly tried to buy a £37,000 Stinger portable missile launcher, two military drones valued at £148,000, a £668,000 AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and a £1.5 million air-defence radar system. He also allegedly tried to procure a cryptographic device, which is used for secure communication of classified and sensitive information. At one point, the Briton suggested that the device be smuggled from the US to China by hiding it inside a food blender or a motor starter, having shipped it first via DHL or FedEx to Hong Kong, according to court documents. Several times in Mr Miller's conversations, he mentions a 'boss' or at times a 'big boss' that seems to be the one giving orders. According to the special FBI agent who submitted the affidavit, Mr Miller's use of the phrase 'boss' 'refer[s] to President Xi' and 'demonstrates [Miller's] awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government.' Mr Blanche said: 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' Bill Essayli, attorney for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because [they] criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC [People's Republic of China], and targeting him with violence.' If convicted, Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce Gives Bad Bunny a Scare in ‘Happy Gilmore 2' Trailer: Watch
Adam Sandler is back on the green for Happy Gilmore 2 — and Travis Kelce is keeping him on his toes. Sandler, 58, along with costars Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald, appeared during Netflix's 2025 Tudum special on Saturday, May 31, to field some questions about the upcoming sequel and reveal the movie's full length trailer. "Happy Gilmore sucks now?" a fellow golfer asks in amazement in the opening moments of the teaser as he watches the once-prolific golfer (Sandler) fall on his face while trying to swing a club. "Eat a back of d**ks!" Sandler replies in typical Happy fashion. The trailer reveals that years after becoming a legend on the green, Happy has stopped playing golf and has seemingly lost his touch. When his daughter (played by Sandler's real life daughter Sadie) wants to attend ballet school, Happy and his wife, Virginia (Bowen), realize the only way they'll be able to afford her dreams is if Happy returns to the game he thought he left behind. Adam Sandler Wanted Travis Kelce to Play His Son in 'Happy Gilmore 2' The teaser follows Happy and he tries to get back in the swing of things through practice, breaking in his new caddy (played by Bad Bunny), entering himself in a tournament, releasing some frustrations wi and even facing off with his longtime rival Scooter McGavin (McDonald). "You stole my life from me," Scooter says. "Why would I want to steal the life of someone who eats pieces of s*** for breakast?" Happy replies before the two square off in a graveyard. Elsewhere in the trailer, Kelce makes an appearance as a hotel worker who gives Bad Bunny a good old fashioned scare. "BOO!" Kelce yells in Happy's face, causing him to yelp in fear. Netflix announced in May 2024 that plans for a sequel were in the works. The original 1996 film follows Happy as he discovers his natural talent for golf after an unsuccessful career as an ice hockey player. After entering a golf tournament hoping to win money to save his grandmother's house from foreclosure, a trick shot wins him the championship, the girl — and his grandma's home back. A teaser trailer in March revealed that Happy Gilmore 2 would pick up with Happy as a dad and husband — and someone who thought golf was in the rearview mirror. 'We're not done with golf,' Bowen's Virginia tells Happy as they seemingly move out of their current home. 'Let them see the Happy I fell in love with.' The teaser also confirmed that Kelce would have a role in the film as what seems to be a hotel worker welcoming Happy back to his old stomping grounds. 'The whole thing was to get to hang out with Travis. That's why we put it together,' Sandler joked during an August 2024 episode of Kelce's 'New Heights' podcast. 'We're going there [to New Jersey]. Travis, by the way, thank you, I heard you talking about [Happy Gilmore 2] on your show, you guys.' Sandler confessed he had initially a special role in mind for the NFL star, but they ultimately decided not to pursue that direction. 'We were talking about you playing my son while we were writing it, literally, like, six months ago,' Sandler continued. 'We were like, imagine if Travis was my first baby, how funny that would be. Just a badass.' While many details of the Happy Gilmore 2 plot have been kept under wraps ahead of its release, new cast addition Kym Whitley gave Us Weekly exclusive insight into her experience working on the film. Christopher McDonald Teases Travis Kelce's 'Happy Gilmore 2' Cameo – Even If He's Team Josh Allen 'It's going to be hilarious,' Whitley told Us while attending the 16th Annual AAFCA Awards, in February. 'First of all, Adam Sandler, not only is he funny, is a great guy. When I say great, not only that he's just a great person, but he reaches back. He gets all his comic friends. He gives us all jobs, and he lets us play around with the script. He'll be like, 'Try it! Do this and that!'' Happy Gilmore hits Netflix on Friday, July 25.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Judge denies Sean 'Diddy' Combs' bid for mistrial
The hip-hop mogul's lawyers had called for a mistrial in his federal racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking trial, alleging misconduct by prosecutors in the case. They argued that prosecutors had improperly suggested and implied through questioning that Combs was involved in the destruction of evidence tied to the investigation into rapper Scott Mescudi's (Kid Cudi's) car being firebombed. Their request was quickly denied by the judge. "There was absolutely no testimony from the witness that was prejudicial in any way, shape or form," Judge Arun Subramanian countered.
