Latest news with #ManhattanFederalCourt
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to send videos of Cassie Ventura in sex ‘freak-offs' to her parents, celebrity stylist testifies
NEW YORK — Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash took the stand at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial Wednesday, telling a Manhattan jury about hearing the rap mogul threaten to send videos of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura engaging in humiliating sexual acts with strangers to her parents' workplaces. Nash said he began styling Combs and his ex-girlfriend Ventura as an intern in 2008 after moving to New York City and responding to a Craigslist ad. He stopped working for Combs in 2018. The stylist, who said 'absolutely not' when asked if he wanted to testify, said Combs had the final say on Ventura's appearance and that he regularly overheard the mogul berating her. An irate Combs, Nash said, frequently threatened 'that he would beat her a--, that he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs — he would start there.' On Tuesday, the Manhattan Federal Court jury heard from law enforcement witnesses about incidents detailed last week by the rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. Mescudi testified that his Hollywood Hills home was broken into, and his car was torched in his driveway weeks later after Combs learned he was dating Ventura. An LAPD officer said a Cadillac that left Mescudi's place the morning of the break-in was registered to Bad Boy Records. Arson investigator Lance Jimenez later testified about the investigation into Kid Cudi's burned car, which occurred in January 2012, and said the damage was limited as gasoline didn't disperse properly after a Molotov cocktail was dropped through a hole torn in the roof of the car. On cross-examination with Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo, Jimenez was pressed about a glove he found in the back of the car that he didn't record as evidence, as Mescudi said it belonged to him. He said he tried to reach Ventura after speaking with her father, a firefighter, but never got a call back. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request for a mistrial after Combs' lawyers argued that a line of questioning by the prosecution suggested he had something to do with authorities' destruction of DNA belonging to a woman that was recovered from the car. Subramanian later told the jury not to draw any inferences about the questions. Combs is accused of employing a network of staff to help facilitate his crime-ridden lifestyle and sordid sexual desires from 2004 to 2024. Prosecutors allege the employees engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, and arson in the matter involving Mescudi's car. Jurors have so far heard from Ventura, who described being violently abused and sexually exploited by Combs throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship. Ventura said Combs used videos of her in humiliating sexual performances with strangers that he directed as blackmail and said he and his staff had her under 24-hour surveillance. They are yet to hear from alleged victims Jane and Mia, which are pseudonyms, who are respectively expected to testify about being forced into the marathon sexual performances dubbed 'freak-offs' and sexually assaulted. Combs has pleaded not guilty to counts including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting individuals for prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors allege that for years, Combs orchestrated weekly freak-offs that saw vulnerable women in his orbit coerced into humiliating sexual encounters with strangers. Outside of his criminal case, Combs has faced around 70 lawsuits — brought by women and men — accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct. Allegations against him exploded into public view when Ventura brought suit in late 2023. Jurors have heard Combs settled that case for $20 million in just 24 hours. The feds then began investigating him. _____
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to send videos of Cassie Ventura in sex ‘freak-offs' to her parents, celebrity stylist testifies
NEW YORK — Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash took the stand at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial Wednesday, telling a Manhattan jury about hearing the rap mogul threaten to send videos of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura engaging in humiliating sexual acts with strangers to her parents' workplaces. Nash said he began styling Combs and his ex-girlfriend Ventura as an intern in 2008 after moving to New York City and responding to a Craigslist ad. He stopped working for Combs in 2018. The stylist, who said 'absolutely not' when asked if he wanted to testify, said Combs had the final say on Ventura's appearance and that he regularly overheard the mogul berating her. An irate Combs, Nash said, frequently threatened 'that he would beat her a--, that he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs — he would start there.' On Tuesday, the Manhattan Federal Court jury heard from law enforcement witnesses about incidents detailed last week by the rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. Mescudi