Latest news with #Diddy-DirtyMoney
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Usher, Ne-Yo Were Present When Diddy Punched Cassie At Party, Dawn Richard Testifies
While on the witness stand Monday (May 19) in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial, Dawn Richard testified that the Bad Boy founder allegedly punched his artist and girlfriend at the time, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, while attending a star-studded dinner party in 2010. The Diddy-Dirty Money singer claims the incident took place in a restaurant where Combs and Ventura were 'quietly' arguing when Combs allegedly punched her in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. 'She immediately bent over, he [Combs] told her to leave,' Richard testified. 'No one intervened.' Usher, Ne-Yo, record exec Jimmy Iovine and 'other celebrities' were allegedly present in the restaurant, but Richard did not testify that they directly witnessed the alleged moment of abuse. Richard added that she rode home with the couple and witnessed Cassie be assaulted again for saying Combs 'embarrassed' her. 'He grabbed her by the neck and popped her, slapped her in the mouth,' Richard testified, adding that Combs then said to Ventura, 'Shut the f**k up.' 'He would tell her he owned her,' Richard added. 'I told her he should leave. Cass looked torn. She would listen, but I could see the fear.' Richard previously recalled the evening in question in her September 2024 lawsuit against the No Way Out artist. 'In front of dinner guests, Mr. Combs hissed at Ms. Ventura in a screaming whisper and forcefully punched her in the stomach causing her to double over in visible pain, crying,' the lawsuit reads. 'Ms Clark escorted Ms. Ventura out of the restaurant and Mr. Combs remained and continued socializing with dinner guests.' Diddy's attorney Erica Wolff addressed Richard's lawsuit at the time, telling VIBE in a statement, 'Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.' It continues, 'If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. It's unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.' More from Dawn Richard Claims Diddy Warned That "People Go Missing" For Going Against Him Misa Hylton Reacts To Backlash For Appearing At Diddy Trial: "I'm A Mother First" Cassie's Husband, Alex Fine, Calls Sean "Diddy" Combs A "Demon"
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Former Danity Kane singer details several times Diddy allegedly assaulted Cassie
Cassie Ventura shares her experience with Sean Combs amid sex trafficking charges. Image: Bang Showbiz Sean 'Diddy' Combs was allegedly seen abusing his former partner Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura on multiple occasions. The 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder is facing trial in New York on federal charges including sex trafficking and witness Dawn Richard, 40, told of his alleged attacks on his singer ex Cassie, 38, during her testimony on Monday. She told the court: 'Mr. Combs didn't like that we talked to Cassie and oftentimes we would pay for it.' Dawn is a former member of band Danity Kane and Combs' group Diddy-Dirty Money, and also told jurors she saw Combs become violent with Cassie on several occasions between 2009 and 2011. 'He would drag her and kick her and punch her in the mouth,' she said, adding Cassie would be assaulted when she 'would speak up for herself.' Dawn also testified: 'It would be on his time. He owned her. Very much like, 'When I'm ready for you, you'll do it.' She had to wait for her time.' During one alleged incident, Dawn said Cassie 'came into the bathroom crying' after Combs punched her. 'You could see her upset. Like, she was hurt,' she said. Dawn also testified several employees of Bad Boy Records, including Harve Pierre, witnessed the abuse but did not intervene. 'When we drove back to LA, he slapped Cassie in the mouth and told her to 'shut the f*** up',' she said. 'We stayed silent the rest of the ride.' Kerry Morgan, 39, a former best friend of Cassie's, also testified Monday. She described two incidents in Los Angeles in which she said Combs became violent. Kerry said that after one alleged altercation, she and Cassie had hidden on strangers' front steps for 'approximately 30 minutes,' whispering as Combs and his bodyguard, Reuben, drove past looking for them. Dawn first met Combs during MTV's 'Making the Band', before signing to Bad Boy Records and joining Danity Kane in 2004. She later joined Diddy-Dirty Money. Dawn told the court she witnessed a violent outburst by Combs in 2009 at his Los Angeles mansion, allegedly over his breakfast. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying 'where the f**k was his eggs,'' she said. Dawn also claimed Combs attempted to strike Cassie with a skillet and continued to 'punch and kick her … (in the) body and her head'. Combs' trial, expected to last two months, follows a string of lawsuits filed against the rapper, including one by Dawn in September 2024 accusing him of sexual abuse. She claimed in the suit Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, including one incident in a changing room when he allegedly touched her and commented, even though she was 'too skinny', she had an 'a**'. Combs' attorney, Erica Wolff, told Page Six about the lawsuit: 'In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day – conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.' Combs was infamously caught on CCTV savagely beating Cassie in a hotel in 2016. He has denied all charges against him. Bang Showbiz
