Diddy Trial: Singer Testifies About Combs' Abuse

Pop singer Dawn Richard, formerly of Danity Kane, testified in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex trafficking trial in Manhattan federal court, alleging she witnessed Combs repeatedly assault his then-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura. Richard, whose group was signed to Combs’s Bad Boy Entertainment, claimed she feared for her life after Combs warned her to stay silent about the alleged abuse, hinting that people who spoke out could “go missing.” She told jurors she was “shocked but also scared,” believing she and her bandmates could face deadly consequences for speaking up.

Richard’s testimony came on the sixth day of the high-profile trial, where Combs, 55, faces five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and remains detained in a Brooklyn jail since his September 2024 arrest. A conviction could result in 15 years to life in prison. The trial, drawing intense media scrutiny due to Combs’s wealth and music industry influence, is expected to last up to two months.

Photos released Monday show Cassie Ventura’s injuries
from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ alleged beatings

During a rigorous cross-examination, defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland challenged Richard’s credibility, highlighting inconsistencies in her account. Richard admitted to discrepancies, such as claiming she saw Combs throw a pan at Ventura in 2009 but previously saying she only heard it, omitting Combs’s alleged threats in prosecutor interviews, and testifying she saw Combs use drugs despite earlier denying it. Westmoreland’s questioning was notably sharper than cross-examinations of other witnesses, exposing gaps in Richard’s narrative.

The court session focused on testimony from former employees and other witnesses who had knowledge of Combs’s alleged violent outbursts. This followed a dramatic first week, particularly the testimony of Combs’s ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who described physical and emotional abuse and coerced participation in drug-fueled sexual performances termed “freak-offs.” The prosecution aimed to build on Ventura’s account to illustrate a pattern of coercive behavior facilitated by Combs’s business empire, including Bad Boy Entertainment.

The prosecution alleges that Combs ran a criminal enterprise over two decades, using his fame, wealth, and associates to orchestrate crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor, and physical abuse. Central to the case are the “freak-offs,” described as drug-fueled, multi-day sexual performances involving coerced women and male sex workers, often recorded without consent. The defense, led by attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, argues that the sexual activities were consensual and part of Combs’s private life with long-term partners, not criminal acts.