testified that his Hollywood Hills home was broken into, and his car was torched in his driveway weeks later after Combs learned he was dating Ventura. An LAPD officer said a Cadillac that left Mescudi's place the morning of the break-in was registered to Bad Boy Records. Arson investigator Lance Jimenez later testified about the investigation into Kid Cudi's burned car, which occurred in January 2012, and said the damage was limited as gasoline didn't disperse properly after a Molotov cocktail was dropped through a hole torn in the roof of the car. On cross-examination with Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo, Jimenez was pressed about a glove he found in the back of the car that he didn't record as evidence, as Mescudi said it belonged to him. He said he tried to reach Ventura after speaking with her father, a firefighter, but never got a call back. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request for a mistrial after Combs' lawyers argued that a line of questioning by the prosecution suggested he had something to do with authorities' destruction of DNA belonging to a woman that was recovered from the car. Subramanian later told the jury not to draw any inferences about the questions. Combs is accused of employing a network of staff to help facilitate his crime-ridden lifestyle and sordid sexual desires from 2004 to 2024. Prosecutors allege the employees engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, and arson in the matter involving Mescudi's car. Jurors have so far heard from Ventura, who described being violently abused and sexually exploited by Combs throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship. Ventura said Combs used videos of her in humiliating sexual performances with strangers that he directed as blackmail and said he and his staff had her under 24-hour surveillance. They are yet to hear from alleged victims Jane and Mia, which are pseudonyms, who are respectively expected to testify about being forced into the marathon sexual performances dubbed 'freak-offs' and sexually assaulted. Combs has pleaded not guilty to counts including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting individuals for prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors allege that for years, Combs orchestrated weekly freak-offs that saw vulnerable women in his orbit coerced into humiliating sexual encounters with strangers. Outside of his criminal case, Combs has faced around 70 lawsuits — brought by women and men — accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct. Allegations against him exploded into public view when Ventura brought suit in late 2023. Jurors have heard Combs settled that case for $20 million in just 24 hours. The feds then began investigating him. _____
Toronto Sun
20-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Cassie's mother says Sean 'Diddy' Combs demanded $10K, threatened to release sex tapes
Published May 20, 2025 • 4 minute read Regina Ventura, mother of Cassie Ventura, departs the Manhattan Federal Court during the Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial on May 20, 2025 in New York City. Photo by John Lamparski / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs demanded $10,000 from Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura's mother and threatened to release explicit sex tapes of his longtime girlfriend when he became angry that she was dating someone else, the mother testified Tuesday at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Regina Ventura said she felt 'physically sick' when she received an email from Cassie in late 2011 saying Combs was planning to release two explicit videos of her and send someone to hurt her and the man she was seeing, rapper Kid Cudi. 'I did not understand a lot of it. The sex tapes threw me,' Ventura told the Manhattan federal court. Ventura, of New London, Connecticut, said she then received a demand from Combs for $10,000 'to recoup money he had spent on her because he was unhappy she was in a relationship with Kid Cudi.' 'He was angry that he had spent money on her and she went with another person,' she said. Ventura said she used a home equity loan to make the payment because 'I was scared for my daughter's safety.' Days later, she said, the money was returned, and before long, Cassie was dating Combs again. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ventura's testified for less than a half-hour, in part because defense attorney Marc Agnifilo declined to cross-examine her. During her testimony, the jury was shown photographs of bruises on Cassie's body that Ventura testified were taken when her daughter came home for Christmas in 2011. Before the jury arrived Tuesday, Agnifilo tried to persuade Judge Arun Subramanian to disallow the testimony, saying it was 'purely prejudicial' because it illustrated the wide difference between the financial status of the Ventura family and Combs. The judge allowed it though, saying the threats to release sex tapes and harm Cassie made it an instance of 'potential extortion.' The testimony came during the second week of the trial, which is scheduled to last up to two months. If convicted of the charges he faces, including racketeering, the