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
At Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Trial, Three Witnesses Take the Stand and Confirm Details From Ex Cassie Ventura's Testimony
Three witnesses took the stand at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan on Monday, all of whom backed up or confirmed details around physical and emotional abuse the defendant allegedly inflicted on his ex-girlfriend of a decade, Cassie Ventura, who detailed her time with the beleaguered rap mogul in court from the stand. The singer was part of the girl group Danity Kane and Combs-led trio Diddy-Dirty Money for three years until he ended the project in 2012. Danity Kane was formed as part of the Combs-led MTV reality series Making the Band; the show features Combs frequently doling out orders and demands of the singers in Danity Kane that veered into insults and abuse. More from The Hollywood Reporter Singer Dawn Richard Says Sean "Diddy" Combs Threatened Her With Death After She Saw Him Assault Cassie Sean "Diddy" Combs' Ex Cassie Ventura Tells Court She Doesn't Hate Him Despite Decade of Abuse Justin Bieber Denies Being One of Diddy's Victims: "There Are Individuals Who Were Genuinely Harmed By Him" Richard filed a lawsuit in September against Combs, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. On Friday, she told the court she saw him beat Ventura in 2009 with a skillet full of eggs, put his arm around her neck and drag her by her hair upstairs at his Los Angeles home. After the alleged incident, Richard testified that Combs warned her, 'if we said anything, we could go missing' and that 'we could die.' Those who found themselves in Combs' inner orbit were told to keep 'out of my relationship or else we would pay for it, or else something bad would happen to you,' Richard said from the stand. Prosecutors are using Richard's testimony from Friday and what she told the court Monday to show a pattern in Combs' behavior but also to back up Ventura's testimony about the abuse she suffered at Combs' hands for a decade. From the stand, Richard confirmed she was a witness to multiple instances of this violence, which the jury spent last week hearing about firsthand and seeing on hotel surveillance footage. 'Frequently, he would punch her, choke her, slap her in the mouth, kick her, punch her in the stomach,' Richard told the Manhattan courtroom. 'It could be because Cassie was speaking up for herself. It could be random. It could be if she had an opinion for herself. She would be quiet and when she had these moments of trying to stick up for herself, he would hurt her for it.' The defense's strategy was to poke holes in Richard's testimony and highlight inconsistencies in her accounts of her time around Combs, including the skillet incident and how frequently she saw Combs carrying a firearm; from the stand, Richard admitted that her account of these incidents and what she saw has changed over time but added that over time, she's recollected more details. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed out to Richard that she'd claimed in an interview that Combs said at the time, 'this was a love thing,' and that 'people going missing' was never mentioned at the time. 'Iit was a hard time, a bad time for me,' she later explained when asked about recalling incidents from the time period years later. 'It did not all come back immediately. … The environment was traumatizing, so I tried to erase those things from my memory.' In her testimony, Richard also told the court that there were times while she was in Combs' professional inner circle that she saw him with guns and illegal drugs. On cross-examination, Westmoreland asked Richard why she never mentioned these alleged guns during the eight meetings she had with prosecutors. Richard told the defense attorney: 'It wasn't asked.' With Combs playing the role of boyfriend and boss at her label, Bad Boy Records; Venrura was subjected to delay after delay in recording new material and ultimately never saw her career get off of the ground, Richard testified. 'He said it would be on his terms. It was always wait, wait, wait. She had to wait for her turn, sometimes it was just wait your turn, other times it was violent or volatile,' she said. Richard also told the court that a number of Combs' employees witnessed his violence against Ventura; no one ever stepped in to stop it, she said, which federal prosecutors allege involved coercive control, manipulation, blackmail, drug use, marathon sex sessions and trafficking. Combs pleaded not guilty to multiple counts detailed in a federal indictment involving sex trafficking and racketeering; he continues to deny all allegations against him. Richard said she was not expecting compensation for her testimony. but is hoping to right a wrong. 'I'm expecting justice,' she said. Combs' attorney said the mogul was 'shocked and disappointed' by Richard's lawsuit. Richard admitted she tried to work with Combs again despite all her allegations. Richard said: 'I want justice and to be made whole.' And when Westmoreland asked if that meant being paid money, Richard answered, 'Yes.' Following Richard's testimony, Kerry Morgan, whom Ventura described as her former best friend of 20 years but whom she'd grown estranged from since a violent incident involving Combs, was called to the witness stand. Upon taking the stand, Morgan expressed to the court that she was there under subpoena and did not wish to testify. While questioned by the prosecution, Morgan described multiple incidents of Combs inflicting violence on her former friend and one time when she told the court he laid his hands on her too. One particularly harrowing incident Morgan described happened when she was with the couple in Jamaica on a vacation. Combs assaulted Ventura after she took too long using the bathroom; Morgan described the noises she then heard coming from her friend at the time. 'It was guttural, terrifying. I heard her screaming so I went to the long hallway, they were coming out of the master bedroom and he was dragging her by her hair,' she told the courtroom. Ventura was then thrown to the ground, hitting her head on a brick, and the two fled the scene in a golf cart and hid in a ditch on the nearby course as Combs stalked them for hours, she said. The fevered jealousy in Combs' and Ventura's relationship was confirmed on the stand by Morgan, who by her account had a front-row seat to the majority of the years they were together. Ventura was jealous of Combs' ex-wife Kim Porter, with whom he had kids and would spend holidays, casting Ventura aside on those important days. And the mogul grew jealous of Michael B. Jordan when Ventura began speaking with the Sinners star while she was filming a movie out of town. On the stand last week, Ventura told the court that she and Combs split while she was in South Africa for a few weeks filming a movie; during that time, she spoke with the actor, she said, and it drove Combs to become jealous. Morgan and Ventura were in the singer's apartment listening to music in 2018 when she was attacked by three rap moguls, she told the court, with Combs grabbing her by the neck and hitting her with a wooden hanger. 'He came up behind me and choked me and left finger marks on my neck and hit me in the head with a wooden hanger,' she told the court, adding that Combs was saying something about cheating at the time of the attack. 'Cassie was in the bathroom. It hit me behind my right ear.' Ventura grabbed some things and the two women fled the apartment, Morgan said, telling the court how they then went to a local urgent care to check if she was concussed, as Morgan explained she was dizzy and she'd 'vomited a few times' after the alleged assault. Morgan told the court that she hired a lawyer but never filed a lawsuit against Combs; she signed a nondisclosure agreement about the incident and was given $30,000 by Combs. The incident, and Ventura's reaction to it, ended their long-term friendship, she testified. 'The reason I stopped speaking to her was because she was not supportive of me after that incident. I draw my line at physical abuse,' Morgan said, later telling the jury, 'We haven't spoken since. The last time I spoke to Sean was the night of the assault and the last time I saw Cassie was when I signed the NDA.' Monday's final witness was a former assistant to Combs, Sean James, who detailed to the court how security surrounding Combs always carried guns and when he inquired about it, he said he was told to 'stay in your lane.' He grew emotional on the stand, and described how an executive directed him to a picture of the wealthy mogul on the wall, whose caption read: 'This is Mr. Combs' kingdom and we are all here to serve in it.'' James also repeated part of a conversation he says he had with Ventura about Combs and their relationship: 'He controls my career, pays my allowance, and pays my rent,' she said, according to his testimony. James is set to return Tuesday for another hour of questioning before cross-examination. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs ‘seen abusingex-girlfriend Cassie on multiple occasions'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was allegedly seen abusing his former partner Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura on multiple occasions. The 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder is facing trial in New York on federal charges including sex trafficking and witness Dawn Richard, 40, told of his alleged attacks on his singer ex Cassie, 38, during her testimony on Monday. (19.05.25) She told the court: 'Mr. Combs didn't like that we talked to Cassie and oftentimes we would pay for it.' Dawn is a former member of band Danity Kane and Combs' group Diddy-Dirty Money, and also told jurors she saw Combs become violent with Cassie on several occasions between 2009 and 2011. 'He would drag her and kick her and punch her in the mouth,' she said, adding Cassie would be assaulted when she 'would speak up for herself.' Dawn also testified: 'It would be on his time. He owned her. Very much like, 'When I'm ready for you, you'll do it.' She had to wait for her time.' During one alleged incident, Dawn said Cassie 'came into the bathroom crying' after Combs punched her. 'You could see her upset. Like, she was hurt,' she said. Dawn also testified several employees of Bad Boy Records, including Harve Pierre, witnessed the abuse but did not intervene. 'When we drove back to LA, he slapped Cassie in the mouth and told her to 'shut the f*** up',' she said. 'We stayed silent the rest of the ride.' Kerry Morgan, 39, a former best friend of Cassie's, also testified Monday. She described two incidents in Los Angeles in which she said Combs became violent. Kerry said that after one alleged altercation, she and Cassie had hidden on strangers' front steps for 'approximately 30 minutes,' whispering as Combs and his bodyguard, Reuben, drove past looking for them. Dawn first met Combs during MTV's 'Making the Band', before signing to Bad Boy Records and joining Danity Kane in 2004. She later joined Diddy-Dirty Money. Dawn told the court she witnessed a violent outburst by Combs in 2009 at his Los Angeles mansion, allegedly over his breakfast. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying 'where the f**k was his eggs,'' she said. Dawn also claimed Combs attempted to strike Cassie with a skillet and continued to 'punch and kick her … (in the) body and her head'. Combs' trial, expected to last two months, follows a string of lawsuits filed against the rapper, including one by Dawn in September 2024 accusing him of sexual abuse. She claimed in the suit Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, including one incident in a changing room when he allegedly touched her and commented even though she was 'too skinny', she had an 'a**'. Combs' attorney, Erica Wolff, told Page Six about the lawsuit: 'In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day – conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.' Combs was infamously caught on CCTV savagely beating Cassie in a hotel in 2016. He has denied all charges against him.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial Live Updates: Every Bombshell
Originally appeared on E! Online On the sixth day of Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial May 19, Dawn Richard continued her testimony. The Danity Kane alum testified that she was frightened by Combs' violent behavior towards her and Cassie Ventura, according to NBC News reporters in the courtroom. "He said you could go missing, that we could die," Richard, who joined Combs' Diddy-Dirty Money after Danity Kane disbanded in 2009, told jurors of a 2009 conversation. "I was shocked but also scared. During Richard's examination from the prosecution, she said that she regularly witnessed Combs lash out at ex Cassie Ventura—who is now eight months pregnant with her and husband Alex 's third baby—whenever she voiced her opinion. "Frequently, he would punch her, choke her, slap her in the mouth, kick her, punch her in the stomach," Richard said during her testimony. "It could be because Cassie was speaking up for herself. It could be random. It could be if she had an opinion for herself." More from E! Online Influencer Emilie Kiser's 3-Year-Old Son Dies After Being Found Unconscious in Pool Mariska Hargitay Reveals Identity of Biological Father After 30-Year Family Secret Why Sister Wives' Madison Brush Would Like to Apologize to Robyn Brown's Kids While defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed to Richard changing her story to add that she saw Combs—who has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, prostitution, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as transportation to engage in prostitution—with illegal drugs, the 41-year-old asserted that she began remembering more "as time progresses." For the live revelations from inside the courtroom, see below: Dawn Richard Testifies She Saw Sean "Diddy" Combs Hit Cassie Ventura With a SkilletCassie Ventura Shoots Down Accusation of Drugs in the 'Freak Off' Baby OilCassie Ventura Details Sean 'Diddy' Combs Drug UseJudge Calls For Recess Amid Cassie Ventura's Testimony at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' TrialCassie Ventura Says That She Participated in 'Hundreds' of 'Freak Offs' with Sean 'Diddy' CombsCassie Ventura Says She Settled 2023 Lawsuit Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs for $20 MillionCassie Ventura Alleges Sean 'Diddy' Combs Raped Her in 2018 When She Was Already With Future Husband Alex FineCassie Ventura Says She Broke Up With Kid Cudi After Sean 'Diddy' Combs ThreatCassie Ventura Says 'Freak Offs' Gave Her UTIs, Other Physical AilmentsSean "Diddy" Combs Allegedly Told Cassie Ventura That She "Couldn't" Leave Him During Hotel AttackCassie Ventura Says Sean "Diddy" Combs Attacked Her in Hotel Hallway Because She Left a "Freak Off"Cassie Ventura Says She Took Drugs to Make It Through 'Freak Offs'Cassie Ventura Describes Mess of Oil, Urine and Blood After "Freak Offs"Sean 'Diddy' Combs Wanted Baby Oil 'Glistening' During 'Freak Offs,' Says Cassie VenturaCassie Ventura Said Hiring For 'Freak Offs' Became 'a Job' For HerCassie Ventura Alleges 'Violent Arguments' With Sean 'Diddy' Combs Led to 'Physical Abuse and Dragging'Defense Wanted Pregnant Cassie Ventura Seated Before Jury to Avoid "Sympathy"Male Escort Says He Could Hear Sean "Diddy" Combs Assaulting CassieEscort Says Cassie Ventura Paid for Sex While Sean "Diddy" Combs Watched and MasturbatedCassie Ventura Had 'Purple Eye' After Being Attacked by Sean "Diddy" Combs, According to WitnessFormer Hotel Security Guard Says Sean "Diddy" Combs Offered Him Cash to Stay Quiet About Cassie AttackDefense Says Sean "Diddy" Combs Is "Complicated," the Case Is NotProsecution Accuses Sean "Diddy" Combs of Being a Kingpin During His TrialOpening Statements From the Prosecution at Sean "Diddy" Combs' Sex Trafficking Trial Begins For more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself or someone you love, visit the website for The National Domestic Violence Hotline ( or call 1-800-799-7233. For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
