On Friday, May 16, Dawn Richard took the stand in the federal sex trafficking trial against her former collaborator Sean “Diddy” Combs. Richard’s testimony followed four days of questioning of Casandra Elizabeth “Cassie” Ventura, Diddy’s former partner, who outlined detailed allegations of physical and sexual abuse by the hip-hop musician and mogul. For several years, Richard worked alongside Diddy on the Making the Band reality show and in the groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money. In that time, she alleges that Diddy verbally and physically abused her—allegations outlined in a separate lawsuit filed last year.
In her first day on the stand, Richard testified to witnessing Diddy physically assault Cassie on multiple occasions. She described one 2009 incident that took place at his home—Richard says she and her Diddy – Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper were recording there at the time—in which he “took a skillet with eggs inside and tried to hit Ventura over the head with the pan.” Cassie reportedly deflected the blow but ended up on the floor in a “fetal position,” after which Diddy “beat her on the ground in front of us,” then put his arm around her neck and dragged her upstairs. “I was scared that if I intervened, I might get [it] worse,” Richard said, explaining why she didn’t call the police. “I had never seen anything like that before.”
The next day, Richard alleges, she and Harper were called into a meeting with Diddy. She recalls him locking the door and threatening the two singers: “Where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that.” At this point in her testimony, lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo raised an objection and Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that court would be adjourned for the day. Richard will retake the stand tomorrow, May 19.
Following the conclusion of her testimony on Friday, both Cassie and her husband, Alex Fine, released statements on the trial via her attorney Douglas Wigdor. “This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear,” Cassie shared via Wigdor. On Fine’s behalf, he said “Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence, and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her.” Watch footage of the full statements below.