Bad Boy Records founder could be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he used threats and his powerful position in the hip-hop world to abuse women and others, and force Cassie to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances with other men that she said left her too drained to pursue her singing career. Earlier Tuesday, David James, Combs' personal assistant from 2007 to 2009, told the court that the job that seemed to come with increasing perils. He said he quit when he realized that his life had been put in danger after he was forced to drive a car in which an angry Combs sat in the back seat with three handguns on his lap. James said his job sometimes required him to ensure that hotel rooms where Combs stayed under the name 'Frank Black' were stocked with the musician's comforts, including fresh underwear, an iPod, apple sauce, vodka, baby oil, Viagra and condoms. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There were also surprising moments, James said, like one in 2008 when Combs asked him to bring an iPod from his Miami home to a hotel room. Upon entering, James said he saw Cassie on the bed with a white comforter pulled up to her neck and an unfamiliar naked man running from the room. Another time, he said Combs summoned him to his office to show him video he'd recorded at a party of James dancing wildly and told him: 'Ok. I'm going to keep this footage in case I ever need it.' James said he took it as a threat to keep him in line. Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened to release videos of her having sex with male sex workers during so-called freak-offs Combs orchestrated if she didn't do as he said. James also described being required to take lie detector tests twice when Combs was trying to find out who stole cash in one instance and a watch in another. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said Combs was on drugs nearly every day, often taking Percocet by day and ecstasy by night. When he stocked Combs' hotel rooms, he said, drugs were in a bag dropped off by security, including the pill meant to look like then-President Barack Obama. The moment when James saw the three guns on Combs' lap came when he testified that he was involved in Combs' attempt to confront his music industry rival Suge Knight at a Los Angeles diner in November 2008 — an incident that Cassie also testified about. He said he quit soon afterward. 'I was real shook up by it,' James testified. 'This was the first time being Mr. Combs' assistant that I realized my life was in danger.' Before Tuesday's lunch break, Sharay Hayes, an exotic dancer known as 'The Punisher,' testified that Combs and Cassie brought him into the freak-offs world. He said a woman — Cassie using a pseudonym — called and told him it was her birthday and that her husband said she should hire a dancer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hayes said he arrived at a Manhattan hotel room expecting to perform a striptease for a small group of people but instead found the woman who hired him — whom he later found out was Cassie — alone with an otherwise naked man who hid his face with a burqa-like cloth. That man, he said, turned out to be Combs. Hayes recalled seeing bottles of baby oil in bowls of water and getting handed a stack of $800 in cash. Later, after Combs watched him have a sexual encounter with Cassie, he said he was handed an additional $1,200. He said he was a fan of Combs but didn't realize it was him in the room until a subsequent encounter at another hotel where the message on the TV screen said: 'Essex House would like to welcome Mr. Sean Combs.' Basketball Ontario Toronto Maple Leafs NFL Canada
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs gut-punched Cassie at Hollywood eatery with Usher, Ne-Yo present, trial witness says
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs didn't hide his brutal abuse of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, once hurtling a skillet full of eggs at her head in front of guests at his home — and another time gut-punching her at a restaurant dinner attended by Usher and Ne-Yo, jurors heard at the rap mogul's Manhattan trial Monday. Testifying as the fifth witness at Combs' Manhattan Federal Court trial, Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, 42, of New Orleans, told jurors about witnessing the Bad Boy Records co-founder attack Ventura multiple times. Richard was selected for stardom as a member of Danity Kane by Combs in MTV's reality series 'Making the Band.' In one 2009 incident, she recalled a 'belligerent' Combs throwing a skillet Ventura was cooking eggs in toward her head. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying where the f–k was his eggs. Excuse my language,' Richard said. 'And he was telling Cassie that she never gets anything right, where the f–k is his food, and he proceeded to come over to her and took the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head with it, and she fell to the ground.' Ventura assumed a fetal position to defend herself, Richard testified. She said Combs started to punch and kick Ventura in her body and head and then proceeded to grab her by the neck and drag her to a room on another floor. Richard then heard glass breaking and yelling. The next day, Combs summoned Richard and another woman who witnessed the incident, Kaleena Harper, to return to his place, locking them in his recording studio to deliver a thinly veiled threat, Richard testified. 'He said that what we saw was a passion and what lovers in relationships do. He said that she was OK and that it would be in our best interests if we didn't say anything,' Richard recalled, adding Combs also told them, 'where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like, if people talk.' Richard, who was later in the musical trio Diddy Dirty Money, shared the account of the kitchen assault Friday after jurors heard four days of bombshell testimony from Ventura about suffering for 11 years under Combs. Richard told prosecutors about seeing Combs assault Ventura on other occasions. She testified Combs gut-punched Ventura at a West Hollywood restaurant where celebrities Usher, Ne-Yo, and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine were present, but without saying whether they witnessed it. She also told the jury about seeing firearms in the presence of Combs and his security guards and witnessing drug dealers drop off cocaine and marijuana. Richard is among more than 70 plaintiffs who have sued 'Diddy' since sexual misconduct and violence allegations first surfaced against the once larger-than-life producer in 2023, alleging he assaulted, imprisoned and threatened her life. In her cross-examination Monday, Combs' defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland attempted to portray Richard as motivated by money and highlighted discrepancies in her testimony and initial interviews with the feds. Westmoreland said Richard hadn't previously recounted Combs making the threat about people going missing. Richard said she'd remembered more over time and acknowledged contacting Combs about professional opportunities after Danity Kane disbanded. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner resumed questioning Richard after her tense cross-examination with Westmoreland, she reiterated that she did not doubt her recollection of the kitchen attack and the threat that followed. In addition to experiencing frequent savage beatings, Ventura, 17 years Combs' junior, last week told the jury she was coerced into participating in 'hundreds' of degrading sexual performances with male commercial sex workers that he dubbed 'freakoffs.' That activity began soon after she started dating him after being signed to his record label at 19. As she recovered from beatings, Combs, in essence, imprisoned her in hotel rooms and at his properties, refusing to let her leave until her injuries were no longer visible, she said. She also said he threatened to release videos of her participating in humiliating freakoff sessions as blackmail. Later Monday, jurors heard more detailed allegations about Combs' firm grip on Ventura as the prosecution sought to establish the controlling and coercive nature of their relationship. Kerry Morgan, once one of Ventura's best friends before they fell out in 2018, testified about witnessing Combs brutally assault Ventura on trips to Los Angeles and Jamaica, obsessively contacting her and making demeaning comments that saw her lose her confidence. The Buffalo native said she and Ventura met in their late teens on a modeling gig in New York City and lived together in Manhattan. She said Combs' violence brought about the end of their yearslong friendship after she became a victim of it. Recounting being home with Ventura in April 2018, Morgan said Combs turned up unannounced and started ranting about Ventura cheating on him. The next thing she knew, he was choking Morgan and 'boomeranged a wooden hanger' at her head, she said. Morgan said she wound up receiving a $30,000 settlement and signed a nondisclosure agreement to stay silent about the assault. She never spoke with Ventura again after the incident. Morgan said she had 'often' talked to Ventura about leaving Combs, but Ventura said it would be impossible, with him controlling her career and financing every aspect of her life, 'all of her livelihood.' After Morgan, the jury heard a similar account from David James, Combs' personal assistant from 2007 to 2009. He recalled speaking with Ventura and asking her why she didn't 'get out' of the lifestyle she found 'crazy.' 'I can't get out,' James recalled Ventura saying, adding that she told him Combs controlled her music career, apartment, allowance and everything else in her life. James also recalled Combs commenting on how Ventura was 'moldable.' 'Cassie's good,' the former assistant recalled Combs saying. 'I've got her right where I want her — she's young.' The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office alleges that Combs, from 2004 to 2024, coerced Ventura and another woman into participating in dehumanizing 'freakoffs' with assistance from a network of high-ranking employees and committed other abuse. The 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and could face life in prison if convicted. _____ NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs didn't hide his brutal abuse of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, once hurtling a skillet full of eggs at her head— and another time gut-punching her in a restaurant where stars like Usher and Ne-Yo were dining, jurors heard at the mogul's Manhattan trial Monday. Testifying as the fifth witness at Combs' Manhattan Federal Court trial, Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, 42, of New Orleans, told jurors about witnessing the Bad Boy Records co-founder attack Ventura multiple times. Richard was selected for stardom as a member of Danity Kane by Combs in MTV's 'Making the Band.' In one particularly heinous 2009 incident, she recalled a 'belligerent' Combs throwing a skillet Ventura was cooking eggs in toward her head. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying where the f–k was his eggs. Excuse my language,' Richard said. And he was telling Cassie that she never gets anything right, where the f–k is his food, and he proceeded to come over to her and took the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head with it and she fell to the ground,' Richard said. Ventura assumed a fetal position to defend herself, Richard testified. 'It seemed as if she was doing it as if it was something that she did often,' Richard said. Richard said Combs started to punch and kick Ventura in her body and head and then proceeded to grab her by the neck and drag her to a room on another floor. Richard then heard glass breaking and yelling. The next day, Combs summoned Richard and another woman who witnessed the incident, Kaleena Harper, to come back to his place, locking them in his recording studio to deliver a thinly veiled threat, RIchard testified. 'He said that what we saw was a passion and what lovers in relationships do. He said that she was okay and that it would be in our best interests if we didn't say anything,' Richard recalled. 'He was trying to take us to the top, and that, where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like, if people talk. And then he gave us flowers.' Richard, chosen for Danity Kane during the third season of the hit MTV show in 2005, shared the account Friday after jurors heard four days of bombshell testimony from Ventura about suffering for 11 years under Combs. Richard told prosecutors about seeing Combs assault Ventura on other occasions, like when Ventura would try to stand up for herself. She testified Combs gut-punched Ventura at a West Hollywood restaurant where celebrities like Usher, Ne-Yo, and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine were present. She also told the jury about seeing firearms in the presence of Combs and his security guards and witnessing drug dealers drop off cocaine and marijuana. Richard is one plaintiff among more than 70 who have sued 'Diddy' since sexual misconduct and violence allegations first surfaced against the once larger-than-life producer in 2023, alleging he assaulted, imprisoned, and threatened her life. In her cross-examination Monday, Combs' defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland attempted to highlight discrepancies in Richard's testimony and her initial interviews with the feds. Westmoreland said Richard hadn't previously recounted Combs making the threat about people going missing. Richard said she'd remembered more over time and acknowledged contacting Combs about professional opportunities after Danity Kane disbanded. When prosecutors resumed questioning Richard after her tense cross-examination with Westmoreland, she reiterated that she did not doubt her recollection of the kitchen attack and the threat that followed. In addition to experiencing frequent savage beatings, Ventura, 17 years Combs' junior, last week told the jury she was coerced into participating in 'hundreds' of degrading sexual performances with male commercial sex workers that he dubbed 'freak-offs.' That activity began after she started dating him soon after being signed to his record label at 19. As she recovered from beatings, Combs in essence imprisoned her in hotel rooms and at his properties, refusing to let her leave until her injuries were no longer visible, she said. She also said he threatened to release videos of her participating in humiliating freak-off sessions as blackmail. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He could face life in prison if convicted. Now in his third week on trial, the hip-hop mogul has been incarcerated at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest. The scandal-plagued federal jail is also housing the alleged healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione along with the multimillionaire Alexander brothers — Oren, Alon, and Tal Alexander — who are accused of trafficking young women and minors for sex. The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office alleges that, from 2004 to 2024, the prolific hip-hop producer coerced Ventura and another woman into participating in dehumanizing 'freak-offs' with assistance from a network of high-ranking employees, unlimited resources and immense influence. The jury is also expected to hear allegations from his former assistant, who will testify under the pseudonym Mia, that he sexually assaulted her. _____
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs gut-punched Cassie at Hollywood eatery with Usher, Ne-Yo present, trial witness says
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs didn't hide his brutal abuse of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, once hurtling a skillet full of eggs at her head— and another time gut-punching her in a restaurant where stars like Usher and Ne-Yo were dining, jurors heard at the mogul's Manhattan trial Monday. Testifying as the fifth witness at Combs' Manhattan Federal Court trial, Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, 42, of New Orleans, told jurors about witnessing the Bad Boy Records co-founder attack Ventura multiple times. Richard was selected for stardom as a member of Danity Kane by Combs in MTV's 'Making the Band.' In one particularly heinous 2009 incident, she recalled a 'belligerent' Combs throwing a skillet Ventura was cooking eggs in toward her head. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying where the f–k was his eggs. Excuse my language,' Richard said. And he was telling Cassie that she never gets anything right, where the f–k is his food, and he proceeded to come over to her and took the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head with it and she fell to the ground,' Richard said. Ventura assumed a fetal position to defend herself, Richard testified. 'It seemed as if she was doing it as if it was something that she did often,' Richard said. Richard said Combs started to punch and kick Ventura in her body and head and then proceeded to grab her by the neck and drag her to a room on another floor. Richard then heard glass breaking and yelling. The next day, Combs summoned Richard and another woman who witnessed the incident, Kaleena Harper, to come back to his place, locking them in his recording studio to deliver a thinly veiled threat, RIchard testified. 'He said that what we saw was a passion and what lovers in relationships do. He said that she was okay and that it would be in our best interests if we didn't say anything,' Richard recalled. 'He was trying to take us to the top, and that, where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like, if people talk. And then he gave us flowers.' Richard, chosen for Danity Kane during the third season of the hit MTV show in 2005, shared the account Friday after jurors heard four days of bombshell testimony from Ventura about suffering for 11 years under Combs. Richard told prosecutors about seeing Combs assault Ventura on other occasions, like when Ventura would try to stand up for herself. She testified Combs gut-punched Ventura at a West Hollywood restaurant where celebrities like Usher, Ne-Yo, and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine were present. She also told the jury about seeing firearms in the presence of Combs and his security guards and witnessing drug dealers drop off cocaine and marijuana. Richard is one plaintiff among more than 70 who have sued 'Diddy' since sexual misconduct and violence allegations first surfaced against the once larger-than-life producer in 2023, alleging he assaulted, imprisoned, and threatened her life. In her cross-examination Monday, Combs' defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland attempted to highlight discrepancies in Richard's testimony and her initial interviews with the feds. Westmoreland said Richard hadn't previously recounted Combs making the threat about people going missing. Richard said she'd remembered more over time and acknowledged contacting Combs about professional opportunities after Danity Kane disbanded. When prosecutors resumed questioning Richard after her tense cross-examination with Westmoreland, she reiterated that she did not doubt her recollection of the kitchen attack and the threat that followed. In addition to experiencing frequent savage beatings, Ventura, 17 years Combs' junior, last week told the jury she was coerced into participating in 'hundreds' of degrading sexual performances with male commercial sex workers that he dubbed 'freak-offs.' That activity began after she started dating him soon after being signed to his record label at 19. As she recovered from beatings, Combs in essence imprisoned her in hotel rooms and at his properties, refusing to let her leave until her injuries were no longer visible, she said. She also said he threatened to release videos of her participating in humiliating freak-off sessions as blackmail. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He could face life in prison if convicted. Now in his third week on trial, the hip-hop mogul has been incarcerated at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest. The scandal-plagued federal jail is also housing the alleged healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione along with the multimillionaire Alexander brothers — Oren, Alon, and Tal Alexander — who are accused of trafficking young women and minors for sex. The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office alleges that, from 2004 to 2024, the prolific hip-hop producer coerced Ventura and another woman into participating in dehumanizing 'freak-offs' with assistance from a network of high-ranking employees, unlimited resources and immense influence. The jury is also expected to hear allegations from his former assistant, who will testify under the pseudonym Mia, that he sexually assaulted her. _